Beyond - Legends TIE Fighter: Unknown Regions -COMPLETED 12/26 (Maarek Stele, Thrawn, OCs)

Four TIE Advanced exited hyperspace. In front of them, Imperial Convoy Nu-Xesh-Five was in trouble. Over a dozen Ungarov starfighters dove between the huddled freighters and transports, catching the small escort flatfooted, while a corvette-sized craft hovered in the distance, sending an occasional errant shot towards the convoy.

?Break and engage the fighters,? Stele ordered calmly, in an almost bored voice.

?We don?t have anything to take on that patrol craft,? Carpus warned.

?We don?t have to,? Stele commed as he aimed his fighter towards one of the Ungarov small ships. ?He?s not going to get in range of those Escort Shuttles. Just take care of the fighters.? He activated his warhead launcher and waited for the lock indicator to turn from yellow to red. He led the target for another second than fired, sending two slivers of high-explosive towards the target. Picking up the inbound missiles, the Ungarov pilot turned towards turned towards the Imperial freighters, but was caught before he could reach the relative safety of crowded space. The twin warheads detonated aft of the fighter?s engines, forming a halo of shrapnel around its disintegrating rear. The fighter struggled for a few seconds then exploded. Stele spotted another fighter on his sensor screens and dove after it, giving his sensor warning systems and the Force a quick sweep.

It?s been six days, Stele thought as he unleashed a flurry of single shots on his unsuspecting foe. It attempted to spiral away from the convoy towards the relative safety of the corvette, but was hit by a pair of missiles and winked out.

Keithal hadn?t returned from her mission. It shouldn?t have taken long to complete the mission. It was a simple information raid, nothing that should be too difficult. She surely hadn?t been caught, he would have heard. Treason after all, was not quietly punished. However in the end it didn?t matter, no matter what the cause, the lack of progress was disconcerting.

A quartet of shots impacted rear of Stele?s fighter. He swore and broke low, reversing his orientation and diving away. His opponent followed, spitting several poorly aimed shots towards his way.

?Damn it, Carpus,? he shouted over the comm. ?Where the hell are you?? He effortlessly dodged another series of shots before Carpus? spirited voice emerged.

?Apologies, Lead,? the chirpy voice interjected. ?Having a little too much fun over here. On my way.?

If only you could have fun where you?re needed, Stele thought as he broke hard to the left. His pursuer executed a Reverse Throttle Hop, a maneuver which took it out of Stele?s sensor shadow and into a pair of Carpus? missiles. He accelerated towards another group of enemy fighters with his wingman right behind him.

Stele cursed himself for his previous inattention as he locked on a new target. Keep your mind in the fight, not the future, Captain Trox had told him. Combat is not a dejarik game. It?s the present that can get you killed.

He closed in one of the enemy fighters, while Carpus cut across his rear to head off another. Setting his targeting reticule on the target, he fired a bust of dual shots into its front section. As he had predicted, The Ungarov pilot panicked. His opponent broke hard to the right, arcing downward as its vector shifted. Stele dove in pursuit, slipping behind it and fired more shots into its rear.

His opponent cut throttle and side-slipped to the right, causing the convergence rate to increase rapidly. Stele rolled to his left into a scissors, increasing his travel distance to counterattack the reduced velocity. The Ungarov broke into Stele?s vector and the Imperial ace turned back, firing a pair of quick shots into the alien craft?s midsection. The two duelists passed each other by just meters apart, and turned towards each other for the next twist. The Ungarov pilot?s sluggish piloting allowed Stele to slip in single or dual shots several times in the next two minutes. He could feel the frustration and fear of his opponent come off in wav

 

=) I like the story. >.< Can't wait for more. I'm curious about how it goes on...

 

Red_Serratia:Welcome to the story! I'm glad you like it.

---

?Eight days, Keithal. It?s been eight days.? Stele?s accusatory voice threatened to fill the secluded hallway where he had met his accomplice for the transfer of the communication logs.

?I?m sorry, sir. I had to cover my tracks pretty thoroughly. It wasn?t easy getting enough time alone with a console to make the necessary alterations and memory dumps. I had a few?setbacks?along the way.?

?We don?t have time for setbacks, Warrant Officer,? Stele admonished. ?Every second wasted is another second for our enemies to mobilize themselves against us.?

?I am not ?wasting time,? sir,? Keithal told him bitterly. ?Do you realize the position you?ve put me in? I could [i]die[/i] in this little charade of yours.?

?That?s the duty of all Imperial personnel,? Stele growled. ?To put their lives on the line for their Empire.?

?Oh,? Keithal said mockingly. ?This is about your all-encompassing duty. Well I don?t see [i]you[/i] putting [i]your[/i] life on the line.?

?I wouldn?t continue that line of thought if I were you, Warrant Officer,? Stele told her, his voice full of malice. ?I?ve done more the Empire than you could ever imagine. Now do you have the comm logs??

Keithal clenched her jaw to meet his cold stare. ?Yes, sir.? She opened up a zipper pocket at her right shoulder and produced a datapad which she handed wordlessly to her superior.

?Very well,? Stele said. ?I?ll contact you again when-?

[i]Wait.[/i]

Stele heard footsteps approaching. Immediately his mind went into overdrive, discarding escape ideas as soon as they materialized. Simply running was not an option. It would create too much noise and would certainly arouse suspicion. He couldn?t afford to reveal himself at this stage. There was no opportunity to simply hide; any cover he found would still reveal his presence if not his identity, which could of course be ascertained later. Clearly a deception of some kind was in order.

He looked to Keithal. She had heard it too; he could sense the fear in the placid blue of her eyes. Perhaps, her presence alerted him to the possibility, there was in fact a way out.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby alcove. There, he swept over her startled form and forced his lips to hers. Keithal?s eyes widened into saucers, then narrowed again as she connected the dots. The footsteps drew closer to the ersatz couple and for a moment Stele believed the danger to be past. He was wrong.

?Yeah!? Carpus? voice rang out next to him. ?I knew you?d score, sir! Knew you had it in you!?

Stele would later prove reluctant to speak of the ?regrettable incident.? Germain Carpus took the blow to the stomach much the same as he had taken much of his service in the Imperial Navy, with a mixture of incredulity, shock, and light-hearted dignity. Stele stormed away from the scene with a little more information in his breast pocket, and a little less dignity in his office.

[hr]


?There will be no foolhardy engagements,? Rortan announced. ?No more attempts to lure the enemy into a decisive battle. We?ve been fighting the wrong war, one we cannot win.?

The assembled officers, ranging in rank from Archdeacon to Protoadmiral, listened quietly as Rortan outlined the new defense strategy for the Ungarov Supremacy.

