(Foreword: Just a note, that this story is a little "out of date" I've been writing this for some time, while i was AWOl and my ranks are a little off. The terminology in the story is not dead accurate, and i know you guys'll find flaws ect, but fair go, have a read please, if u have time (46 pages) and tell me what you think. The character thrawn was s'posed to be Sidious, which is my callsign. Um, and also, most of the characters values and sttitudes in the story are not derived from any personnal thoughts i have about any of you. Hope you enjoy reading it, and please tell me what you think, so i'll know weather to stop writing these insane storys. (Bear was s'posed to post this story on some site, but he's very busy so i thought i'd post it here.) A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away… STAR WARS Slave Race Nineteen years have passed since the destruction Of the second Death Star, and the Vast Empire continue the fight for to free the galaxy from the Dark Alliance. However, trouble is brewing on the planet of Sluis. The Dark Alliance has blockaded the small planet and invaded. Meanwhile, a young man by the name of Thrawn has secretly escaped Sluis to bring word of the invasion to the Vast Empire. The Vast Empire gathers their forces to rid the Dark Alliance forever, but soon realize that the Emperor is alive and has been constructing a new super weapon, the Crystal Star. The Emperor has also been training a Sith apprentice to help reestablish the Dark Jedi order. Once again the Galaxy is under threat by the Dark Alliance, and the Vast Empire has answered to the call to destroy the new evil that has arisen… It was late in the afternoon, when the mysterious figure stumbled his way onto the grounds of the Vast Empire headquarters. The V.E headquarters was in the heart of Rasquodan, the capital planet in the Romulan system. The mysterious looking man had his clothes ripped, and his face was covered in horrific cuts, as though a large Doracmus had attacked him. In front of the large, plush looking building of the V.E., were several Imperial officers, and officials who spoke about the tribulations and problems between themselves and the Dark Alliance. As their conversations continued, the young man stumbled up the large stairs, but collapsed in a heap due to his severe injuries. The Imperial Officers heard the noise of the man and ran to his aid. "Go get a medic, immediately!" shouted one of the high ranking Generals to a nervous looking 1st private. The private saluted quickly and ran inside to get a medic. The two remaining men looked down at the poor young man and checked his pulse. Suddenly, out of the corner of the Generals’ eye, he spotted a strange mark on the injured mans’ arm. Tattooed on his arm was a mark of the Dark Alliance. In the center of the symbol, was a purple, ultra-violet repulse, that shone brightly in certain directions. " Oh my god. Cosmic, do you see the mark on this young lad’s arm? It is the mark from the Dark Alliance. It is the mark of the slave…" Red bubbles of healing liquid burst out, around the mans’ body. The young man sat in a Bacta healing tank, and all over his body, were monitor wires and pads, from where scars and cuts had been. The M-12 medical droid stood facing the mysterious man, while it checked over his stats. The droid swiftly turned to the automatic sliding door, as it opened with a faint whoosh. The two officers that had aided the man earlier on had returned to see how he was doing. "How is the boy doing?" demanded one of the Generals. The droid handed over the stats to the General. "He is recovering well, considering his injuries, he is lucky to be alive. Oh, and General Argon, and Commander Demi Wrath noted that they would visit the boy later with you, and that they wanted to discuss the mark on his arm. They also would like to speak with him if he is fit enough to do so." The General nodded in agreement. Suddenly, a loud high-pitched ring was emitted from the Bacta tank monitor. The light that was once red turned to green and signaled that the patient could be released. "Ah yes, now we can remove him from the tank." Remarked the droid, as it pressed several buttons on the keypad. A loud, distinct humming noise was emitted from the mechanism as the young man was lifted out of the large tank. The medical droid carried the man over to the bed and rechecked his stats. "Everything seems to be ok here General. You may speak to him as soon as he wakes up, if you wish." Remarked the droid. General Anakin nodded understandingly and looked down at the young man. Suddenly a loud moan filled the room, as the man began to move. He looked up slowly and studied his surroundings. Just then, the man gasped and looked around more swiftly before speaking for the first time. "Where…where am I?! The V.E. I must reach the V.E. immediately!" rasped the man. General Anakin stood and looked at the patient before answering. "Rest easy son. You’ve had a busy day. I am General Anakin of the Vast Empire, and this is my colleague 1st Lt. Cosmic, an expert in infiltration and military strategy. We both found you when you collapsed outside our headquarters. How are you feeling now?" The young man look startled but slowly came to answer General Anakins question. "I feel much better, now that I know that I have reached the V.E. headquarters." Replied the man. 1st Lt. Cosmic looked to General Anakin who was obviously concerned. "What is your name lad?" asked the General. The young man sat up on the bed as best he could. "My name…. Is Thrawn." General Argon and Commander Demi Wrath stood in the hall talking swiftly about the new comer Thrawn. One of the medics who had aided Thrawn mentioned that he was ok and ready to see. "Thrawn…that name rings a bell." Remarked Demi Wrath. General Argon laughed heartily at Demi Wrath’s remark. "Well Demi, Thrawn was the name of the Dark Alliances leading Admirals. He was a callous man, but very clever. He was their main strategist during the beginning of the Rebellion. He died many years ago in the battle of Tinad." Demi nodded understandingly towards his General. "Hey I here this Thrawn fellow has the mark of the slave upon him as well as the Dark Alliance symbol. What could it all mean I wonder." General Argon nodded his head over to where General Anakin and 1st Lt. Cosmic came. They immediately walked over to the General Argon and Commander Demi Wrath. "Looks like your going to find out Demi." Answered General Argon. The four officers saluted each other continued their discussion. " Thrawn hasn’t told us much at the moment. He has requested that he would like to address the V.E. high council later this afternoon. As a member I am going to push for the meeting to go ahead. I would like you three to accompany me at the meeting. All I can tell you at the moment is that there is something big going on with the Dark Alliance. We will just have to wait until we hear from Thrawn. That is all. Dismissed." The three officers nodded and saluted once more. Then, they headed off to their quarters, with each of them filled with assumptions and questions about what is going on. Only time would tell... "The high council meeting is now in session." Bellowed Kaddan, the High Council Chairman, and a General in his own right. "Would Thrawn please step up to the stand and tell the Council why he is here, and what the current situation is." Thrawn nodded solemnly and stepped up to the stand. "Greetings V.E. High Council. My name is Thrawn. I am from the world of Sluis, in the Saccoria system. I stand before you today to bring an important message. Sluis is under attack from the Dark Alliance. Three and a half months ago, 67 Alliance starships and 86 of their star frigates dropped out of hyperspace, and into our space. They bombarded our planet profusely, and destroyed all of our defenses. As you well know, Sluis has many V.E. outposts