Tales from the Rebellion

by Will X

Continuation of the Star Wars special. Candace, Isabella, and Phineas join the Rebel Alliance and become entangled in the war, while Ferb is forced into his own journey by Darthenshmirtz's manipulations. Behind it are petty intrigues, war politics, people being people, and a truly dark plot unfolding deep in the shadows. Rated T for coarse language and violence.

26. War across the Sector!

Uh, well, firstly, um, my respects to the late Queen Elizabeth and my heart goes out to the British people.

I had hoped to have this chapter posted on the fifth, in honour of the sixth anniversary of when I posted the first chapter of what initially was a mere continuation of that goddamn Phineas and Ferb/Star Wars crossover special. This dang fanfic is now over six years old and as of this chapter its word count has crossed 200,000.

It's wild how far it's strayed, like apart from Ferb (who is basically Ferb "In Name Only") and Darthenshmirtz (who is literally an extremely flanderised version of himself, which I hope to fix) the majority of the Phineas and Ferb cast gradually lost relevance-and that's not just because we're focusing mostly on this insurgency here in the Zoraster sector! No, so even when I return to the main Rebel Alliance forces it's gonna be a challenge for me to make anyone apart from Candace relevant again. I'll be putting in the work to try an' naturally work them back in to the new, convoluted, bizarre narrative that exists now.

---

The Foe-Gosruuk system was a binary star system in the Zoraster sector which had eight planets; Lopnn, Callel, Foe, Iorp, Little Tion, Gosruuk, Linos, and Phranni. Of all of them, only Foe and Gosruuk were habitable and from these twin worlds the solar system's name had been derived. Little Tion's only moon, the Wolftooth Moon, was also habitable but counted among its indigenous fauna multiple species of dangerous predators such as the Ciceroni, great reptiles that spat horrible poison at their prey, and the Ropicc, a fierce, omnivorous giant worm that would feast upon men if given the chance. For this reason my dear friend reader, the Wolftooth Moon was not host to any permanent settlements and was seldom visited by anyone other than outlaws or big game hunters.

Foe was an ocean planet whose surface was sprinkled here and there with many islands, the largest of which was roughly one-third the size of the Australian continent here in our own world. Much of the planet's population consisted of kelp farmers and fishermen. It had been charted thousands of years before the Galactic Civil War, along with much of the rest of the sector, but had not been first settled until roughly three centuries (give or take a few decades) before the opening of the story I've been recounting to you. The most populous settlement was called Ahmadtown, a city named after a human man called Ahmad Aziz-you see my friend, this man was the famed explorer who had led the first effort to colonise the planet Foe.

There were many legends told among the inhabitants of planet Foe about Ahmad Aziz's great deeds. Of those, there are two that The Author and I have confirmed to be true-one about the time Mister Aziz defeated a krayt dragon on Tatooine while the other is about how he brought modern medicine to a remote village on Mubon and saved it from an outbreak of that vile affliction, the Taren plague. There stands a marvellous statue of him in the center of Ahmadtown and more than a few children from Foe have been given his name at birth.

Apart from Ahmadtown the only thing of note beyond the fishermen's towns and the great kelp-farms is a starship repair yard operated by a large family of Delphanians. This repair yard became known in certain circles for asking few questions and therefore often catered to clientele associated with the galactic underworld. Beyond a medium-sized garrison in Ahamadtown, the Imperial military forces had no presence on Foe.

Gosruuk was a temperate planet with many forests, deserts, lakes, savannas, and canyons. It had been settled not long after the great Aziz established his early community on Foe. It had a few large cities at the time of the Galactic Civil War. The most notable of these was Marcagin, where a large droid factory was located. Gosruuk's population consisted largely of Humans (mostly of Tionese or Corellian descent), Chagrians, Togruta, Duros, Nikto, Tarsunt, Imroosians, and Zabraks. There was also a sizable community of Nuiwit emigrants from Altor 14 and a notable Twi'lek settlement, and most fairly prominent species had some level of representation among the populations of the planet's relatively cosmopolitan cities.

The Imperial Governor who ruled Gosruuk was a tall woman from Uviuy Exen. For years the owner of the droid factory in Marcagin had bribed her to interfere with local prosecutors' attempts to indict him for his unlawful, hazardous working conditions and union busting. This had sparked an outcry, naturally, but she had responded by sending stormtroopers out to deal with the protestors. The outcome of this was the infamous Desevro Plaza Massacre, where stormtroopers fired upon peaceful protestors and killed seventeen of them.

This act of shocking brutality was protested by Senator Bail Organa and many others in the Imperial Senate (as this was three years prior to the legislature's dissolution) but the only result was an insincere condemnation of the planet's Governor by the Imperial Ruling Council.

As one could no doubt expect, the people of Gosruuk took great offence to their (unelected) Governor getting away with such wickedness and made their displeasure known, resulting in brutal crackdowns overseen by none other than Commander Friedgren. Many of the rebel soldiers under General Fenwhudn's command were people from Gosruuk who had been hurt personally by the evil of the Galactic Empire. Among this number was Sergeant Toam, one of the soldiers who had participated in the raid on Altor 14.

At the beginning of the Zoraster Sector Insurgency, the Imperial garrison commander on Gosruuk was Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Edar, a human. Lieutenant Colonel Edar was a pale-faced and unpleasant (cisgender) man from the Core Worlds planet Alsakan. He had served with distinction during the campaign on Mimban around a decade ago, winning renown for achieving many notable feats against the "arrogant" (resilient) natives who "dared" (risked their lives) to "defy" (resist) Imperial "authority" (tyranny).

On the morning of the second rotation after the destruction of the light cruiser Blastiron Lieutenant Colonel Edar rose at 0630 hours and showered in his private quarters, as he did most mornings. His shower lasted ten minutes. Lieutenant Colonel Edar then dried off, shaved, brushed his teeth, took his medication, and dressed himself.

He exited his quarters at 0704 hours and made his way to have breakfast in the officer's dining room. Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Edar arrived there at 0711 hours and proceeded to the table that was reserved for him as the garrisonmaster. His breakfast lasted just under twenty minutes. Upon exiting the dining room, he then left the building it was in and proceeded to the base's command centre. As he walked, he scratched a rash on the back of his long neck-a benign allergic reaction that something in Gosruuk's air caused to occur in some offworlders. All he needed to do was drop by the medbay to pick up another tube of ointment and the rash would be fine.

At the speed Lieutenant Colonel Edar was walking he would have arrived at the command center in ten minutes had he not been killed by one of the bombs General Fenwudn's spies had placed around the Marcagin Urban Garrison base, which were timed to go off right then.

The explosions were the signal for a local resistance cell loyal to General Fenwhudn to instigate mass disruption in and around the city. The Marcagin Riot, as the history books would call it, lasted three days and ultimately resulted in sixty-five deaths: twenty-seven Imperial personnel, twelve local law enforcement officers, six civilian bystanders, and twenty resistance fighters. An entire AT-DP walker was taken down by resourceful members of the resistance cell, and a mob set fire to the droid factory whose owner had bribed the corrupt planetary governor. While Imperial forces managed to regain control over the city, the Marcagin Riot would be closely followed by what later historians referred to as the Gosruuk Uprising.

The Gosruuk resistance was in need of weapons however, and so it fell to General Fenwhudn's rebel forces to smuggle them into the Foe-Gosruuk system.

The Sunspring dropped out of hyperspace above the planet Gosruuk. There were no Imperial warships or starfighters to meet it; Maroon Squadron had launched a diversionary attack on a TIE patrol near Callel to lure Imperial forces away from Gosruuk.

"Coming up on Gosruuk," Ferb said. "No enemy ships on com-scan."

"Good," said Lieutenant Mosk. "Commander Harkson's boys be doin' their job then."

"How soon until we land, kid?" asked Corporal Parker, sitting at the navigator's station.

"We got ten minutes," Ferb said. "Unless we run into any Imperials."

"It looks like we shan't have t' worry 'bout that." Mosk said. "So far, at least. Stay vigilant, Polo."

Reaches the Rice Slowly, that commander with the very normal name, had placed Mosk in charge of the mission to Gosruuk in order to ease him in with being an officer. Mosk took this assignment seriously.

The Sunspring had been given the task of delivering the weapons, as it was the only freighter Degul Outpost had on hand when Colonel Brucosl ordered them to run guns to the Gosruuk resistance. Naturally, "Coryn Polo" would be the one flying his starship-hence why Ferb had come along.

Corporal Parker was there to round out the roster by providing an extra person to man a turret if they ran into any Imperial TIE fighters.

The Sunspring had no trouble entering the atmosphere and reaching the rendezvous point. Upon landing in the forest outside Marcagin, Lieutenant Mosk and his team were met by a group of local freedom fighters from the Gosruuk resistance. While Mosk spoke with the group's ranking member, an older and muscled Pantoran woman who was missing her left eye, the other four insurgents followed Ferb and Corporal Parker up the boarding ramp to retrieve the weapons crates from the Sunspring's cargo hold.

"These blasters will be a huge help." said the Pantoran woman. "Thank you, soldier."

Mosk saluted in response.

"Next time I meet the General, I'll pass your gratitude along." Mosk said. He smirked. "I'm sure she's glad you're fricking up the Empire's operations here, giving th' sector commanders another headache t' deal with."

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement-the freedom fighters of planet Gosruuk were given the weapons they needed in order to strike back at the evil government which had oppressed and abused them, while General Fenwhudn's Imperial opponents were handed another messy situation and she had more room to enact her own strategy.

Once the blaster crates were loaded onto the resistance cell's landspeeder and goodbyes had been exchanged, the Gosruuki freedom fighters sped off into the forest.

"Right," said Mosk. "Polo, time t' raise ship."

Ferb said nothing as he flipped the ignition switch and gently nudged the Sunspring upwards.

"It looks like our mission was a success, Lieutenant." said Corporal Parker.

Alas dear reader, he spoke too soon.

"Dank farrik!" Ferb swore. "I'm picking up TIEs on the scanner!"

Mosk grimaced.

"Looks like Commander Harkson wasn't able to lure every Imperial out to Callel." he grumbled. "Parker-you take the lower turret, I'll take the upper one!"

"Sir!" Corporal Parker said before running to fulfil his duties.

"How long 'til we jump?" Mosk asked.

"I need three minutes," Ferb replied without taking his eyes off the console.

Mosk nodded and ran.

The TIE fighters opened fire on the Sunspring without even a warning. There was, in fact, a standing order across the sector from Colonel Rilvert of Sector Command to go after and interdict any and all Corellian freighters resembling the Sunspring but the TIE pilots attacking had no knowledge of this; the Imperial forces stationed on Gosruuk were in complete disarray with Lieutenant Colonel Edar dead. The pilots were just under orders-given by an incompetent officer who would not have had any measure of authority if not for the fact that the chain of command on Gosruuk had completely broken down-to attack any 'suspicous spacecruisers' and while this command was unreasonable and, quite frankly, far too vague, Imperial personnel were nothing if not blindly obedient!

Ferb attempted to evade the laser blasts. He suddenly realised that he had forgotten to switch on the Sunspring's shields! Cursing himself, he corrected his mistake.

In the upper turret of the Corellian freighter, Mosk opened fire on the attacking TIE fighters. He could see at least three from his vantage point and took aim at the closest one, firing another volley of laser blasts from his cannon. He just barely missed the TIE he was aiming for, though he did clip the starboard wing of the one behind it. He fired again, this time hitting the lead TIE fighter. It exploded!

