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

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by reagan64, Oct 14, 2006.

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  1. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    Sorry for the long wait, everyone. It has been an extraordinarily busy summer. I have a lot of things to do and have a little bit of writer's block. Here is what I have ready for now.



    A pair of TIE Vanguard reconnaissance craft sprinted away from the Imperial Star Destroyer [i]Inexorable[/i]. The lead ship, callsign ?Krill One,? quickly outpaced its wingman as it made its way around the planet. Krill Two fell back to serve as a relay to the capital ships waiting to hear word of any Ungarov reinforcements.

    ?Krill Two, Krill One, ESM is clean,? the lead reconnaissance fighter reported. ?I?m beginning my scan with active sensors.?

    ?Copy, Krill One, awaiting transmission.?

    The pilot of the lead Vanguard executed a series of maneuvers to ensure that his ground track would pass over a point directly opposite that of the main Imperial force battling to clear the space above Schahetzoi.

    Multiple contacts appeared on the main sensor display. The pilot concentrated the beam to get a more precise look. The next ninety seconds were critical as the TIE rounded the planet. The sensor contacts became more prominent and certain just as they appeared as visual markers in the background of orbit.

    The pilot got on the comm to the relay as soon as he identified the targets. ?Krill Two, I have visual on four, repeat, four Ungarov cruisers on the far side of the planet. Transmitting sensor data now.?

    ?Copy, Krill One. Relaying your data. Better get out of their before they send out fighters, eh??

    The TIE Vanguard turned around and fled the scene. The Ungarov Cruisers could not hope to match the single ship?s prodigious acceleration. They launched starfighters but by then the Imperial vessel had disappeared behind the curvature of the planet.

    The Ungarov aerospace defense folded quickly. The Empire had the twin advantage of training and equipment, allowing its single ships to sweep the opposition fighters out of orbital space. That region became increasingly congested with debris amid the final acts of the planetary defense force.

    Stele scored his sixth and final kill of that engagement with two short bursts into the rear section of an Ungarov fighter which resulted in the detonation of both engines in rapid succession. Stele?s eyes could barely make out the delay despite the quick reflexes required by his vocation. He swerved away to avoid the bulk of the shrapnel created by his kill.

    Two Ungarov fighters survived after Stele?s encounter. They attempted to bug out into the planet?s atmosphere. One was caught by intersecting fire and exploded. The second lasted another twenty seconds, succumbing to the second of two missile pairs from one of the TIE Advanced of Besh Flight. Two new obstacles to navigation began their descent into the atmosphere of Schahetzoi.

    ?Aurek Lead,? the [i]Bloodfin[/i] entered his communications headset once more. ?Be advised, enemy cruisers are en route. Stay alert and be ready for anything.?

    Stele gave the capital ship?s communications officer a firm word of acknowledgment then switched to the main frequency used by the 45th Special Operations Group. ?Aurek, Besh, it looks like the party is just warming up. Reform on flight leaders and maintain full combat alert.? Acknowledgments began to come in almost immediately.

    The wait for the Ungarov ships to approach felt like an extraordinarily long run but Stele knew by both long experience and frequent consultation with his ship?s chronometer that the elapsed time was mere minutes. When the enemy craft finally lumbered into view, the Imperial assault force was ready.

    By this time the flagship as well as the [i]Victory[/i]-class Star Destroyers were in position. They began firing ranging shots shortly after the ships of the forward picket force. The Ungarov Cruisers returned the favor. Stele quickly accelerated out of the line of fire as the space between the two battle squadrons filled up with concentrated beams of light.

    ?Aurek Lead, this is Besh Lead,? Staffal?s voice rang out inside Stele?s ears. ?
     
  2. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    Lek?Rortan gave the bridge of the Lek?Diligence a thoughtful look-over and did his best to repress an unprofessional snarl. The Imperial forces had his squadron effectively trapped between the planet and the breadth of their firepower. His tactical options were extremely limited. He had only half of the fourteen capital ships he had started the day with. Those that remained, including the flagship, all showed signs of wear form the hard struggle. It meant that time was not a commodity Rortan had much of or could exploit in any way. It looked like his only choice was to slog his way through the enemy line. That tactic guaranteed high casualties if not the total destruction of his force. But what other options were left on the table?