and security forces. I regret to inform you that those defenses, those men serving Sluis and the V.E. have been totally wiped out. The Dark Alliance has taken total control of Sluis and also the Bespin system." Loud gasps and murmurs filled the hall as Officers; Generals spoke quietly among themselves. "I didn’t hold a position of importance on Sluis. I worked with my family on a salt farm. When the Rebel troops landed on our planet they killed many politicians and delegates. They have already destroyed most of the factories and industries on the planet. They rounded up most of the people and stuck them into camps. My father refused to cooperate, and they killed him…and my mother too. I was taken to one of their camps and was treated like a dog. They made us work day and night, mining for some strange metal call tritium. As you know, Sluis is a mining colony, but I have never heard of such a metal. I believe that is what they are looking for on Bespin also. Many of you may have been wondering what is the mark on my arm. When they processed me, they stained their mark on my arm, as well as the mark of the slave. Now, as to the matter of their mining. While I was in prison, I heard that the metal was being sought out so as they could build a huge super structure, and many ships. However I don’t have verified confirmation. I made my escape from the prison a little over two months ago. Ever since then, I’ve been hitching rides across space trying to get to you. Now that I finally have, we can now act on this invasion an possibly rid the galaxy of the Dark Alliance for good…" After the High Council meeting was adjourned, General Anakin, 1st Lt. Cosmic, General Argon, Commander Demi Wrath and Thrawn stood in General Kaddans’ office discussing the situation a little more privately. "We thank you for bringing this incident to our attention Thrawn" remarked the General through gritted teeth. "I have called you four Officers here because you’re the best group of soldiers and military tacticians the V.E. has seen in a long time. Thrawn, you’re here because you’re the only one who has the faintest idea of what’s happening over there." The officers nodded, while Thrawn shifted uncomfortably. "Now, this invasion has been going on quite a while without us noticing. What I want to know is, what should we do about it. This isn’t just another one of those internal conflicts. This is full-scale invasion on a V.E. alliance world." General Anakin stepped forward and saluted General Kaddan. "Well sir, with your permission, I believe that the whole V.E. should be informed on the invasion. No matter what, we must do something, and quickly." Kaddan nodded as he scratched his white goatee. "Excuse me, may I speak?" asked Thrawn submissively. Kaddan nodded swiftly. "Of course you can Thrawn. I’m open to any ideas from any of you!" "Well. This isn’t so much as an idea. This is more of a request. I have been trying to deliver this information in a bid to free my planet. It was a rough journey for me, as you know. I was Sluis’s only hope of reaching you, and now that you know, I would like to ask to be involved in whatever retaliatory strike you may have planned for the Dark Alliance. I wish to become a member of the V.E. and take my revenge on the Dark Alliance…" It had been two days now since Thrawn had been at the V.E. headquarters. His request to join the V.E. ranks was accepted by Kaddan and Thrawn now found himself in one of the many training centers in the V.E. Talking to General Viper Argon. "Ok. Well now that you’re all signed up on the V.E. payroll and your uniform and everything else has been organized, I get the privilege of training you." Thrawn smiled slightly as he stretched his calf muscles in preparation for the lesson. "Ok, well let’s start at the start. Basic hand to hand combat moves. You’ll learn how to use V.E. imperial blasters and the other weapons later on, so don’t worry. Go grab those fist mitts and shin pads over there and we’ll begin." Thrawn nodded and ran over to grab the equipment. He quickly put on the gear and walked over to the middle of the padded floor. "Ok, take a few swings at me, go nuts. Do whatever you want." Thrawn nodded and immediately dropped into an ancient Masassi fighting stance. " Wow" thought Argon. "This guy has definitely been around" Thrawn took a stepped forward and threw a backhanded fist at Argon stopping just short on front of his face. He obviously was testing the Generals’ reflexes. Thrawn jumped back and attacked General Argon with a roundhouse kick. It connected with his chest, but not hard. "Very good Thrawn, I can see this lesson on hand to hand combat won’t last long. You already now some very ancient and very affective techniques." Thrawn laughed heartily. "Yes well I wasn’t just a farm boy you know. I picked up a few tricks on my travels." "Yes of course. I do not doubt you abilities Thrawn. Just do the best you can, and you’ll go far. Oh, which reminds me. Usually new soldiers are given the rank of 1st private. But Kaddan has been thinking over it and considering your efforts to get here under the Dark Alliances’ nose. He has promoted you to the rank of Corporal. Well done Thrawn." Thrawn stood in shock as he listened to the General. Suddenly over the Intercom General Kaddans’ voice rang through Thrawns’ ears. "Attention all soldiers and officers. This is a license code 5.9 You all know what that means. Report to the briefing room immediately. That means drop what you’re doing and leave now." Argon looked over at Thrawn. "Well, I guess Kaddan is finally going official. Code 5.9 means that everybody is to meet at the briefing room. This’ll be about the Invasion on your planet. It seems that Kaddan has decided what to do about the attack. Well, we better not keep them waiting. Let’s go Thrawn." In the massive circular briefing room Kaddan invited Thrawn, Demi Wrath, Argon, Cosmic and Anakin to the front to stand beside him. Thrawn looked at the huge crowd of soldiers, pilots, and the array of Special Forces groups. "Wow. There must be over 5000 different regiments here. The V.E. means business." Thought Thrawn. All the noise died down the second General Kaddan raised his hand. "Many of you know why you have been summoned. Three and a half months ago and unprecedented invasion was brought onto the planet of Sluis and Bespin by the Dark Alliance. We only received word of this 3 days ago by a brave young man by the name of Thrawn. He personally filled me in on the invasion and now I have come to a decision. We are to retaliate. At this very moment, fleets from all over the galaxy are clustering here in the Romulan system. We are going to combine the fleet, then divide it into two parties. One will travel to the planet of Bespin, and the other to the planet of Sluis. We will attack their fleets’ head on. However, this is not our only mission objective. All of you are going to be assigned to different starships and all of our ground forces are to drop in on Sluis and Bespin to secure both planets from the Dark Alliance. You are to find out as much as you can on the situation. Our boys in intelligence will help you out with that. In short, this our biggest operation ever to be carried out since the destruction of the second Death Star, in Endor. This isn’t just a minor scuffle, but an intergalactic struggle between them and us. The fate of our Empire rests solely in your hands. One other thing. The reason these soldiers are standing here with me toady is because they will be leading the ground assault on Sluis. I will assign Zeon, Wolf and Talus to be the ground assault leaders for the Bespin assault. These men here are in charge. You will do exactly as they say and carry out their orders to your full potential. Your mission is clear. However, you five men will go down to the planet two standard hours before everyone else. You are going on a runabout