?Our heavy forces in the Colonies will assume a primarily defensive posture. No attempt is to be made to engage the enemy in a large fleet engagement. Instead, all efforts will be made to harass the enemy with hit-and-fade attacks on targets of opportunity, leadership, lightly-defended installations, convoys. Special attention is to be made to cut the enemy?s supply lines in areas of contention. Although we have encountered units of elite enemy fighters, the majority of their light units consist of short-range craft incapable of more than point-defense. If our brethren in Starfighter Command can strike hard and retreat quickly, we can slow down their rate of advance or even cripple their offensive oper

 

Stele held the datacard in his hands, examining it from every angle as if it was a priceless work of art. The dim lighting of his quarters provided a majestic glow as if it was a reminder of the valuable information that lay in his hands. This was the first step to uncovering the treason that lurked in the fleet. Stele?s mind was consumed by the idea of rooting out the traitors. That was why he had been led to join the Secret Order. That was what he was good at.

He inserted the card into his datapad. Symbols and numbers filtered down the screen, indicating thousands of official communications. Stele only hoped that the ones he sought had ever been recorded. He keyed in a series of commands to narrow the search. Almost immediately, be began to find mysterious items. There was of course much communication with the planetside facilities on Nirauan, but several in particular caught his attention as suspicious. Missing destination files, origins outside official Imperial posts, both evidence of foul workings in the Imperial command structure.

He looked further. Other messages were routed to planets unknown to him, worlds certainly outside the focus of Imperial operations. Private business, Stele thought. Recruiting neutral worlds to his plot. Yes, he was very interested in those.

The next question was how to use this information. The logs themselves provided no concrete indication of what exactly Thrawn was plotting, they just confirmed his suspicions of treason.

But would they convince others? The signs were suspicious, but not quite conclusive. Besides, Stele wasn?t even sure there was anyone to convince. By Colsan?s example, Thrawn appeared to have the local ISB establishment behind him. That left only the more arcane extensions of Imperial power. The Secret Order, which remained disturbingly silent, the Inquisitorius, unlikely to be found on Imperial warships, and Imperial Intelligence; they would be certainly be happy to foil a plot of their rivals the ISB, but could he find them? Imperial Intelligence was not as?public?as their COMPNOR rivals.

Barring that, the only alternative was a mutiny. That was out of the question. There had never been a fleet-wide mutiny in the Imperial Navy, and even had there been a precedent, Thrawn would almost certainly come up with a means to counter it. How bitterly ironic that the organs by which the Empire was kept safe from internal rot were now being used to destroy it.

Stele recorded the data he had accessed where he could quickly get to it later and dropped the incriminating evidence into a small container with a numeric keypad lock. It would not, unfortunately, keep out a determined ISB goon but, Stele figured, if they ever were to suspect him of anything, it wouldn?t matter.

After putting away the container , Stele climbed onto his bunk and closed his weary eyes, trying not to think of the dangers he faced, or the dainty blonde with whom his fate now deeply entwined.

---

Stele succeeded for almost a week in avoiding any unwanted conversations with his wingman, during which time the 45th Special Operations Group flew several sorties in defense of Imperial convoys, fighting off numerous attacks at the cost of two of their precious TIE Advanced. However, the good times were not to last. Carpus finally confronted him outside the officer?s mess following a meal of ?recalibrated spiceloaf.?

?I?m not in the mood, Carpus,? Stele growled when his wingman caught up with in the corridor.

?Aw, come on, sir,? his junior said with the trademark grin plastered on his face. ?You?ve got a great opportunity here.?

?Commander,? Stele said coldly as he stopped. ?The fact that you?ve finally got a woman to sleep with you more than once does make you qualified to give advice on my non-existent relationships.?

?See, you?re even witty! She?ll love it!

?You insufferable-?

?Am I interrupting something?? Stele?s anger quickly deflated into frustration as he recognized the new voice.

?Of course not, Major,? Stele told the ISB o

 

A small asteroid drifted through the darkness of space, two parsecs off the main trade route through the Ungarov colonies. Undistinguished in either size or shape, it was easily overlooked by casual observers.

There was more, however, to the asteroid than casual observation indicated. A burst of activity in the electromagnetic spectrum prompted a set of hidden antennas to activate and begin recording bursts of a superluminal transmission. Within seconds, a secure datalink had been established with the Ungarov high command. The intercepted message was transmitted to a signals intelligence facility on Ungar Prime where banks of computers manned by stone-faced technicians began the work of decrypting and analyzing the captured data. The encryption, somewhat weaker than what was normally encountered, was broken and the message sent by courier to the Fleet Intelligence Office across the compound. The duty officer, a wizened Archdeacon, thanked the young subaltern who delivered the message and examined the datapad.

The message, crudely translated from its original orthography, spoke of a sizable enemy convoy bound for Elklu Minor carrying heavy munitions and replacement starfighters. He checked the departure and arrival times and figured that a force could in fact be assembled to strike it. His interest piqued, he keyed for the holocomm. Someone at the palace was going to find their day a little more interesting.

---

Reynard Colsan watched the ships of Convoy Thesh-Zerek-Two congregated around their escorts, the [i]Nebulon-B2[/i] frigate [i]Archer[/i], and the smaller [i]Lancer[/i]-class frigate [i]Paledor[/i]. The Bulk Freighters, Modular Conveyors, and Muurian Transports milled around the two warships, their worthless cargoes cloaked by a variety of electronic disguises.

The plan was for the convoy to be intercepted by a sizeable Ungarov force, lured by the promise of valuable military cargo onboard, in order to be engaged and destroyed by elements of the 45th SOG. Not the most original plan, but against the Ungarov, it would probably work.

That was, however, not the actual reason for the mission?or its crew. Colsan bent over a nearby communications console and reread a counterfeit message composed for the Ungarov forces along the route. It ordered two enemy cruisers to join the attack on the convoy, an addition he knew it was powerless to defend against.

Stele had to die. He was digging too far into the operations of the Hand. He had enlisted the witless wonder Keithal to steal communications records and who knew what he would try next. Grand Admiral Thrawn had left explicit instructions that Stele and his helper be left alone-instructions the ISB agent knew could not be followed was the cause to succeed.

His fingered hovered over the button to transmit. The consequences would be dire were he to be found out, but Reynard Colsan had a few more tricks up his sleeve than a rookie sensor operator. Without hesitation, he pushed the button. He looked again at the convoy readying for the trip. It?s fate was sealed, as well as that of the souls onboard. They would die so the Empire could live.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Colsan turned from the viewport and exited the room, eager to start on the next item of the agenda.

 

I have to say, I am impressed by this story. I've always held a liking for fan fic's concerning unknown characters and or the common soldier/officer. Excellent work.

 

I apologise greatly for the extraordinary delay in this post. I have had a number of time-consuming, high-stress activities occupy my time the last two months and have had almost zero time to work on this story or even visit this site. I'll try to update at least once a week from now one, though I can't promise anything.

On another note, I was trolling Wookiepedia recently and discovered a treasuretrove of new information about Maarek Stele, mostly from sources I do not (at least at the moment) own. Sadly, many of this information creates inconsistencies in my story. I'm not sure if I really have the time or desire to do edits, as the entire plotline of self-discovery would have to be cut. Needless to say, I went to bed that night extremely demoralized.

Here's to a long-belated post.

---

?You think this will really work, sir??

Stele tore his gaze from the viewport and turned to his wingman, one of nine other pilots currently occupying the officer?s club of the frigate [i]Archer[/i].