    ?All remaining fighters are to make a fighting withdraw to their home ships if able,? he ordered. ?If that task proves impossible, they are to escape to hyperspace on course to any Ungarov world.? He briefly consulted the master tactical display before making further pronouncements. ?As soon as all light units are accounted for, the squadron will make attack the center of the enemy line and make a run for deep space.? Rortan trusted his staff to carry out his orders. With great effort, he had finally purged the incompetent and the ineffective from his entourage. If his illustrious ancestors willed it, any failure would fall on shoulders far from his own.

    He kept his capital ships together as they moved forward to run the enemy gauntlet. Separated, he knew they would be picked apart by Imperial guns. Together, they could rely on the protection of overlapping shields and complementing fire. He understood that some shots would be blocked by the presence of friendly vessels but the goal of the sortie was survival, not the destruction of enemy forces.

    The strain on the Lek Diligence?s deflector shields intensified as the range to the enemy decreased. Rortan felt his gut begin to churn slowly. He had faced death before-many times in fact. The odds were a little longer than usual this time. The Supremacy no longer possessed the resources to keep him as well equipped or provisioned as was accustomed. Those deficiencies made the situation terrifying rather than merely disheartening. For a moment, Rortan heard the soft sound of a mandible grinding against another. He stayed that action. It was imperative that he maintain his composure in front of his officers and crewers. This attack asked everything of them. Rortan could have simply ordered the ships abandoned and left himself and the ships? complement to the enemy?s mercy. Despite his fear, the thought of such an action sickened him. The Empire had ravaged his home and was in the process of destroying which had given him so much. He would not give it?s commander satisfaction.

    Bombast would not see them through. Rortan knew very well that it would be imperative to even the odds, even if only by a few light ships. ?Captain Kaynen,? he intoned.?

    ?Lekhib?? The flag captain appeared at Rortan?s side.

    ?Clear the hangar bays of all starfighters,? he ordered. ?Put them into deep storage, maintenance spaces. Jettison them if you have to.?

    Kaynen stiffened beyond his usual and admirable on-duty posture. ?May I ask your intention, Lekhib??

    Normally Rortan welcomed his flag captain?s questioning. It kept both of them on edge and prevented complacency. However, today his impatience won out.

    ?I?m getting to that,? he snapped. ?I want the thruster mines placed in the hangar bays and made ready for remote activation. The contact mines can go in the ejectors. These orders are to be relayed to all ships, immediately.? Orl?Kaynen gave his superior a quick nod of his head and, sensing his dismissal, left to relay the orders to the ship?s communications officer.

    Rortan?s plan was one of desperation and the disregard for one?s life which often sprang out of it. It was not the most elaborate or enlightened plan to be implemented by an Ungarov officer, even by the pitiful standards of the last few centuries. Lek?Quia wou
     
  3. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    The penultimate Ungarov Cruiser shuddered after the impact of a large volley of proton torpedoes from TIE Bombers flying out of the Imperial Star Destroyer Inexorable. Deflector shields began to fail in sequence and small fires dotted the warship?s centerline. The Inexorable moved closer to the damaged cruiser and opened up the with the full power of her guns. Turbolaser shots burned through the Ungarov ship?s hull and made slag of decks beneath. About sixty meters behind the bridge, a series of bulkheads began to weaken. Deferred maintenance, caused first by corruption and then by the onset of war, was finally rearing its ugly head. The weakened point in the ship?s structure cemented its grip with the cascading failure of other vital structural systems. Within ninety seconds, the longitudinal beams holding the ship together began to break apart.

    As the doomed ship broke up, four TIE Advanced reentered the scene of the battle following a visit to the Mauler for refueling and rearming. Seated in the cockpit of the lead fighter, Maarek Stele activated his targeting computer.

    ?Okay, just one more Ungarov cruiser and Schahetzoi is ours,? he commed. ?Wait for good tone and fire at will.?

    There were only a few enemy fighters left and the rest of the 45th swept them aside easily. Confident in the protection offered by the others, Stele diverted energy from his deflector shields and weapon systems in order to squeeze more acceleration out of his fighter. The pair of space bombs he carried were low-velocity weapons making a high-velocity attack essential. He waited until the last possible moment before releasing his ordinance. Carpus had pulled out of his run a heartbeat earlier. Their bombs raced ahead of those dropped by the other two fighters at longer range. The first four bombs struck amidships and sent shockwaves through the cruiser?s deflector shields. The rest of the salvo impacted the target fourteen seconds later. The vessel was ripped apart by the oversized warheads of the Imperial projectiles. Stele did not see the destruction of the enemy ship himself; he was busy finishing off one of the few remaining members of the Ungarov fighter screen. The disappearance of the cruiser from his sensor display was enough for him.