cruiser, and you are to infiltrate Sluis. You are a new squad. You are now above basic duties. You are now the Wrath squad…. Now then, everybody will receive notification of what squad you are in and which fleet. There is not much time. We leave in one day. Good luck, dismissed!" The group of soldiers stood inside their barracks and drank Correlian ale as they spoke about the upcoming mission. "Well, we got the mission file from Kaddan," said General Anakin. Suddenly he tossed the large envelope at Thrawn and gestured his hand at the package. "You open it Thrawn. Read it out to us. It’s only fair that you do it." Thrawn nodded reluctantly as he tore open the envelope. He pulled out the report that contained the orders for them all. He started to read. "Wrath squad. This is confidential information, for your eyes only. You must not share any of this information with anyone else. After you have all read this document, dispose of it. I have granted you to be a brand new elite Special Forces Squad. You are now above the system, over it, beyond it. From now on, the mission you are about to take on will be the first of it’s kind. Your squad is now going to be carrying out those missions that are deemed impossible, even by the best. But, you are the best. The best the V.E. has ever had. Now, for this mission, you are to take the runabout cruiser that we seized from the Dark Alliance. We have also obtained the ship codes, just incase they pick you up and ask for identification. You are to make the jump into hyperspace 5 degrees off course from our last known trajectory, so as you can hopefully get some leeway from those bulk cruisers that the Alliance have. You are to pick up the ship at docking bay 9 at oh eight hundred hours. Your ship has been loaded with some extra firepower for each of you, in case you need it. That is all, good luck and gods speed." Thrawn put down the document and looked at his comrades. "Well, I’ll be damned" murmured Demi Wrath. "General Kaddans’ practically given us all the power of attorney!" That little wise crack pulled everyone’s faces up a bit as Demi chuckled to himself. General Anakin looked at his watch and dropped his beer. "Yo! Oh eight hundred hours is only 15 minute’s from now! Get your stuff, get changed into ya infiltration gear and head to docking bay 9 now!" The group of soldiers ran to docking bay 9 as fast as their legs could carry them. When they reached the docking bay, they saw General Kaddan and three High Council Jedi Guards standing by the ship. Thrawn and the others saluted Kaddan before dropping their gear on the polished metallic floor. "Good, you made it on time. I just wanted to see you off personally. Now, this is a top-secret mission. Do you know what that means?" demanded Kaddan. 1st Lt. Cosmic stepped forward and replied. "Yes sir. Top-secret missions usually involve medals, but they’re usually given to your relatives." Kaddan cracked a smile and slugged Cosmic on the arm. "It means nobody knows your mission, your groups’ status, your destination…nothing. Now, get on board and get outta here. There isn’t much time." All the soldiers nodded and walked up the gangplank in single file. Kaddan and the Jedi walked to the docking bay’s doors before glancing over at the ship. Soon afterwards the ship’s repulsors lit up and the old freighter flew out into the sky, towards the planet of Sluis… As the freighter flew through deep space at light speed, the ships’ crew sat around the navigator’s table and discussed all sorts of things. "Yeah, well I reckon this mission is gonna end the war between us and the Dark Alliance. We’re gonna easily whoop em!" said Argon Viper. Thrawn looked his comrades and shifted uncomfortably. "Hey Thrawn, what’s the matter?" demanded General Argon. Thrawn sighed heavily and looked out of the portside window, only to see the stars streaking past at tremendous speed. "It’s nothing really. I only hope that there’s still going to be a planet left to liberate. I only hope we’re not too late." Anakin and the others all knew that Thrawn was being deadly serious. All though none of the others had said anything, they had all been turning over the same thoughts in their heads. Suddenly a loud beep was emitted from the cockpit alerting the soldiers that they were coming up to their final stage of light speed. Anakin stood up and motioned for everyone to take their places. The entire group stood in the cramped area of the cockpit. They watched anxiously through the viewport as the stars fell back into normal space. The moment they fell into sub space, the master alarm sounded, along with several other minor ones. "Two Alliance frigates straight ahead. They’ve probably spotted us by now. Cosmic, switch all power to front deflector screens now and lock in the auxiliary power!" shouted Anakin. "Thrawn, turn on the radio interference module, and try to jam their transmissions. We might still get under their noses undetected." Thrawn did what he was asked and turned on the module. The engines were on at full bore and the freighter steadily got closer to Sluis and the Dark Alliance fleet. "Bearing two point five zero from the last known trajectory point. This is gonna go two ways boys, smooth and easy or rough and bumpy. Let’s get ready for the worst." Said Anakin, whilst he held the flight stick in his hands. Suddenly out of the blue a transmission signal bleeped on the radio. Thrawn looked at it in shock. "What?! I disabled their radio from contacting us. How could this be?" Anakin swiveled on his chair to face Thrawn. "Let’s hear what they got to say, they still may think we are one of them. Demi Wrath, you got the ship codes there?" Demi nodded in the affirmative and held up the documents. "Ok Thrawn, turn on the signal feed, and let’s hear what they’ve said. Thrawn nodded and switched it on. There was silence for about 30 seconds until the gruff voice of the Frigates sub commander was heard. "Unidentified freighter, you are in unauthorized space. Your markings are clear and resemble one of our runabout cruisers. Identify yourself immediately or be destroyed." Thrawn looked at his comrades, unsure what to say to the Sub commander. Soon enough though, Thrawn found himself relaying a message back to him, making it all up as he went along, except for the codes of course. "Uh, this is the Dark Alliance freighter, the Ulysses. We are a parts and technical group for the ground forces on the planet of Sluis. We’ve come from Bespin. I was told that you were to be informed of our arrival. We have the ships’ docking and registration codes here and we are sending them to you now." Anakin grinned at Thrawn and gave him thumbs up. Thrawn smiled slightly but then stopped when the Sub commander replied. " I was not informed of any such arrival of your freighter. However, your codes do check out on the systems files and you have been cleared to land on Sluis. I shall alert ground forces, so they will lower the magnetic field in order for you to land. Carry on Ulysses." Thrawn replied in the affirmative and shut off the radio. All the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief as they flew past the huge fleet of ships. They had past the first hurdle, but many more were bound to arise. "We must stay on radio silence for the rest of the journey. They know our codes, so we can’t make any transmissions back to headquarters just yet." Murmured Anakin wearily. All the soldiers nodded their heads momentarily, as the Ulysses flew towards the verdant planet of Sluis… One and half-hours later, the Ulysses flew through Sluis’ foggy atmosphere and the clear sky of the small planet could be seen. The soldiers on board the freighter looked silently through the view screen and saw the vast ocean below them. Just beyond the great Ocean of Sluis, the main land could be seen. Thrawn gasped loudly. His planet was so unfamiliar to him now. All the things