?Do you have any reason to believe it won?t?? Stele asked in an absent voice, more concerned by a rising feeling of dread in his stomach.

?It didn?t work with Zaarin,? Carpus said flippantly. Stele prayed to the soul of the Emperor that there were no listening devices in the room.

?The Ungarov are much less tactically inclined than the late traitor,? Stele replied for the benefit of any unfriendly ears.

A shallow rumbling emanated through the ship, indicating an unplanned transition from hyperspace. The pilots jumped from their seats at the commotion, the reflex begotten by years of unforgiving combat. Stele looked back to space in time to see the starlines fade back to stars.

He swore as he reached for his comlink. ?What happened?? he demanded.

?Sir, the hyperdrive regulator has gone offline,? a tech?s voice answered. ?The automatic failsafes kicked in but we?re stuck here until we can repair the damage.? Stele scowled as he heard the prognosis. Flicking the comlink?s power switch, he continued to stare into space and tried to ignore a sinking feeling in his gut.

?The wonders of Kuati engineering,? Carpus said sarcastically, having overheard the brief exchange. Stele ignored him, being in no mood for youthful banter.

His danger sense flared.

?Sir?? his wingman asked, noting the sudden look of extreme discomfort on his commander?s face.

?Get to your ships,? Stele ordered. His voice dropped to a whisper. ?This is going to be bad.?

[hr]

The two Ungarov cruisers exited hyperspace about a dozen kilometers from the head of the convoy, followed moments later by a group of smaller gunboats. The Ungarov force immediately opened fire on the foremost transports as well as the [i]Paledor[/i] which guarded the Imperial vanguard. The cruisers launched fighters, filling the already crowded battlespace with a swarm of the precision warmachines. Several of the freighters and transports closest to the Ungarov interlopers exploded under the combined effect of turbolaser fire and torpedoes.

The [i]Paledor[/i]?s twenty quad laser cannons tried in vain to keep the enemy fighters back, but between numerous turbolaser blasts and dozens of proton torpedoes, the outcome was never in doubt. The Ungarov attack was simply too strong.

[hr]


Stele raced down the frigate?s cold, grey corridors, followed by the other 45th pilots. Warning klaxons filled the area with sound and a the floor shook to illustrate the urgency of the situation.

After several minutes which felt like hours, his party reached the starboard hangar housing their TIE Advanced fighters. The fight outside could be clearly seen through the magnetically-shielded hangar opening. There was no time to lose.

Stele bolted up the short ladder to his fighter and jumped down into the ball cockpit. He powered up the ship?s various components, giving only a cursory glance to the various diagnostic displays before lifting off. The other nine in his flight followed him into the maelstrom.

Almost immediately after takeoff, a faint flas

 

Stele prowled the plain, grey hallway, careful to make as little noise as possible. Just down the hallway lay the dead drop he had established with Keithal to transfer any information that could be dug up about the plot against the Empire. He had last checked the drop four days ago, shortly before setting out with the Thresh-Zerek-Two convoy; perhaps there was something new he could analyze-and use to his advantage.

Periodically glancing over his shoulder, he made his way to the small environmental systems substation in which the drop point was concealed. He gave a last look-around before moving to inspect a ?tool box? located behind the main support console. He had ?convinced? a Naval Trooper to run a maintenance cycle on the deck?s security cameras, so he had just had to work quickly-

?Hello.?

Stele froze as he heard Germain Carpus? voice. His hands stiffened and he grimaced, suppressing an oath. He turned slowly, the act punished by the visage of Carpus in his service uniform, bearing a satisfied grin.

?A dark, secluded corridor. A quiet ISB-free night. A great opportunity for a little lovers? tryst. eh??

Stele scowled, not bothering to correct the wayward pilot. ?Did you follow me here??

?Oh yeah,? Carpus replied sheepishly. ?It wasn?t that hard really. I just looked for anyone who didn?t seem to want to be followed.?

Stele struggled to keep the panic off his face. If even Carpus had been able to locate him?

?How much did you see?? Stele demanded. His wingman?s demeanor immediately changed.

?How much did I...? his eyes flashed with recognition. ?You?re actually doing it. You?re fighting them.?

?Which is why, Commander,? Stele growled. ?I can?t have you trailing me. It increases the risk.? His eyes narrowed. ?Why are you following me??

?My roommate snores,? Carpus admitted. ?And I really had nothing better to do so I thought ?Why not see what the good Colonel?s up too.?

Well next time, don?t. I?ve got enough to deal with as it is.?

Carpus responded with a laugh and wrapped an arm around his commander. ?Come on, sir, lighten up. I?ll buy you a drink.?
?The last time you bought me a drink, it consisted of municipal water with a moldy lemon.?

?It was all I could afford at the time!?

Stele gave him a hard stare. ?It was payday and you had just bought a deluxe five-tape IASH collection. Now are you going to get the hell out of my face or do I have to make you??

Carpus recoiled, gave fleeting eye contact, and retreated. Stele shook his head and turned back to his work. He retrieved the tool box and opened it. Inside was the usual complement of tools. He removed one of the glowrods and unscrewed the front, revealing a small data tape inside. He pocketed both tape and glowrod and closed the box. Any naval tech who stumbled upon the missing device would simply assume that it had been carried off by a forgetful crewer.

He would have to be more careful, he decided, as he left the scene. Maybe if he could acquire a sound dampener belt?
Stele sighed as he deposited the glowrod into a nearby trash compactor. If only there no traitors and he could get back to doing what he was trained to do and loved to do-fly, instead of being forced to engage in this cloak-and-dagger work. He was unused to operating with no direction. Against Harkov, against Zaarin, he had always had the Secret Order to call upon and provide guidance. Now he was alone.

He returned to his quarters. After pouring himself a small drink from a stash he had confiscated from Carpus earlier to steady his nerves, he dropped to his bunk and closed his eyes.

---

Archdeacon Teeb?Mormek scowled at the vast amount of paperwork Admiral Rortan had given him. The tireless commander had demanded a full audit of all Ungarov military forces in the Colonies and their current readiness. It was exhausting work and he was fortunate that the Admiral had agreed to put upon some of it himself.

He looked to the chrono on his desk. He had been working for ten Ungar Prime hours. He considered ca

 

Nice to catch up on this great fic.

Wish I could motivate myself to do more on my own stuff.

 

Pelranius: You'd better.

---

Stele frowned as he reviewed the datapad he had been given. It was an extraordinarily risky assignment, perhaps even suicidal. It certainly presented a perfect opportunity to remove a threat to the new regime-one which had outlived its usefulness. If the enemy called for reinforcements or already possessed heavy fighter cover, the mission would be ruined and the 45th Special Operations Group would be destroyed.

He tried to clear his thoughts as seven other pilots piled into the briefing room. He had decided to keep his force small for security reasons, both to limit those ?in the know? and to keep the collective sensor signature of the group as low as possible. On the off chance that this mission was not a set-up, it would retain the element of surprise longer.