    With the planet?s orbits cleared, landing craft began to convey Imperial troops to its surface. Resistance folded swiftly. Many Ungarov units, demoralized by the news of past defeats, refused orders to fight the invaders. Some even the took the step of imprisoning their officers. Only a few isolated pockets of resistance kept Imperial forces occupied for more than a few hours. Casualties were low; with complete air supremacy the Imperial forces smashed through all attempts to hold the Stormtroopers and Army troopers back. Full planetary control was achieved in less than two days.






    It was nice to be back on Ungar Prime. The reasons for his return were regrettable and the cause of his continued landbound state detestable. The [i]Lek Diligence[/i] along with the other ships which had been under his command over Gherding were under repair and weeks away from their return to service. Rortan figured that he would not have those weeks before the Empire struck at his homeworld. Still, it was nice to able to walk the halls of the Ungarov High Palace once more.

    The Grand Archfather had given him a major dressing down upon his return. Rortan conceded that it was his right. A commander repeatedly defeated should not expect praise from his sovereign. His Majesty had seemed more withdrawn than normal. Perhaps the reverses suffered by his realm had finally penetrated the thick carapace that was his mind? Or was this merely a long-term symptom of his?mishap. Whatever the case, none of the misfortunes which Rortan had been sure he would suffer were handed down from the Grand Archfather?s throne.

    Rortan looked around the spacious conference room hidden two levels beneath the surface of the planet. Orl?Kaynen and Teeb?Mormek were there, along with Admiral D
     
  4. imperial_Warlord5

    imperial_Warlord5 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2005
    the supremacy on its last legs and i am looking forward to seeing what thrawns got planed for the empire most loyal tie pilot =D=
     
  5. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    imperial_warlord5: You'll see.

    Well everyone, I believe this will be the penultimate chapter. After today, the only thing left is for the Empire to take Ungar Prime.




    ?The time has come to strike at the enemy?s heart,? Thrawn pronounced. ?The Ungarov cannot stop us on any single front , but they can still wear us down over several engagements.?

    The Grand Admiral?s chamber was darkened to allow the unhindered display of holographic Ungarov art. The translucent stelas served as beacons to illuminate the room for the Imperial commander as well as that of Commodore Parck who stood nearby.

    ?I presume you have studied the casualty reports, Commodore?? Thrawn asked.

    ?Yes, sir,? the other officer reported. The Schahetzoi operation had cost the Empire a [i]Bayonet[/i]-class Cruiser and two dozen fighters destroyed as well as a heavily damaged [i]Strike[/i]-class Cruiser. The attack on the planet Munter had resulted in the loss of a [i]Bayonet[/i]-class Cruiser and significant damage to two other warships. A larger than expected Ungarov fighter presence inflicted heavy losses on the TIE squadrons allocated to that operation. Daulioe had not claimed any Imperial capital ships but there had been heavy damage all around. And Gherding, the main objective of the offensive? It had naturally been the hardest to take. A [i]Victory[/i]-class Star Destroyer had been lost, along with a [i]Patriarch[/i]-class Cruiser and six lighter capital ships.

    ?The Churhan operation will have to be cancelled,? Thrawn said in a dark tone. ?There are other threats in the Unknown Regions, ones against which the Ungarov Supremacy pales in comparison. The Empire cannot afford to lose any more ships than absolutely necessary if it is to hold this region of space. Securing the Supremacy?s last major source of farium would hinder their construction of fortifications on Ungar Prime but it is not vital to our efforts.?

    The Grand Admiral turned to his lieutenant. ?Special Operations units are to do everything in their power to disrupt the remaining Ungarov supply lines near Ungar Prime.?

    ?Yes, sir,? Parck said automatically. Thrawn dismissed him.

    Twelve days. That was how long the Ungarov Supremacy had to live. Centuries of history and tradition would come to an end. [i]No, not ending,[/i] Thrawn decided after some contemplation. [i]Beginning anew[/i].

