Gyndine




“It is a common fallacy that simply putting a holonet relay into orbit about a planet or just inside a system will suddenly swarm that planet or system with Reavers. Like any rancor whose attention you are trying to get, one cannot ignore one very important fact!” The portly man in uniform paused dramatically while his followers, local politicians and industry representatives, wondered if they were supposed to guess the fat man’s train of thought.

“And that fact is” prodded one representative noting that the soldier was waiting for some sort of response and the instant image of pudgy man’s features preening as if knighted by Emperor Hyfe himself confirmed the rep’s thought.

“That the rancor needs to be near enough to hear you!” Ortho Gutt exclaimed as if portioning out a revelation that would part the galaxy and sweep the alien Cree’Ar menace from existence.

“I would imagine that the majority of the galaxy still using holonet and not suffering from Reaver attacks would also bear witness to that fact,” the rep commented dryly.

“Which is why I am nationalizing the entire production of this world for the single purpose of destroying the Cree’Ar,” announced Ortho Gutt, rather harshly. He did not enjoy being the butt of snide comments and, being who he was, he was damned sensitive to them.

As shouts of protest and anger rang out against the Imperial, Ortho turned to the stormtrooper contingent escorting them. It was a simple gesture but a significant one for it told the others who had the power at that moment and who did not.

“Emperor Kraken will surely send ships and supplies to us..” the rep who had made the snide remark tried to smooth feathers all around but Ortho Gutt was having none of it.

“The Empire is at war! The Corellian Diktat has been smashed and the protectorate is in the verge of total collapse. No direction, no unified structure with Corellia’s betrayal so it is up to us! This world is to be the new capital of a new protectorate. A Gyndine Compact!”

“With you as Governor?” the rep asked pointedly.

“Of course!” Gutt answered equally frank. “I bring the big guns and you..”

“Pay for them..” the rep muttered. The others wondered if he had gone too far with the Imperial.

Ortho Gutt was quiet for a long moment.

“The Coruscanti thought like that as well. Look where they are at now! Under the heel of an aggressive alien power!”

Ortho’s heavy breath fell upon the business rep as he moved menacingly closer. “You do not win by retreating from the school yard bully! You meet aggression with aggression! Bloody their nose!”

“Or be bloodied in the process,” the rep shot back. “Has anyone thought to negotiate with these aliens? They seem to be hell bent on scouring the galaxy of force users. The Corellian Diktat was Lupercus Darksword’s personal protectorate..”

The rep paused and Ortho sneered back, “And?”

“And Lupercus was a force user. A Sith, in fact.” For the second time a great silence fell for the Empire did not talk about it’s Sith connections nor the force-relationships of those who once held power and were still alive. Lupercus could, after all, return.

“Tread lightly,” Ortho warned.

“It stands to reason where there was one force user, there may be more,” the rep persisted. “If there are more Sith within the Corellian Diktat..”

“Gyndine Compact!” snapped Ortho.

“Fine! Gyndine Compact. If there are more Sith here or those bloody Jedi Corps, that puts us in a rather good bargaining position. It gives us some power.”

“You would betray the Jedi?” someone asked and the rep turned a disgusted look at his colleague. Ortho even had to blink several times at that. Were the Jedi Corps a branch of Jedi? Did Simon Kaine bring Jedi-lovers back to the Empire? They were numerous but mostly ignored by the High Command, the Military, the Sith and just about everyone else. They were weak force users and therefore the lowest people on the totem pole just above your average citizen. They were good paper-pushers within the Imperial Greater Bureaucracy but now, however, they were the Cree’Ar’s current fancy of the month and many did not think twice about turning on the Corpsmen and women if only to save their own skins.

It was obvious the rep did not know how to answer the other with regards to the status of the Jedi Corps within those ethereal force-user rankings known only to themselves.

Ortho stepped in, “Jedi are guardians of peace. This would merely be one way of ensuring the peace. With their lives.”

The business rep turned to Gutt with a look of wary respect in his eyes and Ortho smiled smugly to himself. The Imperial decided he might just let the rep live.