"Yeah!" Mosk exclaimed. "Got one!"

"I'm scanning four more!" Ferb said over the Sunspring's internal radio.

"Copy that, Polo!" Mosk said.

The TIE fighters fired on the Sunspring, hitting the main fuselage. She shook, but her shields held. Mosk swivelled the turret around to follow the TIEs as they passed the Sunspring and fired another volley of lasers at the Imperial fighters. He shot down the TIE fighter whose starboard wing he had clipped a few moments before.

"Two down!" Mosk announced.

"Nice work, Lieutenant!" cheered Corporal Parker.

"I need one more minute, then we can jump!" Mosk heard Coryn Polo say over the intercom.

"Understood!" Mosk replied. He gritted his teeth and fired the cannon again, but he missed the only TIE remaining in his sightline. Over the intercom Mosk heard Corporal Parker suddenly cheer.

"I got one!" he shouted.

"Nice work!" Mosk replied. "We've got two left!"

Mosk fired on the TIE again as it turned around to come back for a second run at the Sunspring. They had left the upper atmosphere behind them now and were in the lower orbit of Gosruuk. Mosk fired another time and missed another time. The TIE fighter fired its cannons at the Sunspring, landing a hit that was uncomfortably close to Mosk's turret. Mosk sucked in a breath and fired again at the TIE fighter. It flew to the side as he opened fire and he missed again. Mosk growled in frustration.

"Blast!" he swore. He fired again, this time clipping the lower edge of the Imperial TIE fighter's port-side wing (from his point of view, the starboard wing). With its manoeuvrability hampered by the damaged wing, the TIE fighter was an easy target. Mosk grinned and-

"Ready!" he heard Coryn Polo shout. The ship shook a little as it jumped to lightspeed, leaving Gosruuk and that TIE fighter far behind.

"Heh," Mosk chuckled. He would have earned himself a third kill if Coryn Polo hadn't taken the ship into hyperspace right at that moment, but he didn't mind. He was just glad they had completed their mission and made it out in one piece.

Besides… the voice in the back of his mind said. If you were a better shot you would've gotten it on your first try.

Mosk frowned and suddenly imagined that TIE fighter going on to shoot down several X-Wings or destroy an unarmed refugee ship because he hadn't been able to shoot it down over Gosruuk. He shook his head to push that anxious nonsense out of his mind. He should feel happy-they had successfully delivered arms to rebel forces in the Foe-Gosruuk system and in the process destroyed three TIE fighters, all without suffering a single casualty (so long as you didn't include some missing pieces of the Sunspring's hull plating in the total).

He stretched his arms, climbed down the ladder, and walked back into the freighter's cockpit.

"You made sure t' plot an extra jump, right?" Mosk asked. "On the off chance that they noted our vector when we left the Gosruuk system?"

They didn't want to risk exposing Degul Outpost's location to the Imperial Navy.

"Yes," Coryn Polo replied. He turned. "I will be refuelled there, right? An extra jump burns more fuel, and fuel costs credits."

Mosk found it, er, interesting that young Polo's first concern was the money and not the operational security of a Rebel outpost but he opted not to comment on it.

(In fact Ferb was just concerned about how little money he had, and fully understood and agreed with the need to jump to one location before then jumping back to base so Imperial pursuit would be all but impossible. He had actually, in fact, mistaken Mosk's question-which was the Lieutenant merely doing his duty-as nagging and was a little irritated by it, but Mosk did not pick up on it.)

It was not long before the Sunspring arrived at the Daral belt in the Kesbaisbs system. Ferb slowly navigated his ship around the Daral belt's asteroids until they reached Degul Outpost.

Once Ferb had landed the Sunspring in the main hangar bay, he and the other two rebels disembarked. The hangar bay was abuzz with activity. The flight droids were fueling up two X-Wings nearby while an engineering team worked to repair the damage done to Boom Squadron's Y-Wing bombers at the Battle of the Infkuenxe Nebula. Over in the corner were two Clone Wars-era V-Wing fighters and an even older interceptor-a Corellian D-26 Swiftfire, a model of snubfighter which had first been manufactured by the Corellian Engineering Corporation over six decades ago! Ferb had asked about these older fighters and been told the three of them comprised the entirety of Red Flight, the starfighter unit assigned to defend Degul Outpost in the event of Imperial attack. Ferb had been alarmed when told that the base's entire defensive screen was one ancient interceptor and two ships of the TIE fighter's predecessor model, but had been reassured when told that at least part of Maroon Squadron was usually docked aboard Degul Outpost as well. This was true at that moment-at least half the squadron was currently on-site. Commander Harkson had taken the other half for the diversionary attack at Callel and would be returning soon.

Mosk left Coryn Polo-that is to say, Ferb, of course-and Corporal Parker in the hangar so he could report their success to Major Reaches the Rice Slowly in the command centre. It was not a long trip.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly was standing at the command centre's holographic command table. With him were Lieutenant Ran'o, the station's C.O. Lieutenant Commander Shan, and Captain Eisenhower of Boom Squadron.

"Sirs!" Mosk saluted. "I am pleased t' report that we've successfully delivered the supplies t' our friends on Gosruuk."

"Excellent, Lieutenant." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly smiled. "Congratulations on the success of your mission."

"Y'all run into any trouble?" asked Lieutenant Commander Shan.

"Just some trigger-happy Imperial pilots." Mosk replied. "Nothing we couldn't handle. Between Corporal Parker and myself we downed three TIE fighters before Coryn Polo managed t' jump t' lightspeed."

"Nice," grinned Captain Eisenhower. "I always love it when some of those dang eyeballs get blasted to bits. Good work, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir." Mosk said, saluting at Captain Eisenhower. It felt good to receive praise.

"What was your opinion of the Gosruuk resistance?" Major Reaches the Rice Slowly asked.

"Sir?" Mosk frowned. "My apologies Major, but I'm not sure I understand the question."

"No, it's quite all right Lieutenant Mosk, that's on me for not being clear enough when asking you." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said kindly, gesturing to indicate that Mosk didn't need to apologise. "I mean, how much of a chance do you think they have to hold out against the might of the Imperial Army? We have their own word, which naturally must be taken with a grain of salt, and the assessments of our men on the ground with them, but I was curious what your take might be."

Mosk shook his head. "Sorry commander, I don't think I can fairly assess them. We were only planetside for 'bout ten minutes, and I only spoke t' one of them. All she said t' me was that th' weapons we gave 'em would be a huge help in fighting the local Imperial garrison."

"Ah," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly nodded.

"Sorry I can't be of more help, sir." Mosk said.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly waved his hand. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting you to have anything. Just curious was all."

"Why did you need th' information?" Mosk asked. "Is there an issue with that rebel cell?"

"No, Lieutenant Mosk, nothing." said the Major. "There's no apparent problem. Our strategy in this sector is based around the classic 'divide-and conquer' principle. How capable the resistance cell on Gosruuk causes the rebellion plan's successfulness. If they can cause a headache for the Empire, the General Fenwhudn will have more room to move around. Imperial forces in this sector of space are already fairly understaffed." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly paused and scratched his beardless chin, then he grinned. "Which will help us hit them in a way that makes it really hurt for a long time."

Mosk nodded. "Superior, I comprehend."

"Right then," said Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. He nodded. "We have another mission for you."

Mosk frowned.

"Permission t' ask something, sir?"

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly smiled at Mosk and nodded. "Go ahead, Lieutenant. I can't promise I'll be able to answer, but I'm always open to questions."

"Sir, respectfully, why is Coryn Polo receiving so much..." Mosk swallow'd. "Sir, why is he being given so much trust? We know virtually nothing about him-he just happened t' be in Mann City right when the Empire sprung their trap and he just happened t' be in possession of a YT-class freighter to spirit us offworld. His ship now has the coordinates t' both this space station and the General's headquarters on planet Keilosren!"

"He raises a good point, sir." Lieutenant Ran'o said to Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. "Sure, it does seem like it is just a real coincidence that worked out well in the end, but from a certain point of view it does look like a real suspicious pile of jirks bacti."

"I agree," Captain Eisenhower chimed in. "I'd recommend caution."

"It was the General's orders." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly replied evenly. "She says she has a feeling about the kid. A good feeling."

"We have no clue who he is, though," said Mosk.

"Colonel w'Acon's investigation officers are looking into him as we speak," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said to Mosk. "But there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious. I understand y'all's concerns but the General sees fit to trust Coryn Polo. What the General says, goes."

The other officers nodded to show him that they understood.

"Anyway," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "I'd hoped to begin the briefing for the next set of missions by now, but we don't have everyone here."

"Who are we waiting for?" Captain Eisenhower asked.

"Commander Harkson's still not back from Callel, which is to be expected." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "But he already knows the general plan. The others I'm waiting for are Captain Zhal and Lieutenant Fox."

"We're preparing to move on the big enemy base in the New Syvris system," explained Lieutenant Commander Shan. "We need to hit a few more targets to distract the Imperial fleet and soften up the forces in this sector."

"Just with what we have here at Degul Outpost?" Captain Eisenhower asked.

"No, almost everything the General has is being put into this." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "It's a big effort."

Captain Eisenhower nodded. "I see."

At that moment the door to the command centre opened and in stepped Lieutenant Fox, with Captain Zhal on their heels.

"Ah, Captain, Lieutenant, glad y'all could join us." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly smiled. "Now we can move forward with this briefing."

"You alright, sir?" Mosk asked Captain Zhal. The Captain had been injured during the raid on Altor 14. Zhal nodded.

"Unfortunately, the medical staff want me to rest a bit further." Captain Zhal grumbled. "I told them I felt fine and that I needed to get back int' the fight!"

"You're still injured, Captain." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "You need to rest. It wouldn't do for us to lose our top commando because he decided to o'er exert himself, woul' it now?"

"No sir." Captain Zhal said.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly nodded. "Of course not." He looked around. "So now that we have everyone here, we're going to go over the next moves the General has ordered us to make. Now, as we've said already this all leads up to a strike at New Syvris, to. We need to draw the local Imperial fleet out, distract it an' give it lots of trouble spots it has to deal with."

Lieutenant Commander Shan pressed a button and a holographic map of the sector appeared.

"New Syvris is here and the sector capital, Zoraster, is here." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said as he pointed at two dots, one labeled as the former system and one labeled as the latter system. "Degul Outpost is, of course, located the-in the Kesbaisbs system, which is here. The Imperial Navy has a communications station in the nearby Risoj system, here, but the Lesser Risoj Expanse is between us and that. There's also an Imperial supply depot on the fourth planet of the Sikppp system, located all the way on the other side of the Greater Risoj Expanse."

"The important thing to keep in mind is the Bigthe system, which is here." Lieutenant Commander Shan said. "The Empire has a large base in that system, lots of spacecruisers." He frowned. "Lots of spacecruisers."

"We're not intending to hit the Bigthe system," said Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. "But we want everyone to keep in mind how it's positioned-see how it's at a nexus of the local hyperlanes? In case it isn't clear, we're going to keep in mind how quickly ships can travel to the system's we're sending you to. Your average Star Destroyer can get from the Bigthe fleet base to here or New Syvris in about an hour, most light cruisers and patrol ships only need a little longer. There's less distance between Bigthe and Sikppp, but because of its location near the Infkuenxe Nebula and a black hole cluster as well as the Greater Risoj Expanse, the hyperspace routes are a little bit more complicated and it's nearly two hours by hyperdrive to there from the, uh, Bigthe system. Captain Zhal?" Zhal nodded and stepped forward.