    [hr]



    Stele rolled into position behind the Ungarov single ship and opened fire. Five double shots tore through the enemy fighter?s deflector shield system. Its pilot sideslipped to the left and reduced velocity in order to slide behind the Imperial craft. Stele wasn?t about to let that happen. His hands moved quickly to reduce throttle and divert more energy to his lasers. Both these actions worked to keep the TIE Advanced from overshooting the target. Stele met the enemy?s maneuver and flicked the selector switch to single fire. He fired three times. The Ungarov fighter disintegrated. The Imperial ace pulled up on the control stick of his fighter to exit the scene of his latest kill. He executed a medium-radius starboard turn as he ?climbed? until the scene of the Imperial convoy raid was fully visible through his forward viewport.

    The 45th Special Operations Group had jumped the convoy ten minutes earlier. Stele himself led an eight-ship flight against the Ungarov fighter escort while Staffal?s Xg-1 Star Wings hit the freighters. So far the operation was going extremely well. Two of the enemy freighters had been destroyed along with almost two-thirds of their fighters. Besh Two had sustained damage to one engine during a run on one of the freighters and Stele had ordered him to make the jump to hyperspace but there had been no Imperial casualties per se.

    Stele locked on to another Ungarov fighter trying to break into the assault formation. He fired a pair of advanced concussion missiles. The seeker heads of the guided munitions immediately began tracking. As that target died, Stele dove past one of the surviving freighters to engage another.
     
  6. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    Author's Note: Well, it looks like this fic has run away from me again. There will be at least one more update after this one. The prose always ends up longer than I think it will.




    Three [i]Victory[/i]-class Star Destroyers exited hyperspace in succession, forming an echelon formation perpendicular to the main group. The Star Destroyers slowed their advance in order to slip in to the van of the great formation which was assembling for the final battle in the war against the Ungarov Supremacy. A squadron of TIE Interceptors approached the capital ships at flank speed. The nimble fighters swept around the hulking vessels of war to provide security against any Ungarov reconnaissance craft which may have followed the reinforcement group.

    ?Looks like [i]Amedda[/i], [i]Blackguard[/i], and [i]Strikefast[/i],? a petty officer reported as he examined his sensor console in the portside crew pit. ?Their security codes check out.?

    ?That should be the last of our reinforcements,? his supervisor said. ?Enter their arrival into the log. I will inform Captain Niriz.?

    The Imperial armada was complete. Every warship detailed for the Ungar Prime operation was in position and operating at full readiness. The only detail required now to unleash the full wrath of the Imperial Starfleet on the remnants of the Ungarov Supremacy was authorization from the highest authority within the sector-Grand Admiral Thrawn.

    The Imperial commander sat in his command chair and surveyed the mass of men and machines. He was silent, content for now to observe and contemplate the situation rather than attempt to influence it with his commands. This reflective period ended when the Grand Admiral used the communications ability of his chair to open a link to the [i]Admonitor[/i]?s starfighter coordinator.

    ?Recall the sentry fighters,? Thrawn ordered. The subordinate officer acknowledged. Shortly afterward, the TIE/ln starfighters, TIE Interceptors, and LCS Mark Nines providing perimeter security for the task force began to withdraw back toward their base ships. Almost ten standard minutes later, the last TIE/ln drifted into the hangar bay of a [i]Strike[/i]-class cruiser.

    ?Captain, is my flagship ready?? The Imperial commander queried. At his side, Captain Niriz stiffened to give the formal reply.

    ?The Admonitor is fully at your command, sir.?

    Thrawn gave the flag captain a curt nod. ?Very good, Captain. Instruct Navigation to set course for Ungar Prime. I want the fleet underway in exactly ten minutes. Niriz acknowledged the orders and relayed them to the appropriate officers. Ten minutes and eight seconds later, the Imperial task force entered hyperspace.


    [hr]


    The Ungarov already had a thin picket line of starfighters stretched across high orbit when the first Imperial warships exited the alternate dimension. The alien pilots had only seconds to react before a wave of turbolaser and ion cannon fire erupted from the marauders. Three were destroyed instantly. A fourth fell victim to a quartet of ion bolts. It remained on its last controlled heading, retaining its speed and momentum but finding itself utterly powerless to make any adjustments. An Imperial tractor beam snatched the wayward single ship and pulled it in.

    A line of six [i]Victory[/i]-class Star Destroyers and two [i]Patriarch[/i]-class Cruisers now occupied the position previously defended by the Ungarov picket. Those enemy fighters which had survived the initial skirmish began to fall back toward the planet. Meanwhile, the first wave of attackers was reinforced by a dozen smaller capital ships coming out of hyperspace to their starboard side. This squadron, a mixture of [i]Strike[/i]-class and [i]Bayonet[/i]-class Cruisers, began to spread out and move ahead of their larger cousins. With that maneuver, the Empire put its own picket forces into play.