?Good evening,? he said as the select pilots took their seats. He surveyed the room. Not a hint of question, not a whiff of hesitation. Only a sense of anticipation for the mission. The perfect Imperial function. Stele activated the hologram beside him, displaying a starmap of the Ungarov Colonies.

?We have been ordered to assist in the capture of a high ranking Ungarov commander currently on an inspection tour of Ungarov garrisons on the frontier.? The image zoomed in between two enemy-held star systems and displayed a waypoint along with a set of coordinates and an Ungarov mid-sized warship.

?We will support the Interdictor Cruiser [i]Maverick[/i] as it intercepts the target vessel, disrupting the enemy shields so it can be disabled and captured by our boarding craft. We will be flying Xg-1 Starwings,? Carpus groaned from the front row, ?with full torpedo loads.. We have to work quickly to lower the enemy shields and disable its shields with ion cannons so that the target can be boarded and the enemy commander captured.?

He hated doing briefings. They always sounded fake, made what lay ahead sound so easy. It was an activity for one who didn?t have to actually carry out the order.

He finished the briefing with a discussion about fighter resistance, which the higher-ups expected be restricted to the enemy cruiser?s own starfighter wing, only one or two squadrons.

?Questions?? he asked finally. There were none, he had been thorough with the instructions he had been ordered to relay. ?I expect you all on the flightline in thirty minutes. Dismissed.?

The pilots piled out and within thirty-two minutes, punctual even by Imperial standards, the first of eight Assault Gunboats exited the Mauler?s hangar bay.

[hr]



?-Four, all systems go.?

?Besh Flight?? Stele queried.

?Besh Flight is ready and standing by,? Major Staffal answered from his position half a kilometer behind Stele?s flight.

?Copy, Aurek, Besh, lock slave signals and prepare for lightspeed.? Stele saw the seven Gunboats comply by datalink and activated the hyperspace controls in his fighter.

[hr]


?Welcome to the [i]Steadfast Armiger[/i], Admiral Rortan,? Lesser Captain Fwam?Huirsweeper greeted with a slight bow. ?It is an honor to have you aboard our humble vessel.?

?Your service will not be forgotten, Captain,? Rortan answered as he suppressed a desire to strangle the flatterer. If dealing with syncopates was what it took to set an underperforming garrison in order, so be it.

Teeb?Mormek joined him on the bridge a few moments later. ?I still think we should have brought an extra starfighter squadron, Lekhib.?

?You said that already,? Rortan said tersely. ?And I told you, the fewer who know of my departure the better. If we had brought along an extra squadron, their pilots and ground crew would have both had the opportunity to inform others. There is no way for either the Iyrl III garrison or the Empire to know where I?m going and I want to keep it that way.?

?Yes, Lekhib,? Mormek said, defeated. ?Shall I give instructions for the Captain to make lightspeed??

?You may,? Rortan told him. Ordinarily, he wouldn?t delegate such a task to a subordinate, but Rortan did not want to

 

After being pretty much gone for a long time, I'm working to catch up on this 'fic. I just wanted to drop a note to let you know I'm still reading and enjoying.

 

TheCrazyRodian:Welcome back! It's good to hear from you again.

I apologize for the long wait. My internet connection has been on the fritz for the last week. But here it is, safe and sound.

---

The chronometer alarm blared. Stele snapped to attention and scanned the various diagnostic instruments situated around the cockpit. All systems looked normal. He looked back to the chrono display: Nine minutes.

Stele took a deep breath and did best to clear the lingering doubts and frustrations from his mind. He would take the opportunity if it presented itself, but for now, he was in combat mode. There was no room for anything but pure concentration.

Six minutes.

Stele double and triple-checked every system he could think of as the display counted down. The minutes and hours ahead would be hard enough without equipment problems to complicate things.

[i]Come on Colonel, you?ve committed treason before.[/i]

Against Harkov, against Zaarin. Arrogant, overextended, overconfident. Thrawn was none of these things. He was infinitely more dangerous. On top of that, Stele was unaccustomed to acting with so little support. In the past, he had had the entire weight of the Secret Order and the Imperial command behind him. Now, he was alone. It was a bitter reminder of how much he had been a tool then. Now it was time to take the lead.

The chronometer hit zero and the blackness of hyperspace turned to starlines, then to stars. Stele maxed out his sensors and braced himself for combat. The eight Gunboats and Imperial cruiser dropped from the alternate dimension and into an empty expanse of space.

?The area is clear,? Staffal announced. ?Orders, lead??

?Besh Flight, break into wing pairs and form a perimeter three clicks out,? Stele ordered his executive officer. ?Aurek, hold back and cover the [i]Maverick[/i]. The transmission was made on the main Imperial frequency but if the [i]Maverick[/i]?s captain, equal in rank but of greater seniority, found fault in Stele?s taking command, he did not show it.

Staffal?s flight grew smaller in the distance as Stele began a gentle sideslip to the left across the gray, dagger hull of the Interdictor Cruiser which would be the lynchpin of the operation.

All Stele and his companions could do was wait until the [i]Maverick[/i]?s com officer reported incoming contacts. As expected, a single Ungarov cruiser entered realspace thirty klicks ahead of the Imperial ship?s bow.

?Enemy cruiser is caught in our gravity well, Colonel,? the [i]Maverick[/i] announced seconds later. ?You are clear to engage.?

?Affirmative,? Stele commed. ?Besh, commence torpedo run. Aurek, form on me. We?re flying cover.?

Stele forced more power to his engines and accelerated toward the enemy warship, now caught in the trap.

?Fighters launching,? Aurek Two announced. ?One-Two, repeat One-Two fighters.?

?Group fire, Aurek. Three, you?re with me on the leader. Two, Four, pick your target and go.?

Acknowledgments trickled in while Stele targeted the lead Ungarov fighter. He transmitted the data to Carpus and set his lasers to dual fire. He opened fire as the target entered firing range, Carpus following suit a moment later. The Ungarov fighter ran into a wall of green laser bursts and dove. The Imperial pilots ?walked? their fire and were rewarded with an explosion. To Stele?s right, another Ungarov craft detonated under a hail of enemy fire. Stele ordered his mean to converge on a third, which also went quickly. Three enemy ships were down in less than a minute. The Ungarov obviously had not picked their best pilots for this mission. Stele couldn?t help but wonder why.

Stele picked out one of the remaining fighters and quad-linked his lasers. The enemy pilot spotted him and wisely chose a direction head on. Stele waited for the distance to close before acting. He cut power to his engines and made a hard turn to port, while simultaneously calling on the Force to send a quad-linked blast at his opponent. The shot hit head on and the target passed underneath

 

Hey reagan, I just read this story in one sitting, and have to confess I'm rather hooked. Rortan is a great original character, and his story development since the beginning has been top notch. He's a very competent adversary for Thrawn; part of the reason I think Thrawn wants him captured is because he's going to offer him a place in the Empire of the Hand. I can just see our favourite Grand Admiral do exactly that.

Looking forward to your next update

 

Spike2002: It's funny, actually. Lek'Rortan was not originally meant to be a major character like he has become. But he's just so fun to write. So you think Thrawn wants him for EOTH? We'll see. I would warn you about guessing the Admiral's intentions before they are fulfilled.