"We have a plan to hit the supply base on Skippp." Captain Zhal said. He pressed some buttons on the console and the holotable switched to display what looked to be a holographic rendering of the Imperial base and the surrounding area. "Originally I was tapped to take charge of this, but I've been ordered to remain behind since some-" He scowled at Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. Mosk was taken aback by this defiant act of insubordination. "-consider me to be incapacitated, it will be Lieutenant Fox taking command of the attack. They have my complete confidence." He turned to Mosk. "Lieutenant Mosk, you'll be their second. You'll have five squads of regular infantry and a squad of snipers under your command. Fox will be in charge of my commando team, the tank crews, and the Vanguard Troopers in addition to having oversight over your people."

"Sir!" Mosk saluted.

"Looking forward to working with you, Lieutenant." Fox said.

"Likewise," Mosk said.

"You will land right around a klick from the base's defensive perimeter," Captain Zhal said. "The Vanguard Troopers will attack and destroy the proton mortars and burst turrets here. Once those are out of commission Lieutenant Mosk, your infantry will move in to engage the garrison."

"What's the makeup of the Imperial forces there?" Mosk asked.

"Our intel indicates a single platoon of stormtroopers and a line company of army troopers," Lieutenant Ran'o said. "Their vehicles number three scout walkers and a single hovertank."

"You mentioned Lieutenant Fox has direct command of the tank crews," Mosk said. "How many tanks?"

"Three T2-Bs." said Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. "Those and the Vanguard Troopers' rocket launchers should be enough to handle the AT-STs and that hovertank."

"What about potential reinforcements?" Lieutenant Fox asked, their hands folded over their chest. "Is there anything else we have to worry about?"

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly shook his head.

"No," he said. "The other bases on Skipp that could respond are a space station in orbit and an airbase planetside. That will already be taken care of."

"How?" Lieutenant Fox asked.

"The General is sending others to take care of that," Lieutenant Commander Shan said. "We can't say too much more or we risk our operational security. I'm sorry."

Fox and Mosk looked at each other and nodded.

"Understood, sir." Lieutenant Fox said. "But just so I'm aware of any potential dangers-what other forces are billeted there?"

"The airbase and space station both have a complement of TIE fighters," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "The orbital station also has a few troop shuttles to ferry its garrison to the planet's surface. All that should be handled by the time you arrive though."

Mosk worked up the courage to voice a concern. "What if they're not?"

"Yeah." Fox said. "If we have to deal with airstrikes-"

"You won't." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly interrupted. "If the first phase of the attack is unsuccessful, then we call off your attack."

"Colonel Brucosl won't be happy," snorted Captain Zhal.

"I will deal with Brucosl," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "You are under my command, and your lives are my responsibility. If the first wave of our attack on Skippp fails then I won't have you sent in."

Fox nodded their head. "I understand."

"Will Boom Squadron be taking part?" Captain Eisenhower asked.

"No, your bombers and Maroon Squadron will be elsewhere," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "Commander Harkson's already aware of the details, but to fill you in on the details y'all will be continuing to harass Imperial patrols and convoys in the area around the Foe-Gosruuk system. We'll rotate out who's held behind to defend this base."

"What's the timetable for our attack on Skippp?" Lieutenant Fox asked.

"Assuming everything goes according to plan, your transports launch in forty-eight hours." Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "Captain Zhal will be with you to brief your troops."

And that was that. Then, Mosk and Fox left the command centre.

"This is your first solo command, Lieutenant?" Mosk asked them.

"While leading troops, yes." they said. "I've gone on solo missions before though."

"You have?" Mosk asked, curious. Lieutenant Fox nodded.

"Brucosl once sent me to Boh Jorka." they said. "I was assigned to assassinate some Muun, a local banker who was providing financial backing to a slaver ring."

"Ah," Mosk nodded in understanding. "A piece of shit, then."

"Yes," agreed Fox. "Someone the galaxy is better off without."

"We've all been sent on an awful lot of operations against criminal factions," Mosk observed. "Not too long ago I was sent to the Wolftooth Moon to take out some smugglers."

"It makes for good training, I suppose." Lieutenant Fox said. "It is odd, though, that we're only just now moving against the Empire. But I assume either that the General had good reasons or the higher-ups in the Alliance were giving her orders."

Mosk nodded. That did make sense.

---

Ferb would've liked to go to the mess hall to read again but the damage the Sunspring had sustained above Gosruuk needed to be assessed. So, wearing goggles and a pair of workman's gloves, he was crawling around the top of his ship to get a quick mental list of every wound the TIE Starfighters had visited upon it. The damage wasn't too bad. Some hull plating needed to be replaced and there was a fair amount of carbon scoring, but otherwise the Sunspring was fine it seemed.

"Hey!" he heard someone shout. The main hangar was constantly abuzz with activity, but this was closer. "Hey kid-Polo. Hey!"

He moved to look-it was the Twi'lek girl, Vanessa. Ferb blushed and felt his heart began to beat fast.

"Erm, uh, yes. Hullo. Hi." he stammered out.

"Hi," she echoed, smiling with bemusement.

"Can-can I help you?" Ferb asked. "Do you-do you, erm, need a mechanic? I-I know mechanic skills."

Inwardly, Ferb cursed himself for how stupid he felt he sounded. 'I know mechanic skills'!?

Oh frick-she was laughing, the cute Twi'lek girl was laughing, oh-

Ferb paused. Cute?

"Nah," the girl said. "I need company, not a mechanic. I was heading to the mess hall. Wanna come?"

"Yes!" Ferb said quickly, perhaps with too much eagerness in his voice. "I-uh-yes, yes."

"Good, let's go!" She smiled and gestured for him to follow. He walked after, blushing.

---

General Baccam Grafis.

Commander Rex.

Commander Lajaie.

Admiral Verette.

General Ufwol.

General Airen Cracken.

Minister Vasp Vaspar.

Those were the Rebel Alliance leaders gathered in Home One's briefing room when Admiral Gial Ackbar and his chief lieutenant, Commodore Thaneespi, walked in. Home One and its accompanying fleet were currently holding in reserve in the Mid Rim's Sizxol system, far away from the prying eyes of the Imperial Navy.

"Gentlemen," Admiral Ackbar said. "Sorry to have kept you waiting. Let's begin."

"Very well." Commander Lajaie said. "General Ristt reports that in one battle his forces have wiped out the Imperial garrison on the planet Durkteel. They've already jumped to their rendezvous with Admiral Raddus in the Gavos system."

"Our offensive in the Mid Rim is showing results, to." General Ufwol observed.

"Justice for Alderaan-it tastes good!" grinned Commander Rex.

"As good as a nice, tasty crab puff." agreed Ufwol.

"I think the best news, of course, is the Battle of Ultaar." said Laijie. "Vice Admiral Ragab managed to destroy an entire Star Destroyer."

"And a qaz-class, no less." said General Cracken. "Quite the feat, quite the feat."

"What about General Natara's attack on Dandelo?" General Grafis asked.

"He reports success," Laijie said. "The Zann Consortium's staging base there was destroyed."

"Good," said Admiral Verette. "Tyber Zann is a stain upon the galaxy. Whatever his reasons for entering the war may be, he must be defeated."

"That reminds me," said Minister Vaspar. "The Dandelo system is near the sector of space where General Fenwhudn is operating."

A cloud fell over the briefing room. General Philoswa T. Fenwhudn was a brilliant strategist and natural leader respected for her bravery and skill. She had long clashed with the leadership of the Rebel Alliance over what she perceived as their moderate and noncommittal stance. This had won her acclaim from figures such as Admiral Raddus, General Ufwol, and General Lassior, but others, such as Vasp Vaspar or the veteran officer General Pitt Onoran found her to be dangerously close to radicals such as the terrorist Saw Gerrera or the solitary revolutionary Colonel José Aureliano Buendía.

And now she had-without authorization-gone to war with the Imperial Military in her sector of space despite orders from Alliance Command to keep her forces waiting in reserve. Sector forces were generally allowed leeway, but what Fenwhudn had done was violate a direct order. Still, it could not be denied that thus far she was getting results. Moff Irion's forces were struggling to respond to Fenwhudn's attacks across their sector.

"General Fenwhudn is-" Admiral Ackbar began, but as if on cue-

"Admiral!" Commodore Thaneespi said. "Receiving a transmission from Zoraster sector! It's-it's General Fenwhudn!"

"What? Now?" Minister Vaspar said, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Speak of the devil…" Commander Rex muttered.

"Heh," Admiral Ackbar snorted. "The timing is too good to be a coincidence. I have no doubt she timed her call to our conference."

"Then she has spies here," Cracken said, scowling. "Impostors lurking among us."

"Should I put her through?" Thaneespi asked.

"Yes." Ackbar said, before anyone else could object. He wanted to hear what the General had to say.

The holographic display in the briefing room ceased to display a map of the major flashpoints across the galaxy. In its place stood a strong and big Quarren.

"Admiral Ackbar," General Fenwhudn growled.

"General." Ackbar replied evenly.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

"My forces have won many battles in the Zoraster sector," General Fenwhudn said finally. "Many great victories against the Imperial tyrants."

"So we've heard," said Admiral Ackbar.

"Is it true your starfighters destroyed an entire Imperial light cruiser?" General Ufwol asked.

"Aye," said Fenwhudn. "The credit goes to Commander Harkson and his pilots, but aye, they did. All without the help of any of your Mon Calamari cruisers."

She spat the last three words.

"Impressive," Commander Rex said. "Most impressive."

"Yes," said General Fenwhudn. "I am confident it was the correct decision for me to move against the local Imperial garrisons."

"But in doing so, you've violated the orders of the Rebel council!" said Vasp Vaspar. "You were to hold your forces in reserve in case our push into the Mid Rim proved too costly!" He threw up his hands in a gesture of frustration. "We-we don't have the resources to support your own campaign with everything else we're managing right now! You must stand down, I say General Fenwhudn-stand down!"

General Fenwhudn folded her large, muscled arms across her chest and stared at Minister Vaspar.

"Heh," she snorted.

The hologram winked out.

"Commodore?" Ackbar asked.

"Transmission ended at the source, sir." Thaneespi said. "She…she hung up on us."

"She's gone mad!" said General Brafis. "Moving against the Empire with no support?"

"She'll lose all the forces we entrusted to her!" moaned Minister Vaspar. "She-"

"No." Admiral Ackbar said. "No, that's not what's going on here."

"Sir?" asked Commander Lajaie.

"Philoswa Fenwhudn has always been a maverick, and prefers action to discussion." Admiral Ackbar said. "But she is not a fool, nor is she the type to challenge a krakana without the right weapon."

"In other words, not someone who just rushes in without a plan," said General Brafis. "But then why isn't she concerned if she knows she can't expect any concrete support from the rest of the Alliance?"

"And that's what worries me." Admiral Ackbar said. "Where else is she finding supplies?"

The rest of the meeting passed. In time only Ackbar, Thaneespi, and Cracken were left in the briefing room. Ackbar could tell that Cracken wished to speak in private, so he dismissed Commodore Thaneespi and then it was just the two of them.

"She has spies." Cracken said quietly. He sighed. "Spies with access to command's schedules."

"It is saddening to see that such a chasm has grown between ourselves and her," said Ackbar. "But not surprising. Your security people will have to double their counterintelligence efforts."

