"Admiral, we have 3 ships exiting hyperspace in sector 1-4," the sensors officer informed.

[Request identification and scan the area for any stragglers, bring the shields up just for safety,] growled the Wookiee commander, authoritatively. Since the terrorist attack several months prior, the Atrus had sat stationed in the Abrae system, as usual, but now with heightened security measures. Ph'rranix could tell everyone was becoming more and more antsy, desperate for some action, any action! Constant drills and routines wore the crew out and had become old long ago. The work and training they had gone through and completed, however, hadn't gone unnoticed. Stormz was proud of his ship and, more importantly, the Navy. They'd gone from rookies to veterans in record time, once again proving the greatness of the Vast Empire and its Naval personnel.

The sensors operator finally responded with a positive identification on the ships. It was another shipment of supplies, including the much needed bacta. Even still, the Admiral kept the shields up for good measure. No sense in taking a chance, he thought.

From his elegant chair, Admiral Kraznr watched as a squadron of TIEs flew past the command deck. As he peered on, the Wookiee was taken back to the times he was both a flight member and a squadron commander. A time when his life was much more simple.

A mans voice pulled Stormz out of his day dream and back to reality suddenly. "Admiral, you have a call waiting for you in your private chambers from Supreme Moff Kadann." A small nod was all Ph'rranix returned before pulling his oversized body out of the chair and leaving the command deck.

The large Wookiee barely noticed the onslaught of salutes he received while he meandered to his "home". The quarters hardly felt as if it were a home to him, however. The grey steel walls were bland and lifeless to the being. Everyday,  Ph'rranix waited ever more impatiently for his holoprojectors to he installed so he could finally finds peace and comfort upon entering his little dungeon.

The Naval Commander in Chief finally made his way into his quarters, strife over to the holonet transceiver,  and accepted the call.

Stormz took a short step back as the Supreme Moff's face came to life in a semi-eery blue-grey tone. Ph'rranix quickly and respectfully bowed before the Vast Empire's leader's image.

"Rise, Admiral, for we have much to discuss," Kadann said, his voice crisp and calm. "I need you to go on some diplomatic missions for me in various areas of the galaxy. "

[Certainly, sir. What shall you have me do?] The newly made Admiral inquired.

"We've recently discovered several nearby system that are either neutral or fading from our grasp slowly. I want you to make contact with the planetary leaders and regain their allegiance."

[As you wish, sir. are the coordinates prepared, or do you wish for me to ready them?]

"The coordinates have been configured and ready to he transferred to you directly. You are to take the Atrus. There will be no escort ships to accompany you,  however there is a task force standing at the ready in case you need them. Are you ready to begin the transfer?"

The NCC nodded affirmatively and took a step forward, removing his datapad from his pocket and plugging it into the holonet transceiver. A pair of beeps signaled the device was ready and began downloading. A short time later, the pad rang four more beeps out, informing the Wookiee that the transfer had completed.  Stormz removed the device, gave a quick salute to his commanding officer and closed the comm channel.

*****

Returning to his position on the bridge, Admiral Kraznr walked over to the Navigational officer currently on duty and instructed the young crewmember to plan a route to his first destination, Cesea,  then turned to the bridge officer,  instructing First Lieutenant Drexl to prepare the ship for departure within two standard hours. Drexl nodded and saluted before scurrying off to complete his new task. As Stormz made his way back to his command chair, a new sense of urgency and relief fell upon those on duty aboard the Atrus. It was quite clear the were happy to be leaving the Abrae system after months of being stationary. 

Outside the ship, in the vast emptiness of space, Ph'rranix watches as TIEs, along with ambassadorial shuttles, and other spacecraft returned to their base of operations, the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer Atrus.

As the shuttle carrying Admiral Kraznr settled on the ground, the Wookiee commander noticed the Cerean Council of Elders. One had a scowl on his face, choosing to cross his arms firmly rather than stand with his hands lighly clasped together as the others were.

Stormz rose and proceeded toward the hatch as it hissed opened, slowing lowering. As he walked down the ramp, the eyes of the Elders widened. None appeared to have expected anything other than a human on command of an Imperial military arm.

Wanting to show humility and keep with the Cerean tradition,  Ph'rranix bowed before the council, remaining silent. The council did likewise, completing the welcoming ritual,  however odd it was.