he knew, the places he grew up in were all gone. In front of Thrawn, all he could see was black smoke rising into the air, and large bright flashes of gunfire. Suddenly Thrawn was snapped out of his thoughts when the master alarm of the ship lit up. "What the hell is goin’ on?" shouted Cosmic as he fiddled with all the buttons and switches at his panel. Thrawn looked more closely at the view screen, and suddenly shouted to Anakin. "Anakin, those cannons they’re firing are being directed at us! The brass in the Alliance fleet must’ve figured out that we’re not one of em. This tin bucket ain’t got no shields or weapons Anakin, so unless you can fly like a Tatoooine death pilot, we’re dead!" Anakin turned around and flashed a smile at Thrawn. It was sort of a relieving one, but hinted some worry in the generals’ thoughts. "All right boys, we’re goin in hard and fast. I want you all to plot out a safeguard point so we’ll have a half chance of landing her alive. We’re just gonna have to hope and pray she doesn’t fall apart under artillery fire!" All the other soldiers looked at Anakin, totally unconvinced of their odds. Suddenly a loud bang and screeching noise filled the ship. It was obvious that they’d been hit. Anakin looked around as if checking if everybody was still ok. Another bang resounded through the hull, only more profound and louder this time. Anakin knew that one of his engines had been wiped out and converted the fuel and remaining power to engines two and three. Just then, a quiet pinging noise went off inside the ship. The crew didn’t take much notice of the strange noise-that was until it grew louder. Ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, PING, PING, PING, PRANG, BANG, BANG, BANG! All the soldiers looked around the ship as it struggled under fire. It had become evident to Anakin, that the power that he was re routing to the other engines had leaked and that the fuel cells had exploded one by one. "Damn it! We lost engine number one and the fuel cells. We can only run at ¼ of our maximum output. If we go any further we might blow out all the engines." All the soldiers cursed loudly and looked out the view screen. It became obvious to them that they had slowed down considerably. That would make maneuvering the craft much harder. Basically, they were waiting to be shot down… About 6 kilometers out from the coastline of Sluis, the Ulysses groaned like an old dog waiting to be put down. Its engines were running at below minimum power, and it was only a matter of time before it took its last and final hit. Inside the battered freighter, elite V.E. soldiers frantically tried to fix the fuel cells and get more power into the remaining engines. "We’re not gonna make it to our drop point. We’re gonna be short about five k’s." said Anakin, nearly shouting. "What’s our speed at?" demanded Demi Wrath, as he shifted uncomfortably in his navigators chair. "We’re making 150 meters every 30 seconds. That’s slower than Cosmic’s freighter back home. Listen, in my way of thinking guys, we’re gonna get shot to bits at this rate. I can’t maneuver this mother forever. Either way, we’re gonna be in the drink. So here’s my idea. We push out our engine to ½ power. See how we go. I’m not planning on getting to the coast, cos’ they’re only gonna shoot us down. So, I’m thinking that we get as far as we can, then do an emergency landing in the water. That way they might think they got us and we can still hopefully get our tails of this ship. What’d ya think?" Thrawn and the other soldiers looked decisively at Anakin before answering. "Well it sounds better than sitting in here waiting to be shot down." Said Thrawn. "Just one question though. How far you expect us to swim? I mean, that water can freeze your bones in an hour and we’re still 6 k’s out." That statement made Cosmic’s face turn pale, and Demi Wrath Shuddered. Argon Viper just sat quietly listening. "Yes well as I said fella’s, I’m gonna take her in as far as I can, but the minute I reckon we’re gonna drop I’ll bring her down." Replied Anakin coolly, almost coldly. The crew nodded and they turned their attention back to the raging gunfire that continued to pound the ship. It seemed that their drop point was a million miles away at the rate the ship was going. The Ulysses took a few minor hits. But those hits were enough to dislodge the radar beacons and sonar-tech readouts. "Goddamn! We’re not gonna get any further. I’ve lost radar visual. We’re flying blind." Shouted Anakin in frustrated anger. "I gotta bring her down right now boys. Get your gear and your life jackets." All the soldiers did as they were told and they grabbed whatever gear they could. "Even for an emergency landing, I can’t bring her altitude down so drastically or she’ll get torn into shrapnel." "Hey Anakin, can’t you just switch off her engines and let her glide down. It’ll save some fuel and you won’t have to worry about distance over time-it’ll take just the same amount of time on the engine power we’re running on." Said Cosmic. Anakin nodded his head. "No, because if I do that, it’ll take out all our thermal heat. No doubt those guys shooting us have heat seekers. They’ll know what we’re trying to pull if we turn our engines off. Besides, I still need to maneuver the ship, and its harder to do so with out engine control." Cosmic nodded. Anakin knew what he was doing. He’d been in the V.E. longer than anyone had. "Alright ladies, get ready for a rough landing. Now when we hit the water this tub is gonna sink to the bottom like lead. I’m gonna open the main hatch, but after that, you’re on you own. Get out as quick as you can, and swim as fast as you can, cos the suction is gonna take you along for the ride if you stick around. We’ll rendezvous at section four oh one, using your personal beacons. Good luck guys. See you when I see you." Thrawn nodded solemnly and strapped on his life jacket. He stared out to the seemingly endless ocean and prepared for the impact. The ships nose was down too far and the Ulysses came down with a deafening crash! Anakin pressed the hatch release button and the water came flooding in. "Go! Go! Go!" shouted Anakin, as the crew scrambled through the waist deep water towards the hatch. The group of soldiers jumped out of the sinking freighter a quickly as they could. They all swam out in different directions hoping they’d be out far enough, so as they wouldn’t be sucked under the waves along with the ship. The Ulysses has so many holes in it from the artillery fire that it was already half gone. The soldiers were now the former crew of the Ulysses, for it had flown for the last time. Thrawn figured he was out of the suction zone and stopped to watch the ship go. A part of him felt a trifle sad that the ship that held on long enough to get him to Sluis was gone. All that was left of the freighter was a few supplies bobbing in the water. Thrawn spotted those damned fuel cells floating in the water. "The irony of it, thought" Thrawn. Those fuel cells doomed the crew early on in the flight; however, they were now the only remnants left of the downed ship. Thrawn shivered as the cold began to set in. He wouldn’t last long out here if he didn’t get a move on. He started kicking his legs hard, towards the coast, towards Sluis. It was late in the morning when the Wrath squad coughed and sputtered their way to the rendezvous point. They were practically on the beach by the time everyone got there. "Good…to see you again…Thrawn…" rasped Anakin, out of breath. Thrawn nodded. "Yeah, you too Anakin. Listen, I know your all tired. I am too, but we gotta get a move on. No doubt the Dark Alliance troops check the beaches. We’ll be sitting ducks if we stay here." Anakin nodded swiftly. "Thrawn is right. We can’t stay here any longer. Get your gear, lock and load. Let’s move out. We’ve not got much time. Our fleets will be here soon, and it’ll