Moff Iylsa, commander of the new anti-RDA campaign. Under his command: the mISD-I Journer II, VSD-I Jinni, and the mVDS-II Poltergeist; the 74th and 75th Fighter Wing; 303rd Infantry, 252nd Recon, 72nd Armored Army Divisions; and the 93nd Stormtrooper Corps Division. In Command of the Jinni, Commander Lavaar Chissel, a chiss strategist. In command of the Poltergeist, Captain Yisanne StarChurch. The entire operation was strategically put together so that once it had eliminated the RDA's remnants, it could move in and take over the systems RDA had left behind.

"Sir, we've located the crash site. Should I send troops to search for enemy survivors?" Said a hardened General in decorated, black uniform.

"Not yet, there is no point in wasting lives digging through rubble. That was their only capital ship left. Their leader was onboard. Isolate the area, set up a two mile perimeter, and activate the scouts."

"Armor?"

"Save the fuel...wait. On second thought, two or three ST's wouldn't be a bad idea. Use Nitroglyn to clear the ground for HQ's and prepare for heavy trail building."

"Yes, Sir!" General Alin Greenman, young but experienced. His grandfather was a clone during the clone wars so he bore striking resemblance to many other's in the galaxy giving him that "face in the crowd" look. Now he served the ambitious Moff Iylsa as second in command of a backwater, colonizing, pirate fighting group.





Staff Sergeant Daniel "Goose" StarChurch was not suppose to join the STC. His dream was to fly tie fighters just like his father had done before he became a famous ship captain. He was even enrolled in the Academy at Carida for a year before he failed his exams and was expelled. Being a pilot, or an officer even, was a dead dream and he had to settle for infantry training in the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps. After working his way up to Squad leader, he was transferred to the 932nd so his father could keep an eye on him.

Goose formed up Delta squad(932-3-2-2-1) along with the rest of Hotel Company. Colonel Dall addressed his three platoons, his tentacles wrapped around his neck. "We are going to be the first of the STC on the ground. We will hold the west perimeter. Alpha and Charlie Platoons have guard duty, and Alpha has the day shift." sighs and protests from Charlie platoon filled the hanger they were using for briefing. "Bravo Platoon has Patrol, two day shifts for each squad. CO's will stay at HQ during patrols unless I say otherwise. We are sharing HQ with two Army Companies and a scout platoon. Any questions from the CO's?"

"Do we have to share mess with those ass wholes from the armored division?"

"Three AT-STs per HQ. So the answer is yes. Ten or twenty armored crewman will be there."

Shit Goose thought. For once he was glad to have patrol.





Lance Corporal Kris Kiev was new to the Empire. He signed up with some sort of reserve program to pay for schooling and found himself in a recon group instead of an academy. His term of service would be up in six years. Until then he was stuck in the 252nd of scouts, snipers, scanning, electronics, and espionage. He spent his time playing pazaac and cleaning the snipers in the armory.

Lieutenant Neidermeyer was Bravo Platoon's(252-1-1-2) CO. A young gun, he led his men by example but often made them feel inferior. "Listen up! It's our turn for front line. We're holding a two mile perimeter around the crash site. Delta has the 0000 to 0800 shift; Echo 0800 0400; and Foxtrot 0400 to 0000. Squad leaders will work out kinks. Meet in room A21 in an hour and wait for a transport to the Journer II. Dismissed!"





Casca had waited long enough, "No one else survived. W need to start getting out now before they surround us." Tara said. Raigen sat patiently staring into the dirt. "Well, what are you waiting for, we need to get moving."

"They will track us but they are in no hurry. They have complete control over us. We will let them settle in and then use their own equipment to escape." Raigen picked up his pack and pulled out a magnetic heading indicator. He began moving north, the jungle was hot, and he wanted to find elevation. He also wanted a spot where he could see how the enemy had set up and he thought he saw a mountain on the way down.