    Finally, the Imperial Star Destroyer [i]Admonitor[/i] made its appearance. The great ship was escorted by two Lancer Frigates and an [i]Assassin[/i]-class Corvette. These vessels assumed forma
     
  7. imperial_Warlord5

    imperial_Warlord5 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2005
    looking forward to see how thrawn turns the trap in his favor [face_peace]
    just wondering what you going to do when this epic fics finished?
     
  8. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    I'm going to go ahead and answer this now since I don't know exactly when the final segment(s) will be finished. I'm really not sure what I'll do. I could go on and write a sequel since Stele's journey is not complete and there are some...subplots which I didn't get to fully explore. I have a story roughly outlined about a Thyferran man who deserts from the New Republic start a private military company. Other than that, I may take a break from Star Wars fanfiction for a while. I've started an original military science fiction story and there's that one Halo fic that I have left dormant for almost a year...who can tell what I'll do next.


     
  9. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    This is the penultimate post. Next time, I will wrap up TIE Fighter: Unknown Regions.





    ?Lekhib, [i]Lek Zaleba Station[/i] is under heavy torpedo attack,? a junior officer sitting at a nearby console reported, his voice display signs of extreme unease with the situation.

    ?Show me,? Lek?Rortan ordered. ?Increase magnification on the main display.? The view given by the main tactical display shifted to focus on the beleaguered space station. At least two dozen distinct sensor contacts could be seen moving swiftly towards it. Whether they were proton torpedoes or any of that weapon?s more destructive counterparts, the [i]Lek?Zaleba[/i] station was in trouble.

    A display close to Rortan changed its pattern to indicate the declining shield strength and structural integrity of the station. The important installation was heavily damaged and crippled in many sections, but it did not appear to be out of the fight yet. That recompense did not detract from the anger he felt at its reduction.

    ?What is Dom?Magj doing up there?? he snarled. ?Get another squadron of fighters into that sector.? His staff rushed to carry out the order.

    Rortan then turned to the officer manning the war room?s communications suite. ?Is there any word from Protoadmiral Bek??

    ?No, Lekhib.?

    Rortan grimaced. Protoadmiral Kam?Bek?s squadron was the lynchpin of his strategy. If he did not arrive soon, the Imperial forces would break through the existing line and then be in range to bombard the ground-space defenses.

    ?The ion cannons and hypervelocity gun, what is their status?? Rortan asked next.

    ?All systems are functioning normally,? the officer manning a console with a direct line to the heavy emplacements answered. ?The enemy fleet should be in range within ten local minutes.?

    Rortan digested that information thoughtfully. There were still enough Ungarov ships which remained operational to hold the Imperial force in place while the heavy artillery did its work. If Admiral Dom?Magj could hold his own and the [i]Lek?Zaleba[/i] survive for just a little longer?

    It was not to be. Once again, dreams of victory dissolved before his eyes. The tactical officer said something about incoming projectiles. A moment later, the sensor return of the [i]Lek?Zaleba Station[/i] began to break apart into multiple, unidentifiable signals.

    The Empire had broken through. If Bek showed up soon, the day would still be salvageable. If not, then Lek?Rortan was watching the very end of the Ungarov Supremacy.


    [hr]


    ?Sir, we?ve lost the [i]Blackguard[/i].?

    ?Starboard batteries, concentrate fire on that cruiser at three-one-one. [i]Mauler[/i], move in to cover the [i]Tribune[/i].? As the officers and men of the Imperial Star Destroyer [i]Admonitor[/i] moved to carry out those orders, Grand Admiral Thrawn turned to his flag captain. ?We will see their planetside guns soon, Captain,? he remarked.

    ?Shall I slow the fleet?s advance, sir?? Captain Niriz asked from his station.

    ?That will not be necessary,? Thrawn said firmly. ?Major Colsan has arranged a solution to that particular obstacle.?

    ?Sir!? a cry came from the port-side crew pit. ?Enemy forces are exiting hyperspace bearing two-four-zero by six.?

    Four [i]Lek[/i]-class Battleships and a pair of smaller cruisers emerged from the alternate dimension. These warships assumed a heading which would take them directly into the heart of the greatly weakened Imperial formation. A pair of glowing red eyes traced their route across an Imperial sensor display.

