Karrde's Base - Myrkr "I see." Covell replied and nodded for Brek. The Major stepped forward and produced a datacard for Baldrac. "You can inform your boss then, that his smuggling operations will be officially legalized in two weeks by Empress Kiera. However, his ships will have to undergo a cargo inspection but any contriband discovered will not be used to arrest his men or confiscate his ships and cargo. On that datacard are several jobs General Thane wants your boss to run."
"You can find additional information on your equipment and weapons on the datacard," the Major answered. Layor read over it again. Apart from a suit of stormcommando armour, he would be issued with a standard blaster rifle, smoke and stun grenades, plastic explosives, spare power packs, a combat knife, survival equipment, and communications gear. Draug Layor took a few moments to commit the items to memory, sharpening his awearness for the mission ahead. Efficiency required that he use a minimal amount of equipment. Effectiveness was his goal. He looked toward Dasnei, suspecting that she must be thinking along similar lines. It would certainly explain her relative silence. Her approach before the mission did not disturb him, and, although he had no desire for nervousness among his comrades, he did not detect fear of uncertainty from her, for which he was pleased. "What's our ETA, Major?" he asked, his tone cool.
ISD Conquest - Myrkr "For now." Covell answered and then he and Major Brek returned to the Star Destroyer in orbit. Once Covell had returned, he spoke with Captain Jokar about the operation on the surface. "Commanders confirm a success." Jokar answered. Covell nodded, pleased that the operation succeeded. "Leave a gift behind in the asteroid field." Covell commanded. One probot was dropped in the asteroid field after the Conquest had passed by it before jumping to hyperspace. The probot activated and monitored the system with the occasionl sensors and kept an ear open for certain transmissions, the asteroid field masking its signature from detection.
The man's words did seem to have some merit. Defending the core, and hording all the resources there would only lead to utter destruction. It was best to strike elsewhere, while your own numbers were superior, to spread the enemy out thinner than they can securely handle. "It is a possible bad heading, but i do believe it could be fixed quite easily. As for the area around Bastion, i too believe it is of great importance. It is best to better have a coushin of planets around our military capital. If you were to get a few more ships out here in the outer rim, what exactly do you plan to strike at first, my friend?"
Thane's Chambers, SSD Terror - Undisclosed Location Slowly and with some effort, General Thane slipped his uniform jacket from his shoulders and onto the back of a chair. His tunic joined the olive-gray jacket as he sat down to allow a droid slowly unwrap some of the bandages he still had to wear. There were just some injuries bacta could not miraciously heal. Standing behind the General and off to the side a few meters stood, Colonel Covell, watching his superior and friend be tended to. General Thane looked into the wall mirror across the room to glance at the nervous Colonel. "So he wasn't there. A minor set back in our plans." He reassured the older man. Covell watched the droid remove the bandages and tried to suppress a grimace as he witnessed for the first time how badly his superior really was injured that day. Scars crisscrossed his entire back and there were areas--where gauzes had been placed--that puckered pink and white. Covell knew when he recognized punture wounds, but he had never seen so many. Most of them looked like deep gashes torn into his superiors back, others looked like a slug bullet had been shot at him. "The bacta couldn't heal them completely." Thane choked as the droid began applying a gel to the injuries and covering them with a fresh gauze. He continued to stare at the Colonel through the mirror and had seen the barely hidden grimace. "I don't understand," Covell incrediously replied, "I've seen worse injuries bacta was able to heal, sir. Why didn't..." "It heal me? The doctors asked that very same question. However they figure it is due to the full extent of my injuries that the bacta just could no longer heal my body." The droid was wrapping new bandages over Thane's injuries now. "I was suppose to stay in the hospital, but...you know me." "They never released you did they?" Thane was silent for several long minutes. Long enough for the droid to finish and get dressed again. He turned to face his second in command and gave him his best reassuring smile he could with the scars along his face. "Its not like they could keep me there forever anyway. Besides, I have the best Imperial doctors on this ship to monitor my health." Covell nodded and then held out a datapad for the General to read. Thane took it and read over the contents with care. "Derricote believes that he can merge the two gene sequences, but he won't know for certain until you give the go on the project." Thane thoughtfully reread the information again before answering, "Begin Project Dashade."
Shunting power to the rear shields, Leran rolled out to starboard and gaining relative altitude while slowing. Cutting back to port, he hoped the move would drop him in behind the Headhunter.