---

?Shields are down,? someone called out. ?Repeat, enemy shields are down.?

?Besh Flight, switch to ion cannons and fire at will,? Stele ordered over the squadron frequency. Staffal?s Gunboats moved in to pelt the vulnerable cruiser with blue ion blasts. Stele turned around to check on Aurek Flight Two to see how they fared. Two of the enemy fighters still remained in the fight which had drifted closer to the main confrontation. Stele sent a trio of shots into the side of one of the Ungarov escorts, killing its shields before one of the other Gunboats delivered the killing burst. The other Ungarov pilot, dazed by the loss of his wingman, panicked. It maxed out its engines and turned away from the fight, making it easy pickings for the combined fire of three Imperial craft.

The Ungarov cruiser struggled to resist the Imperial attack, but its delicate electrical systems were quickly overwhelmed. Its return fire slackened, then finally tapered off as a thin blue haze enveloped the warship. Besh Flight egressed toward the [i]Maverick[/i], its mission complete.

?Aurek Lead, we are launching boarders,? the [i]Maverick[/i] informed Stele over a com channel.

?Affirmative,? Stele answered blandly. Unless Ungarov reinforcements arrived quickly, there was little to be said or done.

Two DX-9 stormtrooper transports exited the [i]Maverick[/i]?s hangar and began their slow approach to the crippled enemy ship. Stele cut his engines to watch the lumbering craft prepare to begin their work. He felt a slight shiver infect his body, as if some force was pulling on him with some contrary intent. Out of its own accord, his hand groped the throttle and he accelerated at an angle away from the Ungarov ship. His mind did not understand but his hands obeyed. It felt right, like it was what he needed to accomplish his goals. A few minutes ticked by as the boarding craft neared the cruiser.

His danger sense spiked. Someone shouted ?Enemy fighters incoming!? Two Ungarov squadrons appeared out of hyperspace and darted past Stele?s port side. They slipped through the gap created by his catatonic flight and fired a fierce volley of torpedoes at the Imperial transports. Stele turned toward the interlopers as the rest of Aurek and Besh Flights sprang into action but it was too late. With both transports receiving at least six torpedoes, there was nothing that could be done. The Imperial light craft lit up the sorounding space, which was now becoming crowded with maneuvering fighters and discharging weapons.

Although frustrated by the ease at which the enemy had gotten past his defenses, Stele was relieved that the act had been taken out of his hand. But the question lingered, what really had happened there?

The time was not to question. The time was to fight. Maxing out his shields and lasers, he picked a target and charged. Handicapped by their slower assault craft, the Imperial pilots fought desperately to keep the Ungarov fighters off the [i]Maverick[/i]. At some point in the fight, he would not know until the debriefing, an enemy shuttle departed the captured prize and escaped to hyperspace. Eventually, the Ungarov reinforcements were driven off and after retrieving two pilots who had ejected, the Imperial force withdrew.

[hr]


?Your performance today was unacceptable,? Major Colsan snapped. ?Had you not broken up your formation, we would have a high-ranking enemy officer in our custody.?

Stele stood placidly as Colsan made his tirade from the crescent-shaped table which threatened to engulf him. Several other hard-faced officers surrounded the ISB Major, quiet and still except for the occasional murmur or nod.

?You have much to explain, Colonel Stele,? Colsan finished with a warning. ?What ha

 

Great update. Colsan's gonna find himself on the wrong end of a blaster the way he's going.

 

Spike2002:Possibly.

---

Teeb?Mormek could tell that his royal master was in a foul mood. After arriving back on Ungar Prime, Admiral Rortan had immediately set upon his staff with a fervor he had not displayed in weeks. How, he had demanded, was an Imperial warship able to slip past their lines to ambush a supposedly secret mission. Already, two members of his intelligence staff had been removed from their positions and many others awaited their turn.

Rortan paced in front of Mormek, his face entrenched into a hard frown and his eyes blazing. He finally lost his composure and threw down the datapad he held in his claw.

?Incompetents!? he snarled .?I send a team to complete my inspection and what do I find? That some soft-jawed accountant has forged the report! Readiness on Iyrl III is well within standard parameters! That glory-seeker wanted to make me a fool! Did he think that he was not putting thousands of lives at risk??

Rortan?s eyes met his aide?s and Mormek knew at once that the anger was a cover for the fear the Lek scion felt. The Empire had not only tried to kill thousands of soldiers, it had tried to kill him. The Admiral had faced death before, but this was the first time it was so personal.

?Shall I begin a search for the culprit, Lekhib?? Mormek asked.

?You may,? Rortan said quietly. ?But I doubt the culprit will be found. Any member of the Navy or court with sufficient ambition to pull this trick will have enough friends to hide any trace of his work until the time is right.? He clicked his mandibles thoughtfully. ?Perhaps it is time to take the claw-socks off, so to speak.?

?Lekhib??

?Write up a requisition order for a decommissioned warship of frigate-size or larger, something old that the Grand Archfather won?t miss. It is to be transferred immediately to my personal command for special assignment. I?ll provide the crew.?

?At once, Lekhib,? Mormek said guardedly, unsure of the commander?s plan. ?Is there anything else on the agenda??
Rortan stared past his aide. ?No.?

[hr]


Stele took extra care in locking down his quarters that night. The door was double-locked and all documents sealed in every manner possible. After dimming the lights, he decided to take one final look around before retiring.

There was a knock on the door. Stele swiftly grabbed his blaster laying on the end table and gingerly approached the door. He flicked the safety to the off position and keyed for the door to open.

Liza Kiethal?s eyes widened at the sight of the weapon and directed at her. Unflinchingly, Stele grabbed her arm and pulled her inside before closing the door again.

She was dressed in her ordinary working uniform, her blond hair tied back into a practical bun. She appeared to be in a nervous state, although whether that was a result of the blaster or a preexisting condition, he couldn?t tell. He kept his blaster in a ready position, not pointed directly at the frazzled woman, but still ready for immediate use.

?Explain yourself,? he said quietly.

?I?m being watched, sir,? Keithal told him over her shallow breathing. ?Someone?s been in my quarters. They?re looking for something.?

Stele grimaced. ?Did they??

?No, sir, it?s safe.? There was a short interlude, neither party to the conversation elaborating further on the covert activities which were now seemingly in jeopardy. Stele frowned, both at the display he found irritating from an Imperial officer, as well as a reminder of the constant threats to his life.

?So you thought coming here would help?? he asked sardonically.

Her eyes shot up from their downward orientation. ?Sir, I-?

?Saw that you were under suspicion and therefore decided to lead them straight to the ringleader? Thought you could save your skin by offering them a bigger catch??

Keithal?s eyes narrowed. ?Sir,? she snapped. ?I have followed every direction you have given me, given you information you could never have obtained on your own. I think I deserve a little credit, even from you.?

So the girl h

 

I apoligize for the lengthy delay. It took me a while to come up with a version of this scene I liked. Writing Thrawn is so tedious.