be chaos down here. We have to make the first move and secure a base perimeter." The group of freezing cold soldiers nodded and made their way out of the beach and wearily climbed over the large dunes and embankments. As they climbed over the largest of the dunes, they suddenly stopped at the highest point. The squad looked ominously over to the capital city of Sluis, Slodaya. Small and large fires alike were burning all over the city, buildings were destroyed and in the distance, the group could see a large transport craft. It belonged to the Alliance. It was easily recognizable to Thrawn. That was the same craft that transported him to the mines. It was obvious that the Alliance had made their mark, and their intent clear. This was war… "Ok, sector four is secured fellas. That little homing beacon will let our boys know we’re it’s safe to land." Said Anakin dryly. The group of soldiers were trudging through a huge set of fields and paddocks on the outskirts of the capital city. Thrawn looked around the high grass cautiously, as if waiting for a Dark Alliance soldier to jumped up and start firing. "Don’t worry Thrawn," said Argon Viper, noting the look of worry on Thrawns face. "I doubt they’ll have patrols out here. It’d be a waste of resources. Besides, how many of them are gonna expect to find five guys strolling through the paddocks?" Thrawn became reassured, if only for a split second, until they all heard the loud sound of blaster fire. "Everybody drop!" shouted Anakin. Everybody did as he said and dropped. Thrawns heart was thumping a mile a minute, as the blaster fire zinged over them. "Well, Jesus Christ Anakin, we can’t stay here forever. They’re not carrying just blasters y’know!" shouted Cosmic. Anakin cursed under his breath. "Ok, we’ll take em three ways, two go left, two go right, I’ll go up the middle. One person from left and right sides attacks with the suppressing fire. We might not hit em, but we’ll be making noise. Give all your thermal detonators to me. I’ll take counter fire to make sure they investigate the explosions. Now git’ outta here!" Thrawn scrambled to his feet, but kept low enough not to be seen. He pulled out his blaster and started firing. Demi Wrath followed Thrawn through the grass and fired his blaster in every direction. Cosmic and Argon went on the left side and began their run of suppressing fire. The battle raged on, and the air smelt like smoldering rubble, and sinew. A smell that was all too familiar to Anakin. "Mama said there’d be days like this!" joked Demi Wrath as he continued to fire his blaster. Meanwhile Anakin was running full speed through the grass. All the enemy fire was now being directed at him. Thrawn turned to see the light-footed General zig and zag through the paddock, with blaster fire trailing behind him. Never finding him, but only where he’d been. Thrawn turned a little pale. Demi Wrath noticed this and spoke reassuringly to him. "Don’t worry kid, they can’t kill the General." Over the stat com walkie-talkie, Cosmic replied to Demi Wrath’s comment. "Like hell they can’t. Nobody’s bullet proof. Don’t kid yourself- nobody is." That remark dampened Thrawns hopes. However, Anakin continued to run and jumped into a small ditch. A perfect place to throws grenades. "Take cover anywhere you can boys!" shouted Anakin. That meant he was going to throw the grenades-all of them. Blaster fire continued to rain down on the soldiers as they fired back. Suddenly a loud explosion was heard through the paddock. Chunks of dirt flew through the air and hit Thrawn. Other substances flew through the air too, but they weren’t clods of dirt. Human parts and blood barraged the soldiers as they took cover from the grenades. And then it happened. The blaster firing stopped. An eerie silence fell on the paddock. Thrawn contemplated the idea of standing up and checking around. But Anakin had already done that. "Good job boys. Sound off if your injured. Anybody missin’ any spare parts? The group answered in the negative. "Not even a shrapnel wound?" said the General in a husky voice. "No, we’re all fine Anakin." Answered Cosmic who was dusting himself of and removing the body parts of dead soldiers from his uniform. "Well, good. That’s great. It’s obvious they know that we’re here. We’ve lost surprise, so be extra cautious. Ok, well we’re almost there. Remember that our initial objective is to gather intelligence, find out what they’re doing, and their plans for their "super structure." There are only five of us, so no crazy stunts. We’re still an infiltration group. Leave the loud noises for when the rest of us get here." All the soldiers nodded and retrieved the ammo of their enemy counterparts. "Let’s move out…." Murmured Anakin. "So this is their front door huh?" said Argon Viper, as he looked up to the city gate. "Yeah, but where are all the guards? There should be a whole detail roaming around here," added Cosmic. Thrawn looked around wearily and narrowed his eyes up by the large wall "Anakin, look over there." Rasped Thrawn Anakin peered up and to his suprise saw three large sentry droids. They were light brown and had a lot of rust spots on them. "Hmm, if they have droids here, the chances are that there’ll be more soldiers patrolling the inside. They haven’t seen us yet. Lay low and follow me." Thrawn and the others did just that. The five men crept along the adjoining wall of the city’s entrance. When they reached the other side Anakin stopped. "Well, this is the best possible way to get in. Everybody-over the wall. It oughta be all right. The other side is at the back of an alley. I wouldn’t reckon that there’d be any guards patrolling there." Cosmic spoke in protest. "Yeah but Anakin, look over past the wall. There’s a tower over there that’s in direct line of sight with the alley. I don’t think that’s a safe entry point." Anakin snapped callously, a sight not often seen. "Well, what the hell is a good, safe entry point?" he snarled. That was all it took. For Anakin was already scrambling up the wall to the other side. All the others shrugged and did the same. On the other side, it was a grim picture. Dead bodies of civilians were everywhere. The smell of blood and sinew present. Cosmic continued to protest. " I still think that" None of the other soldiers ever found out what Cosmic thought, because at that moment a compressed laser blast, like that from a high powered sniper rifle whined in and blew right through the 1st Lt., through his chest in a spray of blood that spattered the wall behind him. The impact took Cosmic clean of his feet and slammed him onto the cobble-stoned floor. Only then did the blast shot catch up with the bullet, ringing throughout the street… "I’m shot! I’m shot!" yelled Cosmic as he lay on his back, his blood pouring out of him like a sieve. Just across the way, the rest of the squad huddled by a pile of rubble, which used to be a wall. "Oh goddamn it, I’m shot!" shouted Cosmic once again. "You’re gonna be fine buddy." Shouted Viper across to Cosmic. Thrawn, stepped out just a little bit, but was pulled back by Anakin. Another blast shot zinged by, slamming into the stone wall -travelling through the space Thrawn had just occupied. As long as Anakins’ men tried to help Cosmic, the wounded soldier would serve as bait. "Damn. Where did that shot come from?" shouted Demi Wrath. Anakin looked over to Viper, a mediocre sharpshooter in his own right, but still a good shot all the same. "Well, it weren’t close. The shot laid him on the ground before we even heard it." Cosmic’s wailing was tearing the squad apart. "We gotta get him outta there Anakin!" demanded Thrawn. "Stay put Thrawn. That’s an order." Suddenly, Cosmic stopped screaming, as if that had become too difficult to maintain, and poked and prodded at himself with his left hand, examining his wound at the right of his chest. The entry point wasn’t bleeding