"It's ironic, I suppose, how surprised I am by this." General Cracken mused. "One of General Draven's men has been deep undercover in her forces for some time now. Ever since we began to suspect she opposed High Command."

"It's unsettling, isn't it?" said the Admiral. "Going around acting like the Imperial Security Bureau."

"It's what's necessary," General Cracken said. "That's how I see it. One could make an argument that we're in danger of becoming the very thing we've sworn to destroy, but taking action against disloyal military officers is not an inherently fascist concept."

"Still, some will not see it that way." the Mon Calamari officer replied. "Have you heard of the principle known as Theoqude's Axiom?"

"I'm…vaguely familiar with it, yes." General Cracken said.

"Theoqude was a Jedi philosopher from the days of the Old Republic," Admiral Ackbar began. "A Mon Calamari, a member of my race who is respected on my homeworld for the honour he brought us. That is how I know of him. What Theoqude observed was that in debates among the ancient Jedi Knights, there was a tendency for some to accuse their opponents of employing arguments resembling the ideological leanings of a fearsome Sith Lord named Exar Kun-essentially any radical idea could be charged as being sympathetic towards Kun's thirst for power and impatience with Jedi doctrine." Ackbar paused to take a breath before continuing. "Master Theoqude posited that in debates the participants often compared their opponents to Exar Kun, as Kun was a common reference point among the Jedi when thinking of radical evil. Whether it was as an intentional tactic to discredit one's opponent, a fallacy by association due to a similarity-real or perceived-between the opponent's belief and the not-inherently-evil parts of Kun's philosophy, or a genuine, if clumsy, attempt to illustrate how one viewed one's opponent and his argument varied. What was generally constant was the tendency for Jedi to lob accusations at their opponents of agreeing with the detestable Exar Kun due to his name being synonymous with evil."

"I see what you're getting at," General Cracken said. "Even though investigating subversive and disloyal elements in the Rebel Alliance is a reasonable practice, by resembling the mission of an ISB loyalty officer we open ourselves up to accusations of being as bad as the Empire that lives in the front of everyone's mind always."

"Precisely," Ackbar said. "And that is what concerns me, General Cracken, because it gives Fenwhudn, and any others who might go the route of Saw Gerrera and split from the Alliance, reasons to turn against us."

---

The first wave of the attack had gone as planned-or so Mosk assumed, as Major Reaches the Rice Slowly had not called the second wave off and thus the soldiers under Lieutenant Fox's command had landed in the jungles of planet Skippp. Mosk had left the tank crews to get their T2-Bs unloaded and onto the ground. He, Sergeant Matthew Devoria, and Lieutenant Fox were going over a holographic map of the area surrounding the Imperial depot.

"We strike here and here first," said Lieutenant pointed at the spots of the Imperial turrets and proton mortars on the map. "Once our scouts confirm the veracity of the intel Major Reaches the Rice Slowly gave us, we move!"

"We have enough firepower to take care of AT walkers, right?" Sergeant Devoria asked. "We lost quite a few people to Imperial walkers on Altor 14."

Lieutenant Fox nodded.

"Yes," they said. "We're prepared."

There was no need to go over the plan any further. It had been drilled into the craniums of every being there.

When Lieutenant Fox gave the order seven minutes later, the Vanguard Troopers fired their missiles. Their aim was true and the anti-infantry emplacements along the Imperial perimeter exploded.

"Now!" Mosk shouted. The sniper squad fired at the Imperial stormtroopers stationed outside the base-no doubt there because the first phase of the attack on Skippp had resulted in the garrisonmaster putting their forces on high alert.

As the stormtroopers fell to the marksmen, an All Terrain Scout Transport came into view.

"Vanguards!" Lieutenant Fox yelled. Another missile salvo flew through the air and impacted into the AT-ST's 'head'. The walker exploded.

"Tanks-forward!" Mosk shouted. "Squad Two, Squad Three, Squad One-support them!"

With Sergeant Devoria designated as the leader of the advancing infantry forces, that left Sergeant Toam and Squad Five in reserve with Mosk and the marksmen.

"I'm taking the commandos in," they told him. "The Vanguards are already moving in with the rest of the infantry and the tanks."

Mosk saluted at them.

"Understood," he said.

Once they were gone, Mosk signaled for Sergeant Toam.

"Sir?" Toam asked.

"We move in once we get Sergeant Devoria's signal." Mosk told him. "Get the marksmen and your squad ready."

"Yes sir, Lieutenant." Toam said, with just the barest hint of a sneer at the end, and walked off.

It was awkward between the two of them-until just recently they had been fellows at the same rank, both Sergeants in the Third Division of the Zoraster Sector Forces. Toam had been a rebel soldier for just a little longer than Mosk and seemed to be chafing at taking orders from someone he considered his junior.

Mosk watched as another AT-ST moved into sight and began blasting in the direction of the Rebel troopers. The T2-B repulsor tanks fired at the AT-ST, destroying it almost instantly.

The rebel forces had advanced to just before the depot's main building. Most of the base's stormtroopers were falling back to take cover inside the walls of the Imperial fort. Of course, walls were no obstacle for Vanguard Troopers-a few missiles demolished the fortifications.

Then stormtroopers and Imperial Army troopers ran out from behind both sides of the main building, attempting to encircle the attacking force.

That was when Sergeant Devoria launched the signal flare.

"Right!" Mosk shouted. "Troopers-MOVE!"

Mosk took the lead, with Sergeant Toam and his squad coming behind him. The Rebel Marksmen fanned out behind Mosk and the soldiers.

Mosk's group opened fire on the encircling soldiers. This was why they had waited in reserve-the Imperial Army attempting a crude encircling maneuver was a very likely possibility for this sort of battle.

The attack lasted another half hour. At the end of it, all three AT-STs had been destroyed and the Imperial hovertank, while still in one piece, would need serious repairs before it could be used again.

Mosk had led the soldiers in a defensive retreat back to their landing zone, with the enemy troopers following them. This was of course according to plan, because it gave Lieutenant Fox and their comrades room to slip away unnoticed.

The explosions could be seen even from back there-Lieutenant Fox had destroyed the various warehouses around the complex and the cargo shuttles on the landing pads with detonators set to go off when they hit the switch.

Many of the advancing stormtroopers and Imperial army troopers stopped and turned. It looked as if the Imperial soldiers were watching in horror as it became clear that they had in fact failed in their mission to defend the supply depot. On Mosk's orders, the snipers used this opportunity to pick off the distracted troopers. The remaining Imperials turned and fled from the cannon fire of the T2-B repulsor tanks.

"Victory is a nice thing, isn't it?" Mosk heard someone-he turned, Lieutenant Fox and the other commandos were standing there. Fox was clutching their right arm with their left while the Themian commando was leaning against the Sergeant for support.

"Yes, Lieutenant." he said.

"It's time we move out." Fox said. "Get the tanks and wounded in first."

The ship-an old CR25 troop carrier-lifted off fourteen minutes later.

During the first wave of the attack, which saw the orbital station crippled and its TIE fighter complement all but wiped out, a general distress call had been sounded. By the time reinforcements arrived-a Guardian-class light cruiser and two Gozanti-class cruisers-the CR25 troop carrier had long since jumped into hyperspace and the battle was over.

---

And many other attacks by the daring freedom fighters of the Rebel Alliance took place 'cross that remote sector of space too.

Under Captain Slagtimiq, the Leaveykurarupid and Banner Squadron, its complement of A-Wings, attacked and destroyed two Tartan-class patrol cruisers during a skirmish in the Risoj system. Commander Harkson led Maroon Squadron to attack an enemy listening post on the edge of the Zoraster system, jumping to hyperspace once an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, the Vehement, arrived to intercept them.

Maroon Squadron then travel'd to yonder world of Boh Jorka and teased the planetary government's picket fleet by conducting flybys near their sentry ships, then jumping to hyperspace once an Imperial warship arrived in response to their presence.

Boom Squadron, which had participated in the first wave of the attack on Skippp, had been directed to jump to Keilosren to refuel. From there, Captain Eisenhower and his pilots were sent to attack an Imperial frigate in orbit above Lodviek. They didn't destroy it (having to jump once more enemy cruisers arrived), but succeeded in hitting it pretty hard.

Moff Irion and his top officers, none of whom were getting enough sleep as the insurgency worsened by the day, were left at a loss. They didn't have enough starships to protect their key systems and maintain anti-piracy patrols while also searching for rebel bases and responding to rebel attacks.

Commander Friedgren's inspection of what was left of the forces stationed on L-sei IV had concluded, but upon returning to Zoraster he was immediately sent to take command of the Imperial forces on Gosruuk and crush the revolt that had sprung up there.

Vice Admiral Smith insisted that widening their net with TIE fighters, especially those of the 467th Fighter Wing, would at the very least increase the probability of stumbling across rebel ships at hyperspace waypoints and give them an idea as to where the rebels were striking from. However, Major Darklancer's failure to prevent the destruction of the Blastiron had been seized upon by Smith's rival Vice Admiral Autren, who argued against relying on starfighter forces as a way to put down Smith. To Vice Admiral Smith's chagrin, the 467th was split between reinforcing the Sector Marshalling Station in the Bigthe system and reinforcing the defenses above the sector capital Zoraster.

Most of the ships stationed at New Syvris were redeployed to the Mubon or Risoj systems on Vice Admiral Autren's orders. All that was left behind was a single Dreadnaught-class cruiser, one Arquitens-class command cruiser, and some Gozanti-class and Tartan-class cruisers, in addition to an ion cannon on the ground.

New Syvris was a planet occupying the fifth orbital position in its solar system. It had a single moon, an ocean world called Dors-Kour. Initially a peaceful planet with few settlements, New Syvris would become a world marred by war.

Roughly two centuries before the outbreak of the Clone Wars a Weequay prospector named Gof Likul discovered massive ore deposits on New Syvris. Likul intended to keep this a secret, but his daughter's maid sold the location of the ore veins to representatives of the Czerka Corporation. The Czerka Corporation, through their illegal alliance with the Perlemian Cartel, hired an Echani bounty hunter named Freol Haxion to 'convince' Likul to relinquish his claim. Haxion was alarmed to discover, upon arriving at remote New Syvris, that Gof Likul was not a man without friends.

You see, many years before, Gof Likul had been a soldier for the Hutt Cartel during the Besadii Contention, an insurrection against the Hutt Council by Aruk the Great of the Besadii clan. Aruk's chief lieutenant, Sarklo the Hutt, was entrusted with the command of a fortress on the remote planet Teth where the Besadii's allies in the Pyke syndicate would ship battle droids and weapons that would then be smuggled to Besadii armies serving at battlefronts across Hutt Space. The Hutt Cartel sent a task force to destroy Sarklo's base, but was beaten soundly in the First Battle of Teth when Sullustan privateers loyal to Aruk drove them from the system. The Second Battle of Teth saw the same outcome. Their pride deeply wounded, the Hutt Council felt that the Third Battle of Teth must be a victory. Into the ring slithered a fairly young Hutt-not even four centuries old!-by the name of Jabba. Having come to the attention of the Hutt Council by locating and destroying a Besadii citadel on Son-Tuul, Jabba and his criminal empire were given the task of capturing Teth. Determined to crush Sarklo, Jabba gathered many mercenaries to fight alongside the Hutt Cartel's armies, including fierce Rodian bounty hunters, hired soldiers from Ishtob, Mandalorian warriors, and even Tusken Raiders from Tatooine. It was here, at the Third Battle of Teth, that Likul had saved the life of a Mandalorian mercenary named Tarre Gedyc, son of Canderous Gedyc, when Gank killers under the command of Sarklo's loyal slave Arhul Touro nearly overwhelmed the Cartel's landing zone.