---

The Imperial Fleet hovered above Elklu Minor. Star Destroyers, frigates, and light craft floated as if stationary in orbit above the green and grey sphere. Dozens of freighters, military and civilian, darted in between the larger warships and formed concentric circles around the lines and columns.

On the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer [i]Admonitor[/i], Captain Niriz glared at the quarter-size hologram before him. ?You let them through?? he asked reproachfully.

?Yes, sir,? the naval Captain in the shimmering blue hologram answered nervously. A fleshy, rotund man, he fiddled with his rank cylinders under Niriz?s gaze. ?I presumed that it would be best to turn over the situation to higher authority.?

?You had no business letting that ship past our picket line without a search,? Niriz snapped. ?It doesn?t matter who they claim to be.?

The picket commander blanched under the flag captain?s gaze. ?Five minutes, sir.? Niriz shut the projector off and suppressed an urge to swear. ?All ships, raise deflector shields,? he ordered to the men and women in the crew pits below.

?Any further orders, sir?? Niriz asked the figure seated in a commanding position behind him. From his command chair, Grand Admiral Thrawn betrayed no anxiety over the foul-up.

?The only one practical, Captain,? he said. ?We prepare to receive our guests.?

It was actually four minutes before the tranquility of space was disturbed by a realspace transition out beyond the fleet?s perimeter. The suspect vessel brushed past the freighters and small craft on its way to the larger warships in the center. It was an Ungarov cruiser of an older type that had been seen little in the present campaign. Its dark gray-black hull bore the scars of perhaps decades of service.

?Imperial ships, Imperial ships,? a high, almost panicked pitch rang out over the com, disturbed by the usual electronic interference encountered when conversing with foreign systems. ?This is former Ungarov warship [i]Begotten Sovereign[/i]. Do not open fire. We put ourselves under your protection.? Thrawn?s eyes assumed a curious gleam as the defecting warship made its way between a Nebulon-B2 Frigate and an [i]Assassin[/i]-class Corvette on its way towards the [i]Admonitor[/i].

?Curious how they can move ships around so fast,? Thrawn said quietly. He looked to his flag captain. ?Scan all civilian vessels for laser-burst transmissions,? he ordered.

?Sir?? Niriz frowned, before logging the order. Thrawn cut him off, then activated his command chair?s built-in intraship transmitter.

?Forward turbolaser batteries: target unknown contact and fire at will.? A second later, the first of dozens of green energy lances shot out toward the Ungarov cruiser. Niriz watched in horror as the ship exploded, taking the corvette to its side out with it. The massive explosion sent debris flying in all directions. The modified frigate threw up a smokescreen of atmosphere as its crew struggled to put internal fires under control.

?All interdiction vessels are to power up their gravity well projectors immediately,? Thrawn ordered next. He saw Niriz?s look of disease.

?Scan the debris field for traces of chemical explosive. That blast was too large to have been triggered by our fire alone.? He paused and his eyes glowed brighter. ?A more devious tactic than what we are used to from the Ungarov. I think our glorious Supreme Commander took our operations against his person seriously.? He let those words hang in the air and studied Niriz for a moment. ?Our intelligence indicates that the [i]Begotten Sovereign[/i] is assigned to an officer training squadron in the Ungarov core. Such a vessel is not going to go anywhere without authorization, not one with a crew comprised almost entirely of the Ungarov species.?

?Sir,? a call came up from the portside crew pit. ?We?re picking up sublight transmissions, tightbeam spread-spect

 

I loved the battle scene with Thrawn. Hope there will be more.

 

Good spot by Thrawn. If he hadn't seen that the SD coulda been toast.

Looking forward to the next update, Reagan

 

Okay, sapients. After a longhiatus I'm finally back on track. Life has been unavoidably 'eventful' recently so it's been pretty much impossible to work on this story much. Tonight is my High School graduation, so you can see how busy I've been.

Spike2002: Just the usual night-on-omniscient perception. Nothing to get all excited about.
Red_Serratia: Don't worry. There will be.

---

He had seen worse.

The small metallic dresser which had been issued to the room had been emptied of its contents and three tiny, square holes in the wall indicated the placement of acoustic sensors but it was a far cry from the usual display associated with the ISB. This was more than a warning.

?You?re certain they found nothing??

?Yes, sir,? Keithal said softly. ?All the documents are just as I left them.?

?So we?re safe for now,? Stele murmured. ?I wonder how long that will last.? Eyeing his accomplice?s unease he raised his voice as much as he dared. ?The Fleet will go on the offensive again soon. Don?t ask me how I know, that?s not important. With the Ungarov destroyed they won?t need me anymore. They?ll be able to take the gloves off.?
?Sir, you mean they?ll??

?I don?t know,? Stele cut her off. He swore. ?We need to get to the bottom of those files, figure who the hell he?s talking to.?

?They?ve increased security around the comm system,? Keithal said matter-of-factly. ?And with the encryption on the more suspicious logs it won?t matter how much we?re able to acquire.

?You can?t find a way past their codes?"

Keithal shook her head. ?I only have a little slicer training, sir. These codes are way out of my league. I don?t think they?re even Imperial."

Stele?s face darkened. ?What do you mean??

?The key size is wrong,? she said quickly. ?And the ciphertext uses additional symbols besides those used in official Imperial communications. ?

?Do you think they?re Ungarov?? Stele asked. If Thrawn was conspiring with them?

?No, I?ve seen their codes and they?re nothing special.?

?So if it?s not Imperial personnel or the Ungarov,? Stele mused aloud. ?Then he must have other accomplices we don?t know about yet.? Something flickered in the sensor operator?s eyes at the word [i]he[/i] but Stele ignored it.

?Keep a low profile and find out whatever you can. Getting those decryptions keys is not going to be easy.? Keithal opened her mouth to protest his progression of thought but he silenced her with a glare. ?I?d better get going before they figure out what I did to the cameras.? He cautiously left the small stateroom, leaving her alone.

Stele?s mind raced as he walked back to his own section of the ship. How could he get a hold of those keys? He had no idea where even to look for them. It was unlikely that Colsan would carry them on his person and even if he did, simply taking them off him would be suicidal. If the documents were too important to be protected by Imperial military encrypts, then they were presumably too important to be left in the hands of a minor ISB lackey.

With too many questions still lingering, he reached the group?s ready room. There, a cluster of his pilots waited anxiously. Ingram Staffal left the others and handed him a datapad.

?New orders, sir, just came in a few minutes ago.? Stele thanked him and studied the datapad?s contents.

?You gentleman should get yourself some sleep,? he said tersely. ?It looks like the next couple days are going to be rough.?

[hr]


?The failure was unfortunate, but not precisely unexpected.?

?It was an old ship, Lekhib,? Teeb?Mormek said in a soothing voice.

?I suppose next you?ll tell me that the loss of a valuable engineering team was no fault of mine and is nothing to feel regret about?? Admiral Lek?Rortan asked, clicking his mandibles in a show of amusement. ?Anything to cleanse the stain of failure from my overburdened mind??