Krake’s Planet



Imperial Intelligence was on the move. Or at least, what was left of it. When Trachta had become Director effectively replacing Ysanni Isard, he had gutted the ranks placing his own people in key spots. It was not because he gave a damn about Imp Intel or how it should be run but, rather, it was merely a stepping stone towards the greater ambition.



Treason.



The displacement of the Regent.


To what end?



By now, with Isard picking up the pieces, it was quite evident that the Iron Fist of the Empire had loosened somewhat and she would count them all lucky if that great hand still retained fingers, let alone the ability to make a fist.



The Imperial Datasphere was fragmented and for a moment, the old woman of Intelligence felt pity for Kraken as he would play Emperor from a greatly weakened position. Then again, for a man dead six times out of the year due to some or other assassination attempts, he was lucky he could call himself Emperor at all and yet still be alive.



Isard could not concern herself with the political realities of Empire leaving the thoughts of Park Kraken’s position to fend for themselves. Her concern was the reality facing them all.



War.



The enemy had Coruscant and it was still too early to figure what they would do. Their transmissions were shell games, of course; merely white-wash to blind the eyes of the gullible from their real purposes which were, naturally, unknown.



It was that unknown that unnerved the Ice Queen of the Empire for rarely did she operate blindly.



She looked down at her pitiful list of assets and knew that she would have to make do. Unless she blackmailed some official to put Imp Intel on the fast-track for asset allocation but the problem was a new Emperor usually meant new officials in old titles and she did not have the time.



Not at the speed that the enemy was moving.



Contending with the Cree’Ar would require finesse on a grand scale and a very selective use of force where she could be certain of victory. There was no way she could meet them head-long for they would shatter what ships and personnel she had left and go on their merry way to the completion of their plans.



It was a like a being coated in iron armor swinging a mace at her while she defended herself with arrows. Only pinpoint accurate shots would penetrate those kinks… but she had to find the kinks before their swing took her head.



“The Imperial Guard stopped a Cree’Ar pincer. They got mauled but damn if they held,” intruded a voice into Isard’s thoughts.



“Ciscero, what the devil were you doing with Telan Desaria? You were supposed too..”



“Find out about Yaga Minor,” the agent interrupted a second time. Isard scowled. A few years ago she would have shot him out of hand for his audacity but nowadays she needed him Damn the man! and he knew it.



Therefore he could afford to be a little more forward and she could afford to take it.



For now!



A headache suddenly found its way into her and a hand went instinctively up. “Just tell me what you found,” she replied uncharacteristically subdued as she found a seat to sit down. “Are the Cree’Ar making advances towards the Mid Rim?”



If they struck at Vladet it would be an all or nothing move.





“Not with any intent so far. I think the presence of the Reavers in the Core is causing many to reevaluate their situation.”



“Damn Kraken for Corellia!” she burst out but Ciscero shook his head.



“Kraken did not bring the Reavers to the Core. You have Kach Thorton to thank for that.”



It was still hazy what part Kach Thorton played in the entire drama that transpired on Coruscant that left Regent Zell and numerous defenders dead and Coruscant seized. The man had defied orders remaining within the Borderlands to fight the Reaver threat but then, suddenly had a change of heart and raced for Coruscant. Unfortunately, several of his ships were infected and who knew where else he displaced Reavers.


The first time was probably unknowingly which, she thought viciously, he should have been shot for anyway.



But then there was Trachta’s attempted coup during the siege which was a lesson in ambition overriding common sense.



“Kraken used the Reavers just as these Cree’Ar use the Reavers but there are still too many unknowns about the Reavers to think they will continue to act like pawns in whatever games we play.”



Isard motioned for her agent to continue, “You were saying about Yaga Minor..?”



“The Cree’Ar are having as much trouble getting to Yaga Minor as we are,” Ciscero commented. "Telan Desaria’s force caught the enemy traveling conventionally."


“Then why did he not destroy them completely!” snapped Isard.



“Because the enemy utilizes technology we are unfamiliar with and the proximity to the system interfered with the Grand Admiral’s full tactical ability.”



“What do you mean? The mere presence to Bhindi Drayson’s bastion of power made him piddle himself?” Her headache was really becoming annoying.