Though Mandalorians in those days still saw honourable death in battle as their ideal, Tarre Gedyc was intelligent enough to realise how the Weequay footsoldier had saved his life at risk of his own, and felt himself indebted to Gof Likul. The two would adventure together for many years after Jabba's costly victory at Teth, going to locales as distant as Dxun and Kuar to honour the ancient Mandalorian Crusaders whom Tarre Gedyc revered.

Thus, when he discovered that his daughter's maid was a spy for the greedy Czerka Corporation, Gof Likul wasted no time in making a call. Freul Haxion was met by the full force of Clan Gedyc on New Syvris. Barely escaping from the Mandalorian warriors, Haxion reported his findings to Czerka. The corporate officers were wary of open warfare, as even while distracted by their conflict with the Nihl, the Jedi Order would likely still take notice.

"We cannot stand against the Jedi Knights," said one and many others agreed, for they were exceedingly afraid of the Jedi. But Argyle, son of the man Samuel who served the highest-ranked executives of Czerka Corporation, was conceited enough to believe himself as one who would not tremble in the presence of Jedi and so refused to yield to the Mandalorians of Clan Gedyc.

Then Argyle, son of Samuel, told the bounty hunter Freul Haxion to gather up the fiercest mercenaries and gunslingers the worlds of the Outer Rim could offer and go make war with those allied to Gof Likul so that the Czerka Corporation might mine the metals he had discovered.

Haxion did as commanded and journeyed to Nar Shaddaa. With the assistance of Czerka's allies in the Perlemian Cartel he recruited many mercenaries to his banner, including Gisort of Suntilla and Tarxo Mol, whose wife would birth the ruthless bounty hunter Shenda Mol. For a year and a day they waged war for control of New Syvris against Clan Gedyc and Gof Likul's other allies, such as smugglers sympathetic to their cause and a Farmer's Militia formed by locals who did not wish to live under Czerka Corporation's exploitative boot. The mercenaries Freul Haxion commanded, hardened by battle, had become fiercely loyal to both one another and the Echani bounty hunter who led them. The Haxion Brood, as they now called themselves, faithfully served Freul Haxion. Armed with Czerka weapons and backed by pirate ships sent by the Perlemian Cartel, they were determined to defeat Gof Likul's forces.

On the 366th day of the war the Jedi Master Yaddle arrived on New Syvris, having learned of the conflict there while investigating the corrupt dealings of the Czerka Corporation on Arkania. Tarre Gedyc himself met her on the outskirts of his war camp, which is said to have been near the village of Adurim, with suspicion, as the Jedi Knights had fought against the Mandalorians since the days when Exar Kun and Uliq Qel-Droma were Dark Lords of the Sith.

But the Farmers' Militia received her eagerly and did beseech Gof Likul to accept her and so therefore the Jedi Master Yaddle was welcomed into the fortress of the warlord Gof Likul with much celebration. Some say that her arrival on New Syvris was heralded by good weather 'cross the entire planet while others contend that in the spot where her shuttle landed flowers bloomed out-of-season.

To Master Yaddle's despair, she could see no means to quickly end the conflict other than joining in the violence herself-the Republic and Jedi were too busy with the threat of the Nihl to focus on a small war all the way out near the edge of Wild Space. She travelled to Ruckoa Point and dueled Freul Haxion herself, killing him after three straight hours of fighting. With their revered leader Haxion killed by a Jedi, the Haxion Brood fell into disarray and were easily driven off New Syvris by the Gedyc warriors. Czerka Corporation did give up on New Syvris and Argyle son of Samuel was humiliated publicly for his failure. In honour of the prosperity he brought to New Syvris and his role in saving them from the rule of Czerka Corporation, Gof Likul was made Governor of the world, a title which would pass down through his line for six generations, and the new capital of Port Likul was named after him. The Haxion Brood would regroup and become a feared bounty hunter ring that would operate for generations after the founder Haxion fell at the end of Gof Likul's War.

By the time the Clone Wars had rolled around the Corporate Alliance had long since bought out the Likul Mining Conglomerate and therefore it was the Corporate Alliance who controlled New Syvris and its vast mineral wealth, defending their holdings with many Separatist warships. Two years into the war, General Solomahal of the Galactic Republic laid siege to New Syvris. After forty days and forty nights of combat the Republic flag was raised over Port Likul. The planet's mines made it key to supplying remote foundries across the Outer Rim and it became one of the main reasons the young Galactic Empire established more than a token presence in the Zoraster sector at all. Imperial-allied corporations such as Yoave Gunsmiths and Holowan Mechanicals set up shop in the Corporate Alliance's abandoned facilities, and many came to New Syvris seeking employment.

The ion cannon installed on New Syvris by the Imperial Military was not far from where the Jedi Yaddle and Freul Haxion fought at Ruckoa Point. Smaller turbolasers dotted the polluted landscape in the region around it, a frigid plane known as the Ephes Dammim, and AT-AT walkers patrolled in the vicinity.

A single C-9979 transport from Keilosren, along with two Wayfarer-class transports from Degul Outpost, had slipped past the reduced sentry fleet above New Syvris and landed not far from the ion cannon. General Fenwhudn herself had traveled aboard the C-9979 transport, for she would personally lead the attack on the ground.

"Mm, 'tis a good day for a battle isn't Major?" she asked.

"Is," agreed Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. To him, any day on which there was battle was not at all a good day-but Major Reaches the Rice Slowly knew better than to argue with General Fenwhudn.

Fenwhudn was looking at her chronometer.

"It should be right….about…now!" General Fenwhudn said.

"Ma'am!" Lieutenant Ran'o shouted. "Our fleet has arrived in orbit!"

"Good of good." chuckled General Fenwhudn.

The strategy General Fenwhudn had concocted was a two-pronged assault. In orbit above New Syvris the Leaveykurarupid and other Rebel ships would drop out of hyperspace just beyond the range of the ion cannon to lure the Imperial ships out to attack them. With the TIE fighters on New Syvris distracted, Fenwhudn would lead a ground assault upon the ion cannon-not targeting the cannon itself, but rather the various walkers and turbolasers defending it. Once they had destroyed enough of the anti-air defenses, Boom Squadron would then fly in and bomb the ion cannon.

"Shall we give the signal then, ma'am?" Major Reaches the Rice Slowly asked.

"Do it." said General Fenwhudn.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly fired a flare and the fighting began.

Aboard the C-9979 transport General Fenwhudn had brought many of the Clone Wars-era weapons left for her at the coordinates on the datadisc Vanessa had brought to Keilosren. What of that had come to New Syvris were some AT-RT walkers, a few WLO-5 speeder tanks, about two dozen B2 Super Battle droids aboard some Platoon Attack Craft, J-1 proton cannons, and a single powerful HAG-M mortar tank.

The mortar tank's crew fired their great cannon upon receiving the signal. Their blast hit the top of a turbolaser tower, obliterating it instantly.

"That does leaves nine in the area," Fenwhudn said as she climbed into one of the WLO-5 speeder tanks. "SOLDIERS-FORWARD!"

She had five WLO-5 tanks moving in a triangle formation. Behind those moved soldiers on speeder bikes and the Platoon Attack Craft carrying the battle droids, and then two of the AT-RTs escorting infantry platoons under Major Reaches the Rice Slowly's command. Under the command of a capable infantry captain whom had served under her for years, the other two AT-RTs and a platoon of rebel troopers led by Lieutenant Mosk stayed behind to defend the proton cannons and mortar tank, which were now firing regularly at the Imperial turrets, and the transports' landing zone at Ruckoa Point.

The WLO-5 tanks sped down the hillside and across the Ephes Dammim. A nearby AT-DP walker turned around and began firing in the direction of the Rebel attack force, but was destroyed by cannon fire from the speeder tanks.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly was riding behind in a desert skiff with some of the infantry. He had helped plan the ground attack, so he was fairly confident. The arrangement of their attack force was designed so the organic soldiers were protected from Imperial fire, and the speeder tanks' weaponry combined with the artillery set up on the hillside should do a fine job of protecting them from Imperial walkers.

---

Captain Slagtimiq watched as the Imperial warships approached his small fleet. In addition to the Leaveykurarupid, he had an SCT Scout craft, the Corellian corvette Sullust, the Braha'tok-class gunship Fist of Pammant, and a YV-929 armed freighter, along with Banner Squadron, Boom Squadron, and most of Maroon Squadron. Slagtimiq had hoped to have the Vanguard-class heavy assault gunship Fatherspear with them, but it was still being retrofitted on at the General's base on Keilosren.

The Leaveykurarupid and the Sullust moved towards the Imperial Dreadnaught-class cruiser with all their cannons firing.

Captain Slagtimiq had studied the Dreadnaught-class' info with the data stolen from Altor 14. Christened the Kordan, it was helmed by Captain Lorth Paltipa-a native of Boh Jorka. Paltipa had an impressive career and was generally an honourable officer from what Slagtimiq could tell, if the kind of man who preferred swift action more than was usually wise. His take, which General Fenwhudn agreed with, was that Captain Paltipa would have the Arquitens-class command cruiser hold back while the Kordan and the TIEs moved in to attack. Indeed, that was exactly the strategy Paltipa seemed to be employing. He had split the smaller cruisers between his Dreadnaught and the light cruiser, taking the former and its accompanying cruisers out to meet the Rebel fleet. It was a risky move-if General Fenwhudn had more warships waiting to launch an ambush, then the command ship could be destroyed and the rest of the Imperial defensive fleet left in chaos. Fortunately for Captain Paltipa, what he saw assembled in the space between New Syvris and its moon was all the ships General Fenwhudn could field at that point.

Banner Squadron's A-Wings were moving ahead to intercept the incoming TIEs, while Maroon Squadron's snubfighters were holding back to protect the capital ships and the bombers.

"Sssir!" Vortho Lama said. "The corvette Sssssullust is reporting a flight's worth of TIE intersssseptorssss heading for our bridge!"

"Scanners confirm Sullust's sitrep!" reported the sensor officer, an old 2PO-series protocol droid with a faded blue chassis that went by the designation of D-2PS9.

"Harkson?" Captain Slagtimiq asked.

"Copy that, sir," Commander Harkson replied on the open channel. "I'm sending my boys after 'em."

Captain Slagtimiq watched as two X-Wings and a Z-95 headhunter broke formation and then sped in the direction of the Leaveykurarupid, flying just past the bridge's viewports.

"Deetwo?" Slagtimiq asked.

"Scanners show TIE interceptors are breaking formation to avoid rebellion snubfighters," D-2PS9 said.

"Deetwo, please learn brevity. You use too many words." Slagtimiq said. "I need to know things quickly to be able to make decisions."

In the heat of battle, a moment could mean the difference between life and death after all.

The old protocol droid considered this for a moment.

"Yes Captain." D-2 said.

Then suddenly the entire frigate shook with such ferocity! Some of the conduits on the wall sparked as their power overloaded.

"Status report!" Slagtimiq barked.

"Damage to deck four!" Lama replied. "Port sssside!"

"Helm-bring us about!" Slagtimiq ordered. "Position the gun decks so our cannons can return fire!"

"Aye, captain!" shouted the Rodian helmsman.