?If you would excuse me, Lekhib,? the third officer in the room said. ?Shall we begin with our preparations for the defense of the inner syste

 

Stele made one last survey of the briefing room before activating the holographic display panel to his right and setting it to a map of the Ungarov Colonies. He stilled his mind as much as possible before beginning to speak.

?Our signals intelligence units have discovered that the enemy is in the process of mining the primary hyperspace routes into their Outer Colonies. Before you laugh,? he added, too late, for Carpus had already begun to snicker, ?these are not the light proximity devices you have encountered in the Known Regions. Intelligence believes that these are equipped with long-range ion cannons similar to our own Defender-class mines and possibly even possessing gravity well technology. As going around these mines would add dozens of light-years to the fleet?s line of advance, we have been tasked with taking them out.?

He zoomed in on a region of space on the frontier between the Imperial task groups and the outermost Ungarov-held systems. ?We will ambush their mine laying craft here. Command wants us to capture some of these mines for analysis, so Besh Flight will be equipped with Alpha-class gunboats.? Here his tone grew darker. ?Intelligence will attempt to coordinate our attack so that we will enter the target area before the Ungarov. However, if worse comes to worse, we will only have a few minutes to punch through whatever escort is present before the minelayer retreats or makes a jump to the next mining site. In any event, a flight of Escort Transports will follow us in and provide support.? He shut off the projector.

?Be on the flightline at 0700. As soon as we?re given the all-clear, we?ll be on our way.?

---

Six TIE Advanced fighters and six [i]Alpha[/i]-class Xg-1 Star Wings, more commonly referred to as Assault Gunboats by their pilots as well as others, milled about in the space sorounding the Mauler. In the cockpit of the lead TIE, Maarek Stele waited for the signal that would set him loose against the Ungarov.

His wait finally ended when his comm united crackled and the voice of the Star Destroyer?s starfighter coordinator came online.

?Aurek Lead, you are clear to jump. Transport Group Theta will be behind you momentarily.

?Copy, Mauler,? Stele acknowledged. He switched to the squadron frequency. ?Okay, Forty-Fifth, lock slave signals to me. We?re jumping out in five.? He set the hyperspace timer and readied himself. When the timer hit zero, the stars turned to starlines and the twelve-ship group accelerated to the unknown.

When the image of space around him turned to normal, Stele immediately maxed out his small craft?s throttle and made a sensor sweep of the area. It was an unnecessary gesture for dead ahead was a visual on three bulbous corvette-analogs. A quick sensor focus revealed a squadron of Ungarov fighters near the minelayers, moving into an attack formation.

?Aurek, I have visual on one-two, repeat one-two fighters. Engage at will. Besh, disable those minelayers before they escape.? Acknowledgments came in and Stele went to work. He gently lowered his angle of attack to position the enemy fighters in the center of his forward viewport. With Carpus behind and to his side, he rushed into action.

Picking one of the left-most fighters as his target, he activated the twin warhead launchers mounted on the sides of the ball cockpit and waited for a good tone. The targeting reticule turned red and he fired a pair of concussion missiles.

?Three, take the other one.?

?Already on it, Lead,? Carpus responded, firing his own missile pair. Stele performed a long snap roll to avoid a return missile lock and watched the streaks of his opponent?s destruction reach their target. The Ungarov pilot made a hard starboard turn at the last possible moment. The missiles stayed true and impacted behind the twin engines of the fighter, tearing off a good section of the alien ship and sending the rest on an out of control trajectory before its fuel supply exploded. Carpus? target was a little smarter, making a rapid corkscrew whiles spraying fire fr

 

Hmm... Good to see someone else writing some fic with Maarek Stele! I've been writing a storyline featuring him for the last 10 years or so, which is the "New Imperium". It starts a few years later than yours. Perhaps the two of them could tie in somehow, since I don't go into too much detail of Maarek's past up until that point.

The stories are available at my website http://www.newimperium.org. Maarek makes his appearance in "Awakenings" and then features in virtually every story after that. Interesting to see what variations there are in our take on the character. Keep up the writing!

 

Sauron: It is good to see someone else. I definately see Stele as someone who's had to grow up too fast. I'm not sure when he was born cannonically, if such a date has been set, but from The Stele Chronicles I wouldn't have said he was far into adulthood. He's seen more betrayal in his life than is healthy. The Empire is the only stability he has ever known in his life, so of course that's where his loyalty lies.

---

The junior officers? mess was, Liza Keithal decided, the most relaxing place on the ship. There were no objectives and no orders. Every man and woman simply did what they themselves needed to do. There was no ISB, no intricate conspiracies, and no Maarek Stele.

She couldn?t help but relive the moment she had first met the crazed pilot. Had he always been like that, so weary and guarded? What had happened to make fear for his life so? What does it take to make a man suspect everyone he meets as an accessory to treason?

Maybe she just hadn?t been tested enough. Maybe she just didn?t understand, or couldn?t understand, just how things were in the Imperial military. It was not a vocation she had expected for herself. At the time it seemed like the best way to get the skills she would need to make a life for herself back home on Bilbringi. For a while things looked like they were going to work out as planned. After basic training she had been commissioned as a Warrant Officer and served in a number of rewardingly uneventful posts in the Expansion Region. Then came Endor. The inopportune transfer and the presence of Colonel Stele had effectively ended any hope of a quiet career.

Motion caught the corner of her eye. She looked at the floor between the rows of tables and benches. A mouse droid. Mouse droids never came into the officer?s mess. There were few things less enjoyable than tripping over a droid while carrying a full plate of food. What was it doing here?

Her eyes followed it across the room until it turned into a service corridor. She quickly got up out of her seat, deposited her tray in one of the nearby waste receptacles, and followed the small droid.

It took her a few minutes to catch up with the artificial messenger. She looked around to see if any of the personnel in the corridor noticed anything peculiar about what she was doing. No one seemed to be paying her any mind. They all had more important things to do. Keithal continued following the droid as it wound its way through turns in the corridor.

She stopped suddenly. Up ahead, an Imperial officer in the signature white uniform tunic of the Imperial Security Bureau. Realizing that she could be seen, she quickly ducked into a small niche in the corridor wall housing a intraship communications node. She allowed herself as much vision over the edge of the alcove as she dared. The mouse droid stopped at the man?s feet. The officer knelt beside the droid and opened up its message hatch. He removed a datacard and rose again to his full height. Keithal froze. For a brief moment, his eyes met hers. She tried desperately to control her heavy breathing. She wanted to remove herself from the officer?s line of sight, but knew the sudden motion would attract attention. Finally, after what felt like hours, the officer turned and walked away. The mouse droid returned to its normal circuitous path.

So that was how the encrypted message logs were being passed on. Ingenious. But where was the key stored? Was that where he was headed? Deciding it was too risky to follow the ISB officer, she headed back to the mess.

On the way, a new thought occurred to her. She knew about the mouse droids. Colonel Stele did not. If she didn?t tell him about her discovery, and he wasn?t able to investigate it and obtain the decryption key, then he couldn?t advance his conspiracy theory. Not provoking the wrath of the ISB would be a nice turn of events. With that thought in mind and after a quick glance at her wristchrono, she headed to the bridge for her next shift.