"Tara, how long have you worked with Raigen?" Casca asked as he followed his nemesis through the foliage. A cruel irony that the young Imperial would have to live with.

"Since he was a small child. It is amazing that so young a boy can outperform us in every theatre. Especially if you consider his wild roots. It will be interesting to see him in old age, will it not?" Tara said as she adjusted the sling on her rifle. It looked at home on the assassin, like a third arm or something.

"You mean he wasn't always a military genius."

"Genius, hardly. Raigen was the son of a genius. A great pilot for both the empire and the RDO who married a women in which the blood of the Order flows profusely. I'm sorry, you are an outside. His father had married a women very important to our group, and his skills and friendship to Chief Bandaar led him to become his heir. So Warren Tei-Yehn was assassinated and Raigen was chosen to take his place. We followed Raigen from a distance and molded him for the job. He received training he didn't know he was getting. We dropped the Grey Hawk on Tatooine with Jawa order members. They practically gave the ship to Raigen. We arranged for him to go into debt with a hutt member of the Black Hand so we could keep tabs on him. That did not go will and a year ago, Raigen killed the Hutt and took over his estate. Then we hired him as a smuggler. That is when I, Marshal Challon, and Darren met Raigen in person. He was fiery in his youth and still is. Cocky, and yet the thing he is best at is getting in and out of trouble."

"So he isn't all he is cracked up to be?"

"Not at all, Raigen is an escape artist and a criminal. He has ideas and rarely sees them through. But he gives us hope. For a young boy to survive so much, our order can overcome anything. Anyway, we assigned him a first mate that would balance him out. Gremman was a good man. He would have gone far if Raigen didn't drag him into trouble. Rai won't forgive himself for what happened to Gremmen."

"Do you think that is why he matured?"

"No, he got worse. More reckless. He started some dangerous projects that landed him on Thrawn's hit list and finally in the hands of the CSA. Lucky for him, we sent a faux threat to a VE ship so they would take over the ship Raigen was enslaved on."

"So you mean...?"

"Yes. Raigen is loyal to a group that didn't mean to save him. They got his message minutes before they took over the ship. Like I said, we groomed him. The empire disciplined him until he was old enough to to be a leader as well as a pilot. When Darren found out the treasure was still on Lorelei...outsider, sorry. When Darren found the gems on Lorelei, greed and revenge overpowered him. He filled Raigen's head with ideas of a great and all powerful army erected in less than a year that would take over his ancestor's planet and reinstate a once noble and just state. Bull shit, but convincing bull shit. Raigen jumped in and organized the invasion using every available resource. He had ideas, big ones. It cost him his peace of mind and his way of life but he saw them through. Thrawn found out and crushed us from the inside. There is no chance of a galaxy wide order reforming, but I will follow Raigen whichever way he turns. I believe he will follow the RDA, but his father's Imperial blood still flows in his veins. He could be a great leader, if he gets his act together."

"I organized a trap to take the Helsa, but Raigen's Ace wing was too good for a wing second only to the 181st."

"Phennir....you are his?"

"No, I mean, I don't know. I was born on Carida while he was at the academy. I took his name because he was a legend and I did not want my mothers name. Anyway, Raigen defeated me and I was made an example of. I was to be executed with the vile scum of the galaxy, publicly humiliated and destroyed. Raigen destroyed everything I had worked for, so I defected to the VE and worked my way up to CPO. I am his equal and we fight on the same side. How ironic. I must excel above him or all I have done has been done in vain."

"Noble ambition, not to seek revenge but to move on and become better from what you have endured. Remember that Raigen is just a person and he is no better that you or me."

"True, but I must prove that to myself."


"Raigen looked over to his XO, "Jacen, I'm sorry. I know you wanted to be a captain more than anything."

"It is fine. The next ship will be roll off the line in a few months. It gives me time to decide on a name." Jacen lied, both to Raigen and to himself.

"No, the next ship is yours, I will stay above Tadath and oversee productions."

"Will you take the second ship?"

"No, I have bigger ships to build."