"Maroon Leader to command ship!" Slagtimiq heard Commander Harkson say over the open channel.

"We copy, Maroon Leader!" Vortho Lama replied.

"I'm thinking we need to send our bombers in!"

"Agreed, Maroon Leader." Captain Slagtimiq said into his radio. "Tell Eisenhower to begin an attack run, and send some of your boys to support him!"

"Copy that!" Harkson replied on the open channel.

"Captain," D-2PS9 said. "General Fenwhudn's plan-"

"I know!" Slagtimiq replied.

General Fenwhudn had wished for the bombers of Boom Squadron not to expend their payloads up in orbit-they were stil to attack the ion cannon down planetside-but Captain Slagtimiq had discretion over how fleet assets were to be used during a fleet battle, and she had factored him sending in the bombers at some point while planning.

Results were apparent almost immediately, as many TIE fighters and Interceptors broke from their attack on the Rebel ships to chase after the bombers. Commander Harkson's pilots shot many down.

Captain Eisenhower's Y-Wings fired proton torpedoes at the nearest ships; a Tartan-class cruiser and a couple o' Gozanti-class cruisers. Though the torpedoes caused damage the three Imperial cruisers remained intact. Naturally a single bombing run would do little damage. However, one of the TIE Interceptors that had gone after the Y-Wings got clipped in the portside wing by Commander Harkson himself and it spun out of control until it eventually crashed into the Tartan Patrol Cruiser, causing a sizeable explosion. The X-Wings fired their cannons, and that, finally, was enough to destroy it.

Meanwhile the Leaveykurarupid was trading broadsides with the Imperial cruiser Kordan. The Sullust had come up on its other side and was doing the same.

"We're in position, Captain!" said D-2PS9.

"Good!" The Koorivar officer said. "Missiles-fire!"

"Gundeckssss report launching payloadssss!" Vortho Lama said.

Several advanced concussion missiles-stronger and more powerful than ordinary concussion missiles-launched out of firing tubes on the Leaveykurarupid. Among the weaponry provided by General Fenwhudn's allies (the identity of whom Captain Slagtimiq was privy to) were these powerful missiles from the factories of the Santhe Corporation. The Leaveykurarupid had already been modified to be able to fire them, and so Captain Slagtimiq had only needed the missiles themselves.

The advanced concussion missiles flew through space and hit the Kordan's hull. The heavy cruiser's shields slowly crumbled and it began taking damage. Captain Paltipa seemed to have ordered the TIE fighters back to defend his cruiser. Slagtimiq had anticipated this, and the Fist of Pammant, which as a Dornean gunship was quite suited to anti-starfighter operations, was waiting to tear into them with its cannons.

Captain Slagtimiq watched through the viewports as the other Imperial cruisers began moving to support the Kordan.

"Comms!" he barked. "Have our cannons begin firing on those approaching Gozantis!"

"Ssssir!" Vortho Lama said.

The Leaveykurarupid's cannons fired on the Gozanti-class cruisers, which fired back at them.

"Captain!" D-2 reported. "Imperial ships dropping out of hyperspace, to!"

This was to be expected, of course.

"What are we reading?" Slagtimiq demanded.

"One Star Galleon-class frigate, two Tartan Patrol Cruisers, and a Vindicator-class cruiser!" the protocol droid told him.

Slagtimiq grumbled inwardly. This was to be expected, and it presented only a marginal increase in the threat they faced, but it meant they would not be able to destroy the cruiser Kordan. Captain Paltipa's ship was all but disabled and no longer posed a threat to the Rebel capital ships, so Captain Slagtimiq would have to ignore it to focus on the new arrivals. Like any capable leader he accepted the military logic of such an action, but still it grated him. He had hoped his crew could have the glory of destroying an entire Dreadnought cruiser, but as long as the Kordan was at least disabled and no longer in the fight it was no longer a priority.

"All cannons-fire! Focus fire on those Tartan-class ships first! I want the Sullust doing the same!" Captain Slagtimiq ordered. "Tell Harkson to move his pilots to screen against the TIEs they're carrying!"

"Captain!" Vortho Lama said, in order to acknowledge the commands he'd given.

The Vindicator-class heavy cruiser was now probably the biggest threat in the skies above New Syvris. Captain Slagtimiq had studied its profile too-it was christened the Jhaka Bakarn, in honour of some hero pilot from the days of the Old Republic. Despite the view of the Emperor and his supporters that the Republic was a thing of the past, many of the older officers in the Imperial Navy still stubbornly clung to the traditions of the Prefsbelt Academy and revered the naval heroes of the Old Republic as their predecessors.

The cruiser Jhaka Bakarn was the same Vindicator-class heavy cruiser that the Leaveykurarupid had faced when attacking the convoy at Ivort 4, that was fact.

"Captain, that light cruiser and two more Gozanti cruisers are approaching behind the dreadnought." D-2 reported.

"Aye, have the Warchild and Banner Squadron move to intercept!" Captain Slagtimiq said.

The Warchild was the YV-929 armed freighter. A fierce little ship, it could hold its own against the encroaching Imperial cruisers long enough to give the Leaveykurarupid time to deal with the newcomers.

The original fleet in orbit above New Syvris had been whittled down considerably: the Dreadnaught-class cruiser Kordan had been disabled, many TIEs vaporised, two Gozanti-class cruisers and a Tartan-class patrol cruiser destroyed, and another Tartan-class patrol cruiser so heavily damaged that it too was disabled, just like the Kordan. However, of the original forces, that still left two Gozanti-class cruisers and a Tartan-class patrol cruiser, as well as an entire Arquitens-class command cruiser and many TIE fighters and TIE interceptors. And in addition to this there were now more cruisers led by the Jhaka Bakarn.

Captain Slagtimiq had a slight advantage in that the Imperial chain of command was unclear-with the Kordan disabled Captain Paltipa was unable to communicate with the ships under his command, while the ranking officer aboard the Jhaka Bakarn was having difficulty getting in touch with the next commander in the list from Paltipa's fleet. The order of battle was disrupted, and Slagtimiq was doing his best to capitalise on this opportunity.

The Sullust's ion cannons had partially disabled the Star Galleon-class frigate, but a flight of V-Wings (the Imperial forces under Moff Irion's command were indeed fairly undersupplied, and they were forced to send old Clone Wars-era fighters, that had previously been reserved for anti-pirate operations, into open combat with the Rebellion) was doing its best to defend it from Maroon Squadron, who were also dealing with being tailed by several TIE interceptors. The Leaveykurarupid was firing on the Tartan-class cruisers that had just dropped out of hyperspace while the Sullust moved to support their SCT Scout craft, the rebel ship Martok.

Captain Slagtimiq was confident his small fleet could hold out until it was time to retreat. That was the orders they had been given, and so that was the orders they would follow.

---

Lieutenant Mosk watched as the proton cannons fired across the Ephes Dammim. Quite a few of the turbolaser emplacements guarding the massive ion cannon had already been destroyed, either by the hilltop artillery he was tasked with helping defend or by the attack force lead by General Fenwhudn herself. The cannons were mainly targeting the Imperial walkers or transports moving to respond to General Fenwhudn's daring attack.

"Sir!" Sergeant Matthew Devoria shouted. "Imperial transports incoming!"

Mosk turned. Four patrol transports were inbound.

"Artillery!" Lieutenant Mosk yelled. The proton cannons fired at the Imperial gunships, but were unable to hit them. The transports landed behind a rocky outcropping.

"They're coming after our artillery," Mosk observed.

"Most likely," the captain agreed. "They can't fly in any damn walkers with our cannons bombarding the whole battlefield. Those transports move too slowly to avoid our flak. So they've sent infantry in to take care of us. Mosk, get your men together."

"I don't suppose you'll give us an AT-RT?" Mosk asked.

The captain shook his head. "No, I'm keeping those back until I know what we're dealing with. If they have rocket launchers, then…"

"Yes sir." Mosk said. He understood. One well-placed missile could knock out an AT-RT.

At that moment, it began to snow lightly. It was winter on that part of New Syvris, you see.

He moved to the front and with the rest of the infantry opened fire on the Imperial stormtroopers when they came in range. Mosk downed a stormtrooper near the front of the attacking wave in the first three seconds of the fight. More came. A scout trooper prepared to throw a grenade but Private Blaine Leftor, that expert shot, killed him in one hit. The resulting explosion from the active grenade killed seven stormtroopers and wounded seven more.

"Nice shot, Leftor!" cheered Sergeant Devoria. The Koorivar gunman just nodded silently in response.

The stormtroopers moved closer. Mosk saw among them stormtroopers with yellow markings setting up black tubes.

Oh no..

"Mortar troopers!" Mosk shouted. "The yellow stripes! Hit the ones covered in yellow stripes!"

"Shit!" Devoria exclaimed. "Fucking mortar troopers!"

Private Leftor sniped one, but there were more than a couple mortar troopers assaulting the landing zone. They began launching their explosive projectiles, which slammed into the Rebel lines. Mosk saw a couple bodies go flying. Several soared past the ad-hoc platoon Mosk commanded and hit one of the proton cannons, destroying it and killing its operations team.

"Get those walkers up here!" Mosk shouted. "Captain-now!"

The Captain obliged and gave the order. The two AT-RTs darted forwards, hopping past the infantry's positions, and opened fire on the stormtroopers.

"Troopers-forward!" Mosk shouted. "Seize the initiative!"

Lieutenant Mosk led his platoon across the ground towards the stormtroopers. The enemy began to fall back as the rebel troopers pushed forwards. Mosk downed a scout trooper with two shots. Private Poslyth kicked a stormtrooper to the ground and then used her vibroblade to stab them in the neck, where they lacked armour. Sergeant Toam ducked to avoid a stormtrooper's punch and then shot them.

Mosk was surprised the stormtroopers were falling back so quickly and wondered what advantage they sought by retreating from their objective. He received his answer when several troopers suddenly shot up into the air.

"They fly now?" Sergeant Toam said in shock.

"They fly now," Mosk agreed.

"Shit, those're jump troopers!" Sergeant Devoria said.

"Fuck!" Toam said.

Mosk blasted one of the ordinary stormtroopers still on the ground as he glanced up at the Jump Troopers. He watched them fly right above the ad-hoc platoon, ignoring them, and head towards the artillery at the landing zone!

"Shit!" Mosk said. "Devoria, take your squad and follow me! We can't let them reach the cannons! Toam-you're in charge here!"

(Of the other three Sergeants, Mosk did trust Toam's leadership skills the most, even despite the animosity that had arisen between them)

The fortunate thing was that in passing over them to get to the artillery, the Jump Troopers were facing away from Mosk and the others. This left their backsides, where they wore their thruster packs, exposed to blasterfire. Mosk took aim and fired at one. Unfortunately he only caught the trooper in their leg.

He fired again, but this by now they'd turned 'round to deal with the offending rebel soldier and their thruster pack was out of Mosk's firing line. Mosk cursed and fired off another shot.

The Jump Trooper was already a little disoriented from being wounded with a shot to their leg, so they weren't able to move in time and Mosk landed a shot right in their chest. Imperial Jump Troopers used sensitive motion-sensor systems to steer their jetpacks while leaving their hands free, and when the trooper's body went slack upon being killed, the jetpack continued to interpret its pulling as movement instructions. The jetpack flew wildly out of control until it crashed into the ground, destroying itself and the soldier's slowly cooling body.

The other four Jump Troopers were still rocketing towards the artillery emplacements. Mosk and the troops fired again, managing to hit only one of them.