[hr]


The senior conference room of the Imperial Star Destroyer Admonitor

 

?The approach seems simple enough, sir. The cruiser normally assigned to the system is undergoing a refit so the Escort Carrier will be able to operate without interference.?

?True,? Stele agreed with his executive officer. ?It?s the terrain around the target that worries me. With those mountains, the bombers will have to come in at high altitude with proton bombs rather than a stealthy horizon approach.?

The two men hunched over a collapsible table in the pilot?s ready room, which had been cleared for the purpose. Holoimages of the manufacturing plant on the Ungarov-held world of Schahetzoi and datacards containing defense analyses from Imperial Navy Intelligence coated the surface. Stele pointed to one of two anti-air batteries visible on a projection of the factory complex.

?Once the bombers and their escort are launched, the 45th will move in and destroy these defensive guns. I?ll have Sergeant Vodny zero out the lasers to a longer range. I don?t know what kind of electronic jamming the Ungarov will be able to throw at us so I want my pilots to be able to strike at ground targets the old fashioned way.?

Staffal nodded. ?Don?t worry, sir. I did a lot of ground attack with the 58th back in 25. Imperial pilots can still do it.?

Stele allowed himself a brief smile as he began to secure the classified documents. I remember when flying was a joy rather than just a duty. ?Get everyone into the simulators,? he ordered. ?Carpus can help you with the programming. Don?t make the target obvious but stay faithful to the parameters. We?ve only got a few hours to do this. I?ll meet you there after I?m done with the ground crew.? Staffal saluted and left to marshal the pilots who would be flying the upcoming sortie.

---

That evening found Stele in the cockpit of his fighter, waiting for the signal which would send him and his pilots on a collision course with whatever defenses the Ungarov could throw up around Schahetzoi. The attack would be timed to coincide with the evening mess and the beginning of the first night watch. With that consideration as well as the delicate rendezvous with the Escort Carrier [i]Rattler[/i], timing would be crucial.

The six TIE Advanced of Aurek Flight and the six additional starfighters which made up Besh Flight reported flight ready status. Stele looked over his instrument panel for any irregularities in his own onboard systems. Finding none, he returned his attention to the full hangar.

One of the repeater displays on the instrument panel changed to display the launch authorization. Stele opened a frequency to the rest of the two flight groups. ?Aurek, Besh, launch by wing pairs. As soon as you?re clear of the magnetic shield, head straight for the hyperspace entry point and activate your slave uplink.?

As soon as Stele had fully exited the hangar, he brought up the hyperspace point on his navicomputer and set a course at normal cruising speed. A quick visual and sensor sweep confirmed that the other eleven fighters were right behind him. For the remainder of the brief transit, he busied himself by diverting laser energy to his deflector shields. His weapons would have time to recharge before they were needed. His deflector shield might not have that same luxury.

The TIE?s systems confirmed that the hyperspace setup was good and Stele set the countdown timer. As the digital number reached zero, Stele thought of spies, codes, and the palpable uncertainty of others.

[hr]

The first hyperspace jump was short. Stele didn?t make out the exact time but it didn?t really matter. Time in hyperspace had little meaning. There was no appreciable way for the galaxy to make its mark on the traveler and the inertial force brought on by the deceleration from superluminal speed was as good a chronometer as any.

Upon transition to realspace, Stele maxed out his sensor range and split the use of his eyes between his sensor readout and the dark space ahead of him. Within seconds he had a sensor contact and soon the lumbering Imperial carrier appeared at the

 

Author's Note: I apologize for the atrocious delay. I'm getting ready to go off to College so things are pretty busy at my place. To compensate, this will be an extra-long post. I hope to update more frequenty from now on.

---

The starfighters of the Imperial strike force exited hyperspace at the edge of the system. The blue-green mosaic of the planet Schahetzoi lay placidly in the distance. Behind it and a few degrees to the side lay the system?s sun.

?Aurek Flight,? Stele announced. ?Passive sensors only from here on out. If we?re detected this early in the game it?s all over.? The TIEs loitered at the emergence zone until the Rattler reentered realspace behind them.

?[i]Rattler[/i], this is Aurek Lead. Coast is clear so far. Proceed to Holding Point One. We?ll escort you there then move on to the target.?

Copy, Aurek Lead,? the Escort Carrier?s com officer replied. The carrier and its escort increased speed and moved toward the target world. As the planet grew larger in Stele?s forward viewport, he continued scanning the space in front of him. EPR, infrared, nothing.

[i]We?re well within range of any orbital sensors. They should be scrambling fighters by now. How could they be so lax?[/i]

?Aurek Lead,? the carrier commed as the strike force reached the edge of the planet?s gravity well. ?We?ll hold here. Launching fighters now.? With chrono-worthy precision which could only be homed by years of training, a squadron of TIE Interceptors shot out of the carrier?s forward hangar bay. A second squadron entered space less than a minute later. As the swarm of Imperial fighters approached Stele?s unit, the leader of one of the squadrons opened a new com frequency.

?Aurek Lead, Direcat and Hellfire squadrons are lit and ready.?

?Copy, Direcat Lead,? Stele answered after identifying the speaker with his CMD. ?You?re with the bombers. As soon as they launch, your squadron is to escort them down to the target. We?ll go on ahead and suppress the defenders.
Hellfires,? he added, hailing that unit. ?Stay back and cover the [i]Rattler[/i].? Acknowledgments rolled in as Stele eased more power into his sublight engines and turned his attention to the planet before him.

?Aurek, Besh, you?re on me.? He assumed a heading which would take him on an intercept course to the a point near the equator of the planet. Using the target coordinates preprogrammed into his navicomputer, Stele guided the TIE Advanced flights into the atmosphere of Schahetzoi.

[hr]


Aspirant Nom?Zairei swore at his ancestors as he attempted to diagnose the long-range sensor array. Its inexplicable failure left a crushing gap in the planet?s defenses. The planetary Governor would have his head if it wasn?t rectified shortly.

?Run a tracer program through the fiber-optic network,? he ordered one of the nearby technicians. The humanoid, a member of some colonial species he couldn?t pronounce the name of, began quickly entering lines of code into the sensor station?s systems.

?Lekhib,? the subordinate said moments later. ?We have a breach in the main information conduit.?

?Isolate the signal loss,? Zairei ordered.

?Diagnostic programs are shutting down, Lekhib! I can?t locate the failure!?

The young officer turned sharply to a nearby console and gritted his mandibles. [i]Sabotage.[/i] A computer virus was shutting down the diagnostic systems needed to repair the damaged sensors array. [i]Whoever did this knew I would run a program to identify faults in the fiber-optic lines.[/i]

?Call a security team to the main-?

?Lekhib, new signals on the short range receiver!? Faced by the panicked cry from the technician, Zairei looked to one of the primary sensor readouts. Several strong blips indicated multiple non-Ungarov starships entering the atmosphere of the planet. It was at that moment that his composure left him. The young Ungarov, barely out of his adolescence and faced with the greatest crisis of his short life, climbed out of his command chair and stumbled into the adjoining corrido