[Greetings, Council. I am Ph'rranix Kraznr, Rear Admiral and Naval Commander in Chief of the Vast Empire's Navy.
] Ph'rranix growled softly.

"And I am Me-Shi-Tara, President of the Council of Elders. What's your business?" Snapped the Cerean.

[My business, president, is simple. To work out an agreement between your people and the Vast Empire,] replied the Wookiee. Just remain calm and collected, they'll come around, he reminded himself. The NCC was known to have a terrible temper, and a short fuse to go along with it.

"We're not interested in your Empire, or anything you have to offer us. Be gone or my guards will escort you off our world," Me-shi rebuked.

A fire was lit inside the Wookiee, outraged by the aliens' attitude. Calm, just stay CALM, he reminded himeself. He wants you to get mad and do something so that everyone is on his side. The Wookiee's emotions were torn, fighting amongst themselves, trying to overpower the other.

Finally, Stormz let out a short exhale, allowing some of the rage to subside. [Very well, president, if you don't wish to hear my offerings the leave. I will address those less inclined to ignorance instead.]

Flaring his nostrils, the President opened his mouth to lash out at his assailant. "WH-," was all that managed to escape before he caught himself, all eyes on him. The Cereans' shoulders slumped in defeat, as he slightly lowered his head. "As you wish. Admiral," Tara finished before turning to leave the field. The lush, green grass parted as the President returned to his speeder.

[Now then, if you would kindly follow me, we'll get started on what I had in mind,] bellowed the Admiral.

The deck below Stormz shook slightly as another turbolaser blast slammed into the Atrus' forward shields. His shuttle had barely escaped the fiery wrath of a X-Wing squadron, being pulled to safety by one of the many tractor beams on the Super Star Destroyer. Now, he was almost to the command bridge and preparing himself to lead yet another battle. Let's hope, he thought, that it's another victory as well.

The last pair of doors opened with a menacing hiss as air decompressed and escaped. Crewmembers were working frantically while the many bridge officers ran around, relaying orders and vital information. One step in, however, and the command deck fell silent. The eyes of non-commissioned members and Officers alike became fixatef on the Admiral as he made his way to the command chair. Light talk resumed as the Wookiee sat pondering, watching the battle unfold in front of the ship.

"Two Nebulon-B Frigates, a DP-20, Four X-Wing Squadrons, and an Immobilizer-class Interdictor Cruiser, sir. That's the task force at hand," Commander Brakk informed. The fleet was more than an equal match for a standard Imperial Star Destroyer, byt the shield points of the Atrus dwarfed that of its current opposers put together. They did have something the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer lacked, however, speed.

[Speed will be their primary defense, Commander. I want our turbolasers focused on the Nebulon-B's, our Ion cannons are to work on the Interdictor, and unload the wing to make quick work of the X-wing's. Once they are gone, release the bombers for runs at the DP-20 first, if they have time afterword, focus on a single Nebulon Cruiser. Do not fail me in gettin the Interdictor, Commander.] Barked the Naval Commander in Chief. A stern look remained on his face , his decisive orders made it clear to Commander Darian Brakk on what was to be done.

A sharp nod, followed by an, "affirmative, Admiral," was the only repsonse he gave the Fleet Commander before returning to his duties, handing out orders as they became necessary.

While the crew worked, the Wookiee brought a 3d, tactical display of the battlefield up around him, showing key information, and real-time movement of all ships and fighters.

[What are our shields at?] Stormz questioned.

"All shields are at maximum capacity, Admiral, aside from the forward shields which are holding at 72%," the shield tech responded.

With his giant right paw, Stormz selected the Immobilizer-class Cruiser, bringing up a display of it's shield, hull, and power readouts. The NCC allowed a wry smirk to show as he watched the power and shields drop.

The ion cannon fire pummeled the cruiser relentlessly as it attempted to change course and head for safety. Seizing the last opprotunity, the Dmiral ordered all Turbolaser fire be directed at the Interdictor's engines.

Green streaks soon lit the all-but paralyzed vessel up, slamming into the ships only form of propulsion. The onslaught continued until the ship finally went dark, symbolizing the ion cannons task had been complete.

[Excellent, tractor it in. Prepare the boarding party,] Ph'rranix said, a small sense of relief hung in his growl.