The Jump Troopers were now in range to open fire on the proton cannons. Mosk swore a foul oath when they began shooting at the artillery crews. He fired his blaster again, but the Jump Troopers moved. One of Sergeant Devoria's men shot a Jump Trooper in their leg, but failed to kill them or hit their jetpack. The Jump Troopers began to retreat now, realising they couldn't go on with no support or backup, turned and began to retreat. Mosk took aim and fired, killing one. Sergeant Devoria killed the other.

"Right!" Mosk said. "Let's go support Toam and the others."

"Sir!" Sergeant Devoria said.

The other three squads had, with some losses, successfully pushed the attacking stormtroopers back to their gunships. By the time Mosk and Sergeant Devoria's squad arrived, the patrol transports were lifting off. One was shot down by the proton cannons but the others escaped back to their base.

They had followed orders and held their position.

---

Down on the Ephes Dammim, Major Reaches the Rice Slowly and his soldiers had also engaged Imperial infantry. Reaches the Rice Slowly was commanding his three platoons as they dug in behind the wreckage of an old All Terrain Attack Pod that had been downed by artillery fire from the proton cannons. Using the walker's wreckage, the covered skiffs they'd come there in, and some of their munitions crates they'd constructed a crude perimeter to defend themselves in. They had an E-Web set up at their flank, where they were weakest, to defend them. A fair portion of the stormtroopers were focused on the Major's forces, while others were dedicating themselves to fending off the Super Battle Droids attacking a power substation that supplied many of the turbolaser towers. The AT-RTs were providing the droids with backup, while the speeder bikes ran interference against the infantry all across the field. General Fenwhudn had deliberately scattered her speeder tanks to evade destruction by an AT-AT. Major Reaches the Rice Slowly watched as the great walker moved around to hit the tanks, all the while taking fire from both them and the artillery up on the hillside.

In any other environment, operating in the field while your forces were still firing was a sure way to become marked down in the military ledgers as . by way of friendly fire. However, the plains of the Ephes Dammim were more or less open all the way from the ion cannon to the mountain behind which their transports had landed. The gunners firing the cannons and the artillery observers who gave them their targets would have no trouble telling where rebel forces were, and therefore were they would not want to hit.

"Major!" Lieutenant Ran'o said.

"What is the row?" Major Reaches the Rice Slowly asked.

"Troop transports!"

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly looked past the AT-AT walker to where his trusted Sullustan aide was pointing. A pair of Imperial Troop Transports were inbound to reinforce the stormtroopers already on the ground!

"I see 'em!" Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. He turned to look back at the engineers his troops were protecting. "How soon until we get those damn missiles ready?"

"Another two minutes!" said one of the combat engineers, a Duros woman named Losibaru Pavan.

The engineers were attempting to rig up some old missile launchers to target the turbolaser towers, or if need be Imperial walkers. They were fortunate that the Empire wasn't flying more walkers onto the battlefield. It seemed the proton cannons shelling the Ephes Dammim posed too big a risk to the Gozanti-class cruisers traditionally charged with that task-exactly what the General had planned on happening.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly watched as more Imperial soldiers unloaded from the troop transports. But these were not ordinary stormtroopers, no, these were fierce Range Troopers, elite frontier soldiers the military sent in to safeguard Imperial operations in remote environments.

"Blast it!" Major Reaches the Rice Slowly swore. "Range troopers!"

"They bad?" Lieutenant Ran'o asked.

"They are a first-class status!" grumbled Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. "A first class status. They be strong and big soldiers, more severe than regular, uh, bucketheads."

"We fuck be die…." muttered Lieutenant Ran'o.

"Not on my watch, pal." said Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. "Let's go! For the rebellion!"

His soldiers gave a great warcry and followed his lead. There were twenty range troopers (an Imperial Troop Transport could carry ten soldiers each, and two transports had just sped up) now fighting alongside the Stormtroopers that were already there. Major Reaches the Rice Slowly fired his blaster against the oncoming rush of enemy soldiers. The Empire's power was very big, but Major Reaches the Rice Slowly's bravery inspired his men not to give in.

Lieutenant Ran'o, on his own initiative, took Sergeant Braus (the only member of Captain Zhal's commando team who was in good enough condition medically to be cleared for action on New Syvris) and a couple ordinary riflemen and darted out from behind the AT-AP's wreckage. The four rebels dove behind a fallen tree. The distraction work and some of the range troopers split off from the main group to chase after them. This of course was exactly what Lieutenant Ran'o had hoped for. While Sergeant Braus and the other two rebel soldiers fired at the range troopers, Lieutenant Ran'o prepped a thermal detonator and tossed it at them. The explosion killed all five of the range troopers who had split off to pursue them.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly was proud of Lieutenant Ran'o's initiative, but he could not devote much time to acknowledging this. He continued to fire off shots at the Imperial troopers. Quite a few of his soldiers were dead now-at least three had been taken down by this one range trooper he was trying to kill. This range trooper was a little off the center of the pack. Unlike their comrades, they were not firing multiple shots every few seconds. No, instead they would wait and choose their target carefully. This Range trooper was smart and that made them particularly dangerous. Major Reaches the Rice Slowly aimed his A280 blaster rifle at them and fired. To Reaches the Rice Slowly's shock, they dodged.

"What the-?!" the Major said in shock. He fired again, and again the range trooper dodged.

"What kind of person can predict where someone's gonna fire as they're pulling the trigger?" Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said to himself. "Even fucking Quayle isn't that good. It's like magic, fricking hell."

Again, Major Reaches the Rice Slowly fired at the range trooper and again the range trooper dodged. Swearing foul oaths, he prepared to fire again, and-

At that moment four rebel speeder bikes zoomed across the Ephes Dammim, coming to the rescue of Major Reaches the Rice Slowly and his men. The Range Trooper with whom the good Major had fought was too busy to sense them approaching and was killed by a laser blast from the lead speeder's cannons. Most of the other stormtroopers, scout troopers, and range troopers were killed too. A few survived but were picked off by the rebel soldiers. Major Reaches the Rice Slowly breathed a sigh of relief and was about to try to figure out who the bike pilots were (so he knew to whom he owed drinks after the battle) when all the lead speeder bike suddenly exploded!

It was the troop transports which the range troopers had arrived in-they were still active and firing their turrets at the speeder bikes. They managed to hit and destroy a second speeder bike, and then the third.

The fourth pilot, the lone survivor of those who'd come to rescue the infantry, managed to avoid the Imperial transports' fire long enough to get blown up by an AT-DP walker a little ways off, which was in turn destroyed by the rebel artillery up on the hillside.

Any joy Major Reaches the Rice Slowly felt over being saved was no more. Grief was not something he felt-he had been fighting the Empire's armies far too long to be anything other than numb when he watched good men die. Right then the AT-AT that had been looming over the battlefield exploded, taken down by a combination of artillery shelling and cannonfire from the speeder tanks.

"Right," said Major Reaches the Rice Slowly. "To, Pavan! Missiles!"

"Ready, Major!" said the engineer Losibaru Pavan.

"Target those troop transporters!" the Major shouted. "Fire!"

The missiles shot right up, then turned back down and hit the transports. The resulting fireball vaporised them. Major Reaches the Rice Slowly sighed.

Lieutenant Ran'o walked over to him. "We got hit pretty hard, sir. We're getting a headcount together, but it looks like we lost nearly an entire platoon's worth of troops out of the three that went down here."

Fucking God in Hell. the Major thought. He wiped his brow with a dirty rag he kept in his leftside breast pocket.

"Right," Major Reaches the Rice Slowly said. "Have the mortars keep firing at the gun-towers. And then go flag down the General for me."

"Sir, I is to follow your instructions." Lieutenant Ran'o said. He gave a crisp salute and hurried off.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly stepped up onto the deck of one of the covered skiffs-their repulsors had been deactivated to allow them to serve in their perimeter. He walked around the outside of the cabin to the side facing outwards from their position and nodded at the soldiers standing watch in there in case more Imperial soldiers attacked (Corporal Thuro, a tall Khil from Ord Mantell, and Private Wallace, a Zabrak from Onderon), and then returned the salute they instinctively gave when they saw him. He then put his hands in the pockets of his trench coat-his favourite coat in fact, one that he'd had since his time on Uquine-and hopped off the side of the skiff.

"Sir?" Private Wallace asked.

"Major, there could sssstill be enemy troopersss nearby!" warned Corporal Thuro.

"It's alright, lads." the Major said. "Look around-they're all dead or running."

And it was true. Their attack had caught the forces garrisoned near the ion cannon completely by surprise. The constant shelling and their initial counterattack having failed seemed to have psychologically devastated the Imperial troops. Most of the stormtroopers had turned and fled to the fort nestled in the ion cannon's shadow. Any Imperial soldiers still on the Ephes Dammim were being methodically hunted down by the AT-RTs and the Super Battle Droids. From what the Major could see from where he stood, it seemed as if General Fenwhudn had split the speeder tanks into two teams-three tanks were firing on the anti-aircraft turbolasers while the other two were chasing down a lone AT-ST whose crew was stupid enough to continue fighting without support.

Major Reaches the Rice Slowly stepped forwards. There was roughly half an inch of snow on the ground now. He cupped his hands directly in front of his mouth as he exhaled to warm up his face. The Rebels had managed to conquer the Ephes Dammim, if only temporarily.

---

"To, Captain!" Vortho Lama shouted. "Contact from the General! We are go for Y-Wing bombardment of the ion cannon!"

"Radio Eisenhower and Harkson!" Captain Slagtimiq yelled. "Get Boom Squadron and their escort down there immediately! And tell Harkson to get ready to escort our transports off the surface!"

Lama saluted as she relayed his orders. Slagtimiq turned towards the holographic display of the battle. Banner Squadron had screened out many TIE fighters and then isolated one of the remaining Gozanti-class cruisers from the rest of the Imperial ships. The Leaveykurarupid and the Sullust had destroyed one of the Tartan-class corvettes that had arrived with the cruiser Jhaka Bakarn while the other was still holding out. The Star Galleon-class frigate had whittled down the shields of the scout craft Martok and destroyed it (Captain Slagtimiq made a vow in that moment to track down that Imperial frigate and blast it to pieces it one day). The Jhaka Bakarn had moved to defend the Kordan, but in doing so had made itself vulnerable to cannon fire from the YV-series freighter Warchild and Dornean gunship Fist of Pammant.

Boom Squadron had been bombing one of the Tartan Patrol Cruisers when Eisenhower got his orders. Escorted by three of Maroon Squadron's X-Wings, they broke formation and headed towards New Syvris.

"Tell all our cannons to fire on any Imperial fighters that dare follow them!" Captain Slagtimiq ordered.

"Sssir!" said Vortho Lama in acknowledgement.

Several TIEs broke from the fleet battle to pursue Boom Squadron. The Leaveykurarupid's gunners targeted and destroyed at least three TIE fighters and one TIE interceptor before they were out of range.

"Their tailgunners and the X-Wings will take care of their pursuers," Slagtimiq said. "Turn the ship 'round again. Let us seize the opportunity to strike while their TIE forces are weakened! Fire!"

---

Once General Fenwhudn had called in the airstrike, she had led her troops back to the landing zone. The proton cannons shelled the Ephes Dammim when Imperial repulsortanks attempted to pursue. By the time the Imperial Army had mounted an effective pursuit, the last of the Rebel equipment had been loaded onto the transports. When Boom Squadron arrived to level the ion cannon, the transports had already lifted into orbit.