    ?[i]Hammerhead[/i] is to move into to engage the head of the enemy formation,? Thrawn ordered swiftly. ?[i]Vindictive[/i] and [i]Bompreil[/i] will hit the center.?

    ?That formation is larger than Intelligence had anticipated, sir,? Niriz warned from the fleet commander?s side. ?If Parck?s squadron doesn?t get here soon we will be forced to withdraw.?

    ?He will, Captain,? Thrawn assured him. The Chiss officer eyed the distant Ungarov squadron thoughtfully for several seconds. ?It would appea
     
  10. reagan64

    reagan64 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 26, 2006
    Well, it's been three years and finally TIE Fighter: Unknown Regions is finished. It's been a busy couple of months for me which is why the finale is so delayed. I apologize and here it is now.



    In orbit, the battle had turned into a rout. One by one every Ungarov ship met its end at the hands of Imperial gunners. As hope for victory disappeared entirely, the Ungarov began to fight for their homeworld with a fanaticism not usually characteristic of their race. A [i]Patriarch[/i]-class Cruiser rammed the [i]Victory[/i]-class Star Destroyer [i]Amedda[/i], destroying both ships. A [i]Lek[/i]-class Battleship attempted to replicate the maneuver but Captain Fannin of the [i]Mauler[/i] reacted quickly. A large salvo of assault concussion missiles knocked out the large capital ship?s maneuvering capability. In desperation, the Ungarov captain triggered his ship?s self-destruct mechanism. The blast crippled a nearby Strike Cruiser and sent tonnes of debris toward the Mauler as well. A few Ungarov starfighters were still operational and fighting but the battle for the orbit of Ungar Prime was effectively over.


    [hr]


    The war room shook from another hit on the palace complex. Lek?Rortan gave the ceiling a nervous glance. The Empire may have been trying to take the place more or less intact, but he would not have put it past them to put a deep penetration bomb into every bunker they about.

    The room was deserted save for Rortan now. He had instructed the other inhabitants to try and make their escape. With the battle upstairs in space all but over, no one was doing much good trying to direct it.

    Another artificial groundquake loosened one of the ceiling tiles. It fell as far as it could, coming to rest on a row of sensor consoles. Rortan decided it was time to get out. He made for the doorway which would take him to a long subterranean corridor. With luck, he would be able to make it to the surface before the Empire?s soldiers could find him.

    A squad of the Household Guard made its way toward Rortan?s position. It?s leader waved his subordinates forward then made his way toward Rortan. The ceremonial vibrosword indicated that he was an officer. Rortan soon recognized him as Lek?Bantaan, a distant kinsmen from a cadet branch of the Lek house.

    ?Lekhib, you must leave now,? Bantaan warned. ?Imperial troops have entered the first subterranean deck and will break through our pickets at any moment.?

    ?And what about yourself?? Rortan asked in a dangerous tone.

    ?The Household Guard will fight to the last,? Bantaan said simply.

    ?Don?t be a fool,? the Supreme Commander of the Royal Ungarov Navy snapped. ?You can?t hope to stop them. Get out while you still can.? What the two officers would do next, Rortan did not know.

    Bantaan shook his head. ?The Guard does not run from battle,? he paused, ?nor does it surrender.? With that said, he ran off to rejoin his unit.

    [i]You?re right[/i], Rortan thought sourly. [i]It dies[/i].

    He started moving down the corridor in the opposite direction. Behind him, he could faintly hear blaster shots. Otherwise, not a single soul disturbed him as he made his flight. Rortan surprised himself in the fortitude he was displaying in the face of certain death. There was nowhere to run from here. He supposed that he had been resigned to defeat on a subconscious level for some time. Real chances of victory over the Empire were a long time gone and his number had nearly come up on many occasions. That he would be most likely taken by death now was a perception he had become jaded too.

    [i]Is my present existence really so intolerable that I welcome the alternative?[/i]

    A bend in the corridor approached. Rortan stopped suddenly when heard the pounding of multiple pairs of feet on the floor. He pulled out his sidearm, ready to engage whomever it may be. If he was to fall here, so be it. He would take one of the unholy interlopers down with him.
    Seven Imperial stormtroopers rounded the bend. Rortan remembered from an intelligence briefing that an I
     
  11. imperial_Warlord5

    imperial_Warlord5 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2005
    loved this fic from start to finish if you do anymore starwars fics send me a pm[face_peace]
     
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