With the loss of their most prized ship, the small fleet began to turn and run. The command bridge erupted in a roar of approval, while the Wookiee remained silent, but only momentarily. As the ships ran, Stormz requested a damage report and casualties be accounted for as soon as possible.

[The Rebel forces are like Tusken Raiders. When they come back, they always have bigger numbers,] he growled as he walked toward the exit. [If you need me commander, I'll be in my office.]

As the Immobilizer was drawn closer, escape pods shot from across the ship, attempting one last escape. The attempts were futile, however, as they were latched onto by the Star Destroyer's many other tractor beams and pulled in.

OOC:

0800 Galactic Standard Time : Seventeen Hours after the battle

The electronic systems for the Immobilizer 418 had been repaired. It was a surprisingly simple fix, and rather common in all actuality. A main control panel, allowing most other controls to be operational, had been fried by the ion cannon barrage. After that had been replaced, all systems, aside from the propulsion, had come online, displaying damage reports for the technicians to see. The most major of these was the main drive, which had been the primary focus of fire as a last ditch effort to capture the New Republic's most important vessel of the task force. The damage report showed it's ion drive operating at a dismal twelve percent, requiring a vast array of repairs. Long, tedious repairs at that.

Koko'ib, the Chief Technician aboard the Atrus, had just began working on running new coolant lines to the main ion drive when his comlink began buzzing.

"First Lieutenant Koko'ib here," the Twi'lek said.

"Lieutenant, I've found the source of the problem with the main drive. It appears that, when the exhaust chamber was struck, it was tweaked, causing the exhaust fumes to build up inside the duct and explode after the pressure became too large. What do you suggest we do?" Replied one of his technicians located in the command bridge. The Twi'lek took several moments to think, racking his brain for a solution.

"Just how big is the puncture?" Koko asked.

"Roughly two meters in diameter, sir."

That's a lot of pressure. I'd say that we'll have to replace the entire exhaust duct, he thought to himself, making sure that's the only answer before saying it aloud.

"Are the secondary propulsion units working at a satisfactory rate?"

"Yes, Lieutenant. Those haven't been damaged at all."

"What about the hyperdrive module?"

"One hundred percent efficiency, sir."

"Well, let me finish running this pipe for the coolant and we'll gimp it to Abrae for complete repair of the main drive."

"Yes, sir."

*****

"All crew be advised, the Atrus will be entering hyperspace in five minutes, please secure all loose items prepare for departure," said the mature female voice. With the recent attack, Stormz felt it was wise to return to Abrae to drop off their newly acquired vessel and get repairs completed as soon as possible. The Wookiee new that had the interdictor not been immobilized, the task force wouldn't have been able to reach the SSD in time to save the ship. 

As Ph'rranixx, or the overgrown furball as Atrasin generally called him, sat at his command chair, waiting for a damage assessment, he pondered how the rebellion knew his ship's whereabouts. I thought we'd gotten rid of the scum supplying information to them. Did they put a tracking beacon on the ship before he was....relieved of duty? He keyed a few simple notes into his datapad, outlining the battle as well as possible ways they discovered where he was before bringing a comlink up.

[Rear Admiral Kraznr here. Let me speak with the Chief Technician.]

"Chief Technician Koko'ib at your disposal, Admiral."

[Koko'ib, I want you to have the entire ship checked for a tracking beacon upon exitting hyperspace. This is of upmost importance, do not leave a decimeter unscathed.]

"Yes Admiral, I'll attend to the matter personally. Anything else, sir?"

[That will be all for now,] Ph'rranix growled as he closed the comm channel.

"Please be advised, we will be entering hyperspace breifly," the same woman informed. A moment later the ship shuttered slightly, entering hyperspace.

The Rear Admiral stayed seated briefly, then rose from the command chair and went off for some food, however bland it tasted.

Back in the NCC's quarters, Stormz sat staring at his most recent gift. He was in awe at the way the leaves changed when he moved closer, or turned a UV light on. He sat back in his chair slightly, reminiscing of the old days. A chuckle escaped his mouth as the Wookiee thought back to when he was a starfighter pilot. A moment later, a holocall came through, pulling him out of his daydream once again. I've rreally got to stop with the daydrreaming, he thought, walking toward the projector.

The Wookiee stepped infront of the holo and accepted the call, bringing his Bridge Officer's face to light.