so badly, but the exit point was running like a faucet. The red puddle around him, putting the Lt. in a crimson spotlight. "Oh god……..oh god…..god…oh god no…."Cosmic said, watching the blood seep out of him. Prayer? Curse? Was there any difference in war? Anakin was dying inside, witnessing this but he didn’t show the others-couldn’t show the others. He told Viper, "Give me an estimate." Viper crouched, his eyes narrow. "Well?" "Four hundred and fifty yards, give or take." "Is that a long shot?" asked Thrawn curious. "I’d say that’s where the mother is hiding." Said Viper as he pointed to the old tower like building. "That’s where I’d perch myself." He added. "One mans vantage point is another mans target." Rasped Thrawn. Viper nodded, and then pulled out his backpack. It contained a large case. He unzipped it to reveal a gleaming, elongated telescopic sight. Cosmic was fading. He held up his bloody hand, as if offering it to anyone whom would grasp it. "Help…blood spilling outta me…help…. someone," Whimpered Cosmic. Demi Wrath, trying to hold back tears, fists clenched, yelled, "Hang on pal, you hang on buddy!" By this time, Viper was crouched down attaching the telescopic sight to his sniper. Viper worked bolt and inserted one large blaster ammo cell into the weapon. "Help me…" rasped Cosmic once more. "Don’t talk! Save your energy!" shouted Thrawn. Demi Wrath turned to Anakin. "Anakin, he still may have a chance." "The order still stands, stay put. Viper, today?" "Just about there sir." Replied Viper, who was now peering through the scope. With his eye at the scope, he waited, waiting for his shot. In the top floor of the tower, on his stomach, in a precarious but strategic position, the Dark Alliance sniper searched for another target. His first hit was still alive, but not worth another shot, writhing in his own pool of blood as he was. As he continued to search, he saw something glisten in the sunlight. Something metallic. Hair pricked on the back of his neck. The barrel of a blaster, a snipers blaster… And it was then that the soldier realized another sniper was aiming back at him. He quickly tried to fix him in his crosshairs, knowing he was already locked in his opponent’s sights. His finger moved frantically towards the trigger, but it never squeezed. Viper’s blaster shot had entered through the soldiers’ scope. Then through his right blue eye, popping it like a grape, travelling through his cerebrum and blowing out the back of his head in an eruption of shattered glass and blossoming blood and brain matter. Viper stood up and began to pack away his blaster. It was evident to the others that it was all clear to move. They all ran over to their fallen comrade. They all stopped at the edge of the pool of blood, as if to go farther would be disrespectful to their now obviously dead friend. Cosmic’s head was tilted toward the expanse of shimmering red, eyes wide open, unblinking, his glazed stare seeming to assess the liquid that represented the life he had lost. "Goddamn it. We shoulda’ listened to him when he was still alive! Jesus Christ, we only got a four man squad, how many more d’ya wanna kill off before sundown Anakin?!" shouted Demi Wrath, clearly angered over Cosmic’s death. Anakin stood silently by the wall, just staring at the ground, motionless. Thrawn piped up and spoke methodically. "Listen guys, we can’t stay here. It’s too risky. I guess we gotta leave Cosmic here. I guess its not much consolation Demi, but we have to get going. He was a good soldier Demi, and a good friend." Demi Wrath spun around and spited Thrawn. "What the hell do you know bout’ him! You only knew him five minutes. You wanna try a whole lifetime. I’ve been through more battles with him than anyone. So don’t give me your damned self righteous sympathy, cos it ain’t wanted." "Demi", yelled Anakin. "Gear up, and shut up." Demi Wrath didn’t move. He heaved a breath, his face twitched with insolence. And said, "No sir. I don’t think so…sir." All eyes were on Anakin and Demi. "That’s not a suggestion, Wrath. It’s an order." "Yeah? Like the one you gave to enter the town via the snipers’ tower? ‘Cause that one was a real corker sir, a bloody doozy." Anakin said nothing, but Vipers’ face was contorted with outrage. "Soldier, you are way the hell out of line!" Wrath ignored Argon, saying to Anakin, "Yes sir Anakin, that was one hell of a call. We got into the town all right, and only lost one man doing it. Just our military analyst and 1st Lt. Course with you leading the charge, who needs an analyst like Cosmic? We’ll all be dead by sundown." "Wrath….." Viper said, moving toward him. But Wrath ignored this considerable threat, saying to his General, "The more men we lose, the more its gonna make Kaddans’ day to think this little escapade was so valuable, only we ain’t even liberated the place yet, but that’s just a minor goddamned detail. Viper was almost on top of Wrath now, shouting. "Fall in Wrath, and shut up!" Demi Wrath snorted a contemptuous, dismissive laugh, and tuned and walked away from Anakin and Viper. "Don’t you walk away from your General!" "Demi! Get back in line-now!" His back to them, Wrath called, "No sir. I’ll spend the rest of my days cracking rocks in the V.E. detention center, if I have to. But I won’t be a part of this crap detail no more." "I’m not going to say it again," Viper said, and the menace in his voice startled all of them. The .50 caliber brayer pistol came scraping out of its holster. "Fall in soldier!" The sound of Viper racking the slide on the automatic pistol froze Wrath, and it caught Anakins’ attention, too; but the General remained motionless-he too was frozen, couldn’t seem to move from his spot. "Well, fine! Swell! Good, do it, shoot me in the leg would you please? The million dollar wound that sends me home!" shouted Demi Wrath. Wrath threw his hands up. "Do it Viper! Do it!" "Jesus Christ Argon, put the gun away will ya’!" shouted Thrawn, getting clearly agitated. But it continued. The two soldiers stood in each other’s faces while Thrawn spoke to Anakin quietly. "Sir, do something!" Suddenly Anakin stood up and pulled out a thermal detonator. The familiar click of the button stopped Viper and Demi short. "That’s enough. Both of you settle down. Demi, we all make mistakes from time to time. Sometimes they are costly, but we can’t sit and dwell on it, waiting for the next goddamn sniper. Now, son the rest of the V.E. will drop outta’ hyperspace. If you wanna go home, you do that. I won’t stop you. We just got separated that’s all. Its either that or you keep going with us." Demi Wrath looked over to his comrades. He slowly conceded to Anakins wishes and the general put away the thermal detonator, and they were a squad again. "Ok, next stop, the town center." Said Thrawn. The group smiled and went back, out into the war. Still in hyperspace, General Kaddan stood aboard the bridge of the Vast Empire’s flagship, the Marauder. The ship was recently redesigned, the ship was practically given a full over-haul. The massively 5.6 kilometer long starship was flying along trough hyperspace at a reasonable speed. What the Marauder lacks in 2-parsec speed, more than compromises in huge power and defense capabilities. The ship is practically a flying battle station. Along with the Marauder, 440 of the V.E’s finest starships flew alongside with her. Mainly Dreadnoughts, Corvettes, Frigates and Destroyers. However, three unmarked ships were flying with the fleet as well. They were very bulky looking, and accommodated a large number of concussion guns. These ships were the deadly Happan battle dragons. Old, but the best known for deep space conflicts. It seemed that the Happans’ had agreed to help out the V.E. with some of their warships. Kaddan strode about the bridge confidently. "Gauging two point six parsecs till we reach the Sluis system. Everybody take your