“No, the problem is with whatever happened at Yaga Minor during the Cree’Ar’s first assault to make the system so inaccessible and severed from our remaining holonet system. That err.. problem seems to have ..grown.”



“What do you mean?”


“I mean, we always presume that the Cree’Ar overwhelmed and pounded Yaga Minor and Bhindi to dust but what if all that was smoke and mirrors. We presumed a presence still there when the enemy moved on to obliterate Abregado Rae’s defenses but what if they simply timed their departure from Yaga Minor before being forced to vacate the space.”



“Forced how?” Isard was leaning back on her seat but she arrested that movement and sat back up in interest.



“Why is it so empty here?” the agent asked glancing around.



“We are evacuating the planet. With Coruscant compromised, I’ll be damned if those alien bastards will take us when I can prevent it!”



The old woman suddenly sat up, “Come, Ciscero, tell me why we overestimated these aliens and the Yaga Minor situation.”



Ciscero’s features darkened.



“We are not overestimating them, Director. They are extremely dangerous. Probably the most dangerous foe this side of the Sith and they are seeking war with the Sith.”



He paused as the emptiness of the base suddenly struck home. Machines wiped, removed, dismantled with droid-like efficiency.



“After the battle, Grand Admiral Desaria made a few attempts to penetrate into Yaga Minor and was unsuccessful. Therefore we did the next best thing.”



“Rummage through the wreckage?”


“Intelligence Gathering 101. Works on people. Why not planets?”



“And what did you find, my earnest agent?”



Ciscero held up a datacrystal. “That we underestimated Bhindi Drayson and that no one is going to touch Yaga Minor for a good long while.”


Isard looked at her agent thoughtfully.



“Director, the last ship is prepared to leave.” a voice sounded from her comlink.




“We will be there shortly.” She responded.



“You’re ready to leave?”



“Ciscero, we’ve been clearing out of here since before the call to evacuate Coruscant went out. Now, Imperial Intelligence scurries away like rats before an oncoming tide. And mark my words, Ciscero, that tide is coming.”



She turned to her agent, getting back on task, “Show me what you’ve found..”

It is no secret that the decision to promote Moff Bhindi Drayson to Supreme Commander could have been better made. While the reputation and exploits of Ms. Drayson are uncontestable there remain those skeptics that speculate if the Moff's ability were the sole factor in the decision. Conspiracy theorists point out that a simple recommendation by Simon Kaine to the Imperial High Command and the Emperor for Drayson's promotion would have still brought about the same results. Especially if Moff Drayson herself desired the promotion. And yet...

Simon Kaine made it a point to come to Coruscant to ensure from the Emperor's own mouth that such a promotion would, in fact, take place.

It, therefore, begged the question as to why Ms. Drayson's promotion to the post he was retiring from was so important to Kaine? It also would be cause for speculation as to the exact nature of the relationship between Simon Kaine and Bhindi Drayson.

The datasphere is alive with Drayson-philes (as they term themselves) that a union between the Supreme Commander and the Empire's most powerful Moff would have created a powerful shift in the leadership dynamic of the Empire that even the Emperor could have easily been threatened.

There are those that feel that if Kaine had wanted to be Emperor, he merely had to seize it without requiring the companionship of Ms. Drayson as there are those who say if Bhindi Drayson desired to be Empress, she merely had to reach out and take it as well.

Be that as it may, there are records of the Galactus making port at Yaga Minor more often than at most other ports. It makes one wonder if Moff Drayson was held in equal esteem as, say, Moff Kraken with Simon Kaine or was there something more..superficial that made its way into the mind of the Supreme Commander...?



***




Prior to Coalition Billibringi Attack


"Another visit, Supreme Commander. A woman might read into all this attention," Moff Drayson remarked as the two walked to her private quarters.

"Maybe the rumors about your lack of loyality require a more hands-on presence from myself," Kaine replied calmly.

Bhindi Drayon's delicate face drew together in scorn. "No offense, Supreme Commander, if I wanted to move, there would be nothing you could do to stop me. Your single warship in port can be destroyed at my whim as could yourself."

It was Simon's turn to turn a disapproving look towards the Moff's direction. "Threats are beneath you."