The explosion could be seen from kilometres away. A Major in the local Imperial garrison witnessed it from an observation post at Marzi Airbase, a far distance and then some from the Ephes Dammim. A manic-depressive who was already in the middle of an episode that had left him quite out of sorts, the Major was despondent at the sight of yonder ion cannon's destruction. He became convinced that his superiors would find a way to blame him and, using his officer's sidearm, committed suicide a minute later.

General Fenwhudn's transports came under attack by a flight of TIE Interceptors as it left New Syvris' atmosphere, but the X-Wings of Maroon Squadron covered them. Captain Slagtimiq's ships had destroyed another Gozanti-class cruiser and disabled one of the turrets on the Arquitens-class command cruiser by the time the transports reached orbit. On Fenwhudn's orders Slagtimiq moved the Leaveykurarupid and the other Rebel ships to cover them while they jumped to hyperspace. The cruiser Jhaka Bakarn and a squadron of TIE fighters attempted to move against them, but the Leaveykurarupid moved to block them. The Pelta-class frigate's guns shot down three more TIE fighters before it too jumped to hyperspace, the last of General Fenwhudn's warships to leave New Syvris.

---

"I just quit my job so the unemployment numbers look worse for Biden," Proud REPUBLICAN told me.

"I see," I replied.

It was my day off from transcribing this very narrative for The Author and so I had gone out to lunch. A man sat next to me and introduced himself as Proud REPUBLICAN, then proceeded to explain how he lived his life.

"I put up a picture of Biden on my wall and will punch the fuck out of it whenever I'm angry," Proud REPUBLICAN said.

"You punch your wall?" I asked. "Like-"

"MY fists are bleeding from punching my fucking wall. I left a hole in my wall because the republican lost the NY-19 special election. Also I punched my fucking wall out of anger because congress codified gay marriage into law," Proud REPUBLICAN said. "I refuse to sleep with a woman who has pronouns. A liberal gave me her phone number but I told her I don't bang people with pronouns."

"You feel very strongly about social issues, it seems." I said dryly.

"I cry to sleep every night knowing that masturbation is still legal in the US." Proud REPUBLICAN said. "I only watch porn to see how immoral it is. I became gay for a day just to see how immoral it was and to prove it's a choice."

"I see," said I.

"I piss my pants out of fear whenever I see a gay couple out in public." Proud REPUBLICAN continued. "I attended a gay wedding and I was the only one who stood up to object the marriage. I throw temper tantrums everytime I'm reminded that gay marriage is legal."

"I see," I lied.

"I'm a straight man but I just had gay sex in order to increase monkeypox cases in the US and make Biden's mishandling of it look bad."

At this claim my mouth fell open, and I had no response, for how does one respond to such nonsense?

"I'm a black man from Atlanta who supports Trump," Proud REPUBLICAN said matter-of-factly. "I'm tired of being ridiculed for being a black republican. I'm one of the few and rare black people who grew up in the hood and ended up being a republican."

(For the record, Proud REPUBLICAN was an old white dude. I also later heard he was gay too, but I cannot affirm that as true or a lie so I shall make no statement either direction.)

"I just got suspended from school for beating up somebody for refusing to pledge allegiance to the flag." Proud REPUBLICAN continued. "I broke my fucking chair out of anger because my mom didn't let me watch Fox News after my bedtime. I cry to sleep every night knowing that masturbation is still legal in the US. I work at a gas station and I increased the prices of gas just to make inflation go up and harm Biden's approval ratings."

I had no response to this. There-there was no response I or anyone else could conceive of to such nonsense. Not even God and the Bear could procure a response to this, for (and forgive me the mild blasphemy here) I doubt even They conceived that in all the history of Creation one of Their devout children could and would spout such nonsensical sentiments.

"I put up a picture of Biden on my wall and will punch the fuck out of it whenever I'm angry," Proud REPUBLICAN repeated, apparently labouring under the delusion that he'd not already told me this. "I attended a gay wedding and I was the only one who stood up to object the marriage. I just got suspended from school for beating up somebody for refusing to pledge allegiance to the flag. I-"

Then the waiter came to ask what of the menu we desired. Before he could open his mouth, Proud REPUBLICAN accosted him.

"I refuse to eat at a restaurant unless the waiter is a registered republican!" Proud REPUBLICAN declared smugly. The waiter looked to me and I regret not helping him more in that moment. Really, I do.

"Er-" the waiter said.

"GAH!" Proud REPUBLICAN shouted and then with a great movement fled from that place in fury.

I just thought I'd relate this tale to y'all. I dunno.

back to yonder story ig idk :/

---

Moff Irion leaned back in his chair and sighed. Vice Admirals Smith and Autren had been all but shouting at each other for the past five minutes. Smith accused Autren of deliberately starving their naval forces of starfighters to prove a point; Autren denied this and instead claimed that the Empire's recent defeat at the Battle of New Syvris was the result of logistical errors that he blamed on Smith.

"Our ships need better starfighter support!" Vice Admiral Smith said. "That is something I have always-always-argued in favour of better starfighter support! Our Star Destroyers are strong and big spacecruisers, aye that be true. But with our few ships stretched as far as they are…"

"Admiral Kinshara's task force will soon arrive from the Barab system and then-" Vice Admiral Autren began, but Moff Irion interrupted him.

"Kinshara's ships have been ordered into the Mid Rim," he said. "Rebel attacks there are picking up."

"But-" Autren said.

"We have no further support at this juncture," said the Moff. "We must make do with what we have."

"I don't even see the point of this attack," said General Forgus. "They didn't damage the factories or ore refineries. Our losses were substantial, but-"

"They destroyed the ion cannon," said Moff Irion. "With that, I must devote additional fleet resources to defending our interests on New Syvris." He sighed. "The strategist planning the rebellion's moves here is quite genius, I give them that." Colonel Rilvert nodded in agreement.

"Vice Admiral Autren?" the Moff said.

"Sir?"

"Our scout ships are racing to track down the hidden rebel fortress, from which these devils strike against our territory." Moff Irion said. "When they discover it, you will take our Star Destroyers and the 467th Fighter Wing, Vice Admiral Autren, and destroy them, crush them, utterly defeat this insurgency. We must win soon, for we can hold out for not much longer."

---

"This is the truth?" the other man asked.

"My employer is sure of it," Benjamin said.

"I see," the man said.

This was a prearranged intel handoff. The man was named Ryoji Kaji. He was an elite agent of the Rebellion who liaisoned with operatives of the Tenloss Syndicate. But beyond that, he was also secretly a client operative of The Director .

Ben had been sent from Sperin to meet with him aboard Tansarii Point Station in orbit above Ord Mantell. Agent Kaji had met him in the cantina there in his usual unassuming blue shirt and black pants, his hair back in a ponytail. Kaji always had this unflappable and laid-back attitude that unnerved Benjamin; he felt there was something more beneath the surface which Kaji kept hidden, something raw and dangerous.

Kaji had come to Tansarii Point Station officially because the Tenloss Syndicate had "heard whispers" about secret Imperial weapons projects that their allies in the Rebellion would like to know. In truth, the Director was actually merely passing along dark secrets he'd long been aware of. What Agent Kaji was reacting in surprise to was not these dark secrets-Ben assumed that it no doubt confirmed his own private investigations that he did on the side-but rather the second piece of intel he'd been given.

This second bit was information the Tenloss Syndicate had learned through their espionage operations across the criminal underworld and given its urgent nature and probable importance to the Rebel Alliance's leadership, The Director had sent it for Ben to pass on to Agent Kaji.

"I take it you're familiar with this, then?" Ben asked. The spy nodded.

"Philoswa Fenwhudn is a general of…some import in the Rebel Alliance." Kaji said. "She and High Command don't always get along."

"I take it that her actions on the edge of the Outer Rim are unsanctioned then?" Ben asked.

"Yes.." Kaji said. "And what you've told me indicates how she's procuring supplies for a campaign she knows the rest of the Alliance can't support her in." He stared down at the glass of water in his hands. "If she's really working with…." His voice trailed off and he was silent for a minute. He put his cigarette to his mouth and smoked for a bit.

"This…other news you've passed along…" Kaji began, changing the topic.

"Indeed." Ben said. "My employers are quite certain that-"

At that moment a noisy group of Zabrak spacers entered into the cantina, and out of habit Ben shut up. He knew there were no listening devices in the station's cantina-the Car'das gang, which owned and operated Tansarii Point Station, was honourable and saw no reason to harm their reputation by snooping around-but there could be eavesdroppers in the cantina. Repeating information they both knew already was risky.

"I think it's time we conclude this meeting," said Ben.

"Agreed," said Agent Kaji.

They both stood up, shook hands, and parted ways. Ben knew that the spy's ship, a beat-up G9 Rigger freighter named the Yi Resistance, was docked in a hangar bay opposite from the docking port where his own shuttle was, so they headed in opposite directions.

Ben was mildly surprised that the usually calm and collected Ryoji Kaji was so put-off by the news he'd received. It was out of character for him but Ben supposed that, given the nature of the uncovered truths about General Philoswa Fenwhudn's dealings, it made sense.

---

Some notes:

-The Vanguard-class ship Captain Slagtimiq wishes was present for their attack is the same one Ferb helped work on in chapter 24.

- "Proud REPUBLICAN" is a parody twitter account. All of the things he says are real things that account has tweeted out.

-Commander Rex, one of the leaders Admiral Ackbar meets with aboard the Home One, is indeed the same Captain Rex from the Clone Wars show.

-Banner Squadron is the same A-Wing fighter squadron from Ivort 4.

-Regarding the races of some human characters: Major Reaches the Rice Slowly, General Baker, and Lieutenant Mosk are black; Colonel Brucosl, Sergeant Devoria, Colonel Rilvert, Agent Isrua, and Vice Admiral Smith are white; General Forgus is desi; and Moff Irion, Vice Admiral Autren, Prefect Stacy Hirano, Chief Bansoro, and Lieutenant Fox are asian. Some of these had already been made clear and/or stated in earlier author's notes and some of these hadn't, but I just thought it would be good to settle it so there's no ambiguity. It's pretty important to have a diverse cast of characters and I was goddamn disgusted with the racist abuse Moses Ingram got from toxic internet communities during the release of Kenobi, so I want to make it clear that Star Wars is for everyone.

-The Haxion Brood is from the Jedi: Fallen Order video game though their backstory here is entirely my own creation.

(The notes below were added on 9/12/2022. I forgot to include these two in the initial release of this chapter)

-Theoqude's Axiom is my attempt to create a Star Wars-version of the principle Godwin's Law. Godwin's Law relates to the tendency for Adolf Hitler and/or Nazism to be referenced in internet discussions and works in exactly the same fashion as Theoqude's Axim-as Hitler is widely known and universally agreed to be literal evil incarnate, there's a high probability of him being namedropped in arguments. I wanted to use this to illustrate a fallacy critics of the Rebel Alliance's leadership might make but as neither Hitler nor Mike Godwin exist in the Star Wars universe naturally I was forced to pull upon an ancient Sith Lord and invent a Jedi thinker.

-Ahmad Aziz was inspired by the explorer Mont Blanc Noland from the lore of One Piece.

---

This chapter did not advance the story as much as I had hoped it would, but ah well. I got to do some fun worldbuilding and practiced writing action sequences. That was good practice I guess. At any rate, I'm glad to have crossed 200K words!

---

Originally Posted September 10, 2022