designated positions. All bridge crew initiate sub-light engines. All infantry are to report to the docking bays for transport to the planet. Rouge squadron’s two and five are to escort them. All other pilots and medium craft commanders please report to their ships. That is all." The main deck of the bridge was bustling with life. Navigators, strategists, communication experts; the whole deck was accumulated with a vast array of V.E. personnel. Kaddan strode over to his leading communications man, Major Antol Teakar. "Antol, get me Zeon on the com-stat." The gruff General said. "Yes sir. Transponding data coordinates to Zeon’s fleet. You may speak to him whenever you wish sir." "Very good Major." Replied Kaddan. "Zeon, this is General Kaddan. How is your fleets status?" It was a few seconds before there was a reply from Zeon, and Kaddan drummed his fingers on the desk. "Very good General Kaddan. Our fleet is on full alert status, as we have just about finished our run to Bespin. All of the crew on every ship is where they need to be. I was just preparing my personal transport to take me, Talus and Wolf down to the planet. We’re all go here sir." Kaddan said nothing for a moment as he noticed his highest-ranking Jedi Knight walk into the bridge. "Very well Zeon, continue as planned, good luck." "Thankyou sir. You too sir." Came the reply form Zeon as he saluted his General. Kaddan had by this time, turned to face the Jedi Knight, Qui Troon. "Master Troon, shouldn’t you be with the ground forces, with the other Jedi knights?" Troon pulled back his hood, and revealed his face. Troon was a Trachdarian, and looked more or less human, except for the long, sleek tail that protruded from under his robe. Troon had so much agility with his tail, that he could have it grasp his light-saber and fight just as deadly. He is the wisest of the Jedi order; usually remaining in the Romulan system to keep order there. However, something in the force had disturbed him, which must be brought to Kaddans attention. "I am due to go to the planet of Sluis in 20 minutes. However, there is something I must tell you. I sense a great disturbance in the force. One not felt since the time of the Emperor’s reign. I saw a vision of your friend, Cosmic. I’m afraid that 1st Lt. Cosmic was killed in action." Kaddan looked as though a bullet had struck him. All the colour went from his face as he murmured a reply. "The others? What about Anakin and the others?" he finally said. "They are fine at the moment. They are heading towards the center of the town, but I sense a Dark presence there. I feel it. General, I believe there is much more to this invasion than meets the eye. I believe…. That a Sith master is leading the attack." "That’s impossible Troon. The Emperor was the last of the Sith, and Vader has been dead for almost nineteen years. I doubt that Vader’s son would be behind this. We had him assassinated. Your judgement must be clouded." "No! My friend, do not be deceived by your own perceptions. There is a great force on that planet, one not to be underestimated." Kaddan contemplated the thought of another Sith Lord. The V.E. and the Jedi order had only just been able to defeat the Emperor and his Dark Jedi. Chaos would once again be brought back to the galaxy if Troon were right. Kaddan could not afford to ignore this threat, for the second time. "Ok my friend, I want you to take charge of the Jedi’s and uncover this threat." "Thankyou. And may the force be with you Kaddan." The Jedi Master bowed deeply to Kaddan, before replacing his hood. The Jedi then walked somberly to the Bridges main exit, and slowly disappeared into thin air before he reached the door. It was clear that the force was guiding him, and when a Jedi became fully concentrated, they become one with the force for a time being, just like Troon had done before Kaddan. Suddenly, a loud beep came from the bridges main control system. The fleet was about to drop out of hyperspace and into the war… The sound of boots scraping along streets was all too familiar to Thrawn. The squad left their dead comrade behind and was almost at the center of the town. By this time, thought Anakin, the fleets would be dropping out of hyperspace. "Y’know, in my way of thinking Anakin, we oughta not be bothering about gathering information. Cos, y’see; we’re only gonna blow the Dark Alliance halfway back to the Bothan system anyway." Said Demi wrath coldly, as he trudge along at the back of the line. "That’s not our mission objective Demi." Replied the General. "We were asked to infiltrate, and gather intelligence. In case you hadn’t been listening to Thrawn back home, the Dark alliance have been mining metals to create a superstructure. ‘Course, we don’t know what, but that’s what we’re hear to find out. If we don’t, in the long term, the Dark Alliance could wipe out the V.E. with whatever they’re building. So it’s our mission objective to find out what it is they’re up to and stop em’. We also gotta free all the citizens imprisoned in their camps. After we do that, then we can blow the hell outta them. Understood?" Argon and Thrawn laughed quietly to themselves, while Demi thought over the Generals words. It was clear, thought Demi, that Anakin had beaten him at his own game. Just then, for no apparent reason, Anakin stopped dead in his tracks, and beckoned for the soldiers to follow him. Anakin ran behind the cover of a wall and peaked just beyond it. Suddenly, jogging at a steady pace came 15 Dark Alliance soldiers. "They’re leaving their post. Why the hell would they do that? They need to have the city center secured at all times. What’s the point of abandoning it?" whispered Thrawn. "There leaving, because there’s someone else here…." Replied Anakin, with worry in his voice. The soldiers were well gone by now, and an eerie silence filled the air. Anakins head bobbed down lower as, two dark figures walked through the streets. Anakins blood froze, and his voice allowed a small-exasperated gasp. "Dark Jedi. Sith Lords. What the hell is going on here?!" murmured Anakin. Thrawns eyes widened. "I thought the Sith were destroyed. What’s this mean Anakin?" "It means, that the Dark Alliance is being controlled by Sith Lords. This is going to get complicated. Whatever the Dark Alliance is planning I’ll bet you its going to benefit the Sith ten fold. I can’t figure it all out, but we can’t stay here. This situation could be bad for the Jedi order. It could all be happening again, just like 19 years ago. The Sith are back…." "The planet is secure my master. Construction of the Crystal Star is almost complete." Hissed M’aw, the Sith lord apprentice. The two dark Jedi continued to walk through the ruined city. "Excellent my young apprentice, you have done well and you will be rewarded. I want the soldiers to continue to push eastward. Also I want that crashed ship found. The crew has survived and is close by. I can sense their presence in the city. We must not let the V.E. ruin our plans. It’s been 18 long years, but now we can return, and wipe out the V.E and the Jedi order for ever." "Yes….my Emperor." "Damn. The Sith are back. The Emperor is alive, and he’s training a new apprentice." Rasped Anakin slowly to his comrades. "But, but…. You and Jedi Master Troon killed the Emperor. How can this be possible Anakin?!" remarked Viper in total awe. Anakin looked down at the ground and slowly brought himself to answer Viper. "I thought we had killed him. He was thrown into a vent core shaft and that was the last we ever heard of him. There’s only one other man who knows about the Emperor’s return…Troon, he is aboard the Marauder, I’m sure he would’ve felt the Emperors’ presence, his power." Thrawn sniffed and stood up rather weakly. "So, what the hell do we do about this then Anakin?" he asked. "I don’t know what to think anymore. We can’t contact the Fleet just yet, until they’re at a