Yaga Minor's Moff reacted as if physically struck and while she did not respond, it was clear she was angered.

"This way," she motioned crisply, all business.


*

"Damn if the Moff won't shoot him!" the security man turned his face to his workmate as the monitors showed both leaders enter her quarters disappearing from the Security Network's sight. No one seemed more intent on personal security than Bhindi Drayson but like all paranoid leaders how handled their share of secret programs and personal ambitions, they drew the line at spying on themselves.


"How do you know it's not an act?" the other, older security man asked.


"Have you ever known Moff Drayson to act?"


"Point!" the other conceded.


**


"My people expect me to shoot you one of these days," Bhindi reflected a few hours later.


"Sometimes I feel like shooting myself," Kaine remarked and saw that his comment drew much disapproval from the woman. Ambitious women had no patience for self-doubt. Especially when...


"Don't tell me you are worried about Joren Logan and his Coalition's rhetoric?" she prodded and Simon smiled. The culmination of the Glee Anselm coup was about to be brought about giving the Empire an boon to exploit.


"No.." his voice trailed off.


"You are not worried the Emperor will slip on his tea and break his neck, are you?"


Despite the narrowed eyes he threw her way she grinned a feral grin. "If you are worried about his safety, I might be able to arrange extra protection.."


"Hyfe is irrelevant.." Kaine murmured and Drayson suddenly laughed out loud rather harshly.


"Don't tell me you are still worried about time bandits from the future? You think the Imperium will last another four hundred years?"


Kaine could tell that she did not believe his report now any more than she did when he first relayed it. Or perhaps, she was merely toying with him in hopes of angering him to divulge more information that she could use to her own ends later?"


He looked up at her and noted (yet again) that her appearance did not do justice to her photos. She was young, ambitious and very, very angry. So much so that it was a poison to her soul.


If she still had one.


He sat forward, "Bhindi, I attempted an assassination of Hyfe during the first incident." She was the first person he had told outside his circle and he could see that the admission had the effect he desired.


The enormity of his admission was not lost on her but even as her mind tried to wrap itself around what he had just admitted too, some part of her refused to accept it.


"You do not fail.." she said by way of argument and it was Kaine's turn to chuckle out a laugh.


"What is the point of taking Hyfe's place if your enemies from the future are going to travel back in time and undo all your work?"


It was almost a comment of helplessness and it drew a rather vicious remark from the Moff. "Then mobilize the damned fleet and strike the Imperium with everything we have! Burn them to the ground!"


"Bhindi, in one reality, the Blood conquered the galaxy and, even so, failed to wipe out everything of Heir Raktus' Dragon Imperium. Enough of it remained to travel back in time and, this time, help me contain the Blood during the Themien War. Do you think we could do better at eradicating the Dragons than the Blood?"


Bhindi rose, her silk robe wrapped around her and, while she made a pair of drinks remarked, "All you have is that Dragon bastard's word as evidence of this... other reality. I am sorry but that is not good enough. The Dragons do not deserve that trust. They are the enemy."


"Their actions fit their story," Kaine responded taking the offered drink when Bhindi returned.


Before the Moff could roll her eyes, Kaine produced a datacrystal and her eyes instantly lit up.


"What have you brought me now?"


"We have been visited twice by the Dragons so we know that not only is time travel possible, we know the Dragons develop it after about four hundred years. Now, I cannot just disappear and then return to become Emperor for they would simply come back through time and prevent it again. They have the advantage of simply waiting until I die for from their perspective, I already have died. Whatever I do in my life from this point on will already be known to them."


Bhindi's fingers moved the crystal in her hand and she shook her head, "You have become intertwined in their equation."


Kaine's hand covered hers as he drew her eyes, "Find me a way out of that equation."


Her hand clasped the datacrystal even tighter.




***




"He's gone?" a voice intruded and Bhindi finished tightening the belt of her uniform.


"He's gone," she confirmed and she removed the lockout to her quarters. Her Second in Command walked in and she handed him the data crystal. "Find out what is on this. Kaine does not do anything by halves and while he may be seeing demons and monsters in the dark with his inaction, I have no doubt that there is a weapon here." Her fingers remained on the crystal