[Ah, Lieutenant Drrexl,] he growled, [what is it you need?] The man stood at firm attention while the Admiral spoke, not wavering a bit.

"Admiral, I've just received word that a member has disembarked from the Atrus aboard a stolen vessel." The Lieutenant responded, a slight haste in his voice. Drexl was never one for bad news and it irked him to inform the Commander in Chief of the situation. As the Bridge Officer stood in silence, he watched Stormz' eyes slowly fill with aggression.

[Who is this crrewmemberr you'rre speaking of?]

"We-we're unsure at this moment in time, however, if you'd be willing to join me on the command bridge, I'm sure we'll have the information ready."

[Did you successfully rretrrieve the member with a trractorr beam?] His tone lowering by the second.

"No s-sir, they entered hyperspace almost immediately upon d-departure."

Ph'rranix gave a short nod and closed the channel, wasting no time to get to the command deck. As he past the plant on his way out, he grazed a leaf, feeling a small sense of relief with it's change of color.

*****

The command bridge bustled with activity as Rear Admiral Stormz made his way in. First Lietenant Drexl took a moment to hand Ph'rranix a datapad, filled with all the information they'd discovered.

OOC:

Data file currently being compiled.

/Start current data

Name : Luron Berkin
Rank : Petty Officer 2nd Class
Aliases : None
Affiliations : Vast Empire Navy, New Republic Navy

Criminal Acts Committed :

- Espionage : Working undercover with the New Republic in order to gain a command position.
- Treason : Multiple counts of messages sent to New Republic Officers revealing targets and locations of specific ships, including the Atrus.

/End current data

The Bridge Officer watched his commander as he read the datapad, the Wookiee's eyes telling every last detail of his thoughts. Stormz knew there was no way of tracking her down yet, but he had officers of his own, and he would find her, bring her back to the Atrus, and make an example of her.

"Sir? Sir?" Drexl asked.

[What?!] The Wookiee snarled.

Taking a step back, Drexl paused for a moment, catching his breath. "It appears she's stolen your Lambda-class Shuttle."

[Good, I hate that turrd,] He roared, [I'm going to my quarrterrs to deterrmine ourr next move. If it's not ourr leaderr, then do not botherr me.]

"I unders-stand A-Admiral," he stuttered back.

The commander turned slowly, and left the bridge. His quarters wasn't far. The turbolift ride was longer than the walk to and from his quarters, however, it was ample time for the sentient to clear his head and just be for a little bit. Since he'd taken the NCC position, he'd known nothing but stress and conflict. Both in the Navy and with the New Republic. Atleast with the New RRepublic, I know who my enemies arre, he reminded himself silently.

*****



A holoprojecter, emulating various wildlife found on Stormz' home planet cycled through slowly as the Wookiee sat at his desk, pondering what his next move should be. On one hand, he felt going after the traitor would be best. The other half of him told him to continue on with his mission from the Supreme Moff. How would I look if I gave up my mission and went afterr this trraitorr? He ask himself. Never one to leave a mission on hold, Ph'rranix made up his mind and pulled his navichart out, looking for the next system in his mission. I've got to hit Lanteeb, Corrbett Clusterr, and Bastooine sometime, he told himself mapping the route with his paw as he thought, so we'll go to those firrst, followed by Vassek, Virrgillia, and Thakwaa. All in that orrderr.

A small grin began to take over his face as he sat back, and pulled his comlink out. He watched as the traitor's plants changed colors, depending on the warmth they retrieved from their surroundings.

"First Lieutenant Drexl," the Bridge Officer said. His voice a bit static and dull.

[Lieutenant, Admirral Krraznrr here. Prreparre the ship forr deparrturre, we'rre to leave in fifteen hourrs. Have the Navigations Officerr plan a rroute to the following systems, in this orrderr: Corrbett Clusterr, Bantooine, Lanteeb, Vassek, Virrgillia, and Thakwaa. Do you have that?] The Wookiee growled.

"Yes, Admiral, as you comman-," the simple affirmative was cut short by Ph'rranix closing the channel prematurely. Well, with that problem out of the way, let's hit the sack.  He needed a good rest, something long overdue for the Wook. Pulling his overgrown carpet of a body out of his rather uncomfortable chair, Stormz made his way to his bed.