close enough range. All we can do is follow the Emperors soldiers east and hope they lead us to the answer as to what they’re up to, and to the prisoners. Don’t underestimate the Emperor guys. He’s far stronger than all of us, despite his age. He’s the only opponent that almost destroyed the V.E. and he almost wiped out the Jedi Order, so be careful…no heroics, is that clear?" A loud affirmative came from the group as Anakin stood up. "Ok, let’s keep moving. Be prepared for the worst, we dunno what we might encounter…" "Shields up! Redirect all power to the front shields!" shouted General Kaddan. The V.E. fleet had entered normal subspace and was already under heavy enemy fire from the Dark Alliance ships. The Marauder led the assault and fired rounds of its ion cannons at the nearest target. At that moment, Matwin Lexor, the ships radar and sonar analyst turned in his chair to face his General. "Sir, my readings from sonar detect three platoons of Alliance squadrons heading towards the fleet." Kaddan nodded in understanding. "Attention, this is General Kaddan. Release platoons one, three and six. You all know what to do. Platoons two and four, prepare to escort the ground forces planet side. Protect them at all costs. After first contact has been made, we will disperse the second wave. Good luck, and Godspeed." Kaddan breathed heavily after turning of the ship intercom. He turned around to face the wide viewport, and saw his ships fly through the raging storm of laser and ion fire. Kaddan looked on towards the five carrier ships that carried their first wave of ground troops. Behind them, the escorts flew using cover fire to protect the small fleet. Jedi Master Troon would be on one of those ships, thought Kaddan. "At least Anakin and the others will have some help now, even though they still have to infiltrate the prisons and get all the info. I just hope Troon is wrong about the Emperor being alive. For all our sakes…." Suddenly, a large crash shuddered the Marauders hull and sent the crew flying. Kaddan toppled over and attempted to grasp one of the steel railings on the deck. "What was that!?" shouted Kaddan, as he stood up. One of the navigators looked up and quickly replied. "We’ve taken a direct hit from one of their destroyers. They fired a concussion missile. I’m running a diagnostic on our systems." Kaddan swore mildly under his breath, but it was still loud enough to get the attention of his crew. "Well what are you doing? Return fire! Give em everything we got!" Everyone nodded, and shortly a series of bright flashes came from under the ship. The Marauder had fired 17 rounds of her guns and main cannons, and all of it was concentrated on the destroyer. A massive explosion spread all over the ship and it became totally disabled from the oppressing fire. The entire crew on the bridge cheered loudly, as they continued to wage war on the Dark Alliance. However, down on the planet another war was on, a war against time… Anakin looked up at the sky, noticing the bright light that was laser fire from the Marauder. "C’mon Anakin, we gotta keep moving." Murmured Thrawn. Anakin sighed and stood up. "Ok, here’s our position. According to the pictures given to us by our Bothan intelligence, we’re two miles due east of the prison camps and the Dark Alliance center stronghold. They’re both heavily guarded, so we need to find a safe way in. Anyway, digressing a bit here, once we get inside, we look for the intelligence and info on the crystal star. Once we get all we can, we get the prisoners out. By this time, the first wave will have landed and will be all over the enemy soldiers. Once the prisoners are free, we pick up a transport, get back up to the Marauder, and that’s our mission over." Thrawn spat on the ground and spoke to Anakin. "But what about getting rid of the enemy, and liberating Sluis? I thought that was our mission." "Look kid, we got the hardest job of all. Sluis will be liberated, but that’ll be everyone else’s job. We got specific orders from Kaddan. Besides once we get our part done, all that’s needed is to liberate the planet. Anyway, we have to let Kaddan know about the return of the Sith. The Emperor is probably well outta here now that the attack has begun. You got me kid?" Thrawn nodded and knew arguing was useless. "Good, now lets get going, we’re almost there and the hardest part is yet to come." A dark ship flew closer to the Crystal Star. The huge space station hung in orbit over the moon of Bespin. Construction was near completion and the station was almost operational. The Emperor and his sith apprentice were on the small runabout, which was heading for the huge station. "We are quite fortunate to have gotten out of Sluis just before the attack began my master." Hissed Palpatines apprentice. "Yes, my young apprentice, your quite correct. However I sense that The V.E. and the Jedi’s are aware of our presence. If their infiltration team uncovers our plans of the Crystal star it will surely lead them here. This will work to our advantage my young apprentice. Once the Jedi’s and the V.E. arrive here, we will be able to show them our power with this technological terror and have them wiped out for ever!" M’aw and Palpatine looked on to their new weapon of terror. It was all beginning again just like the Death Star. "There it is fellas." Whispered Anakin to his comrades. The group crouched by a smoldering old building in the East Side of town. In the distance, they could see a large compound fenced off with barbwire, and the Dark Alliance command bunker. The compound was littered with soldiers and seemed totally impossible to penetrate. "This is where you come in Thrawn." Said Anakin. "You escaped from this prison so you’ll know the best way to get in." Thrawn nodded and explained the route of entry into the compound. "Ok, well, this’ll sound odd, but although it seems that the walls are impermeable, they are actually, part of a hologram. Some parts are real wire, and others are just projections. Obviously the projected parts are heavily guarded. However, every ten minutes, the guards swap over, and this usually takes twenty minutes, because all they do is talk. That gives us a ten minute window to get through there and into the compound." Anakin nodded and racked the bolt on his blaster. "Ok, once we’re inside, Thrawn and I will start the hunt for the data on the Crystal Star. We still dunno what it is yet. Anyway, while we’re doin’ that, Viper and Demi will be freeing the prisoners. Ok, any questions?" No one spoke. "Good, let’s go, the frontal assault will be starting soon, so there isn’t much time until their reinforcements arrive." Kaddan stood behind Matwin, his sonar analyst and spoke loudly in his ear. "Matwin, make the announcement for squads 10 and 12 to be released. We’re gonna end this now." Matwin Lexor looked a little white, but was Kaddans’ most competent man on board the ship. "Oh, and patch me through to Zeon, I want to inform on a few things." "Yes sir. Right away sir." As his officer was sending the transmission data over to Zeon’s flagship, Kaddan watched the ensuing battle with his weary, grey eyes. Suddenly a loud beep was sent out from the COM stat. "Yes Kaddan? This is Zeon." "Zeon, good to hear your voice. What’s your status?" "We’re all good here Kaddan. I was just about to board the runabout to Bespin for the infiltration mission. My ships’ shields are a little low, those guys shot us with a concussion missile, and damn near blew the bridge away. We were just about releasing another wave of fighters. Excuse me for a minute Kaddan." Kaddan conceded to Zeon’s wishes and waited. Suddenly there was a huge explosion that shook the Marauder. However, the Marauder was not the target. When Kaddan looked out of the view port, he saw the remnants of Zeon’s ship, floating in space, now mere debris. Kaddan turned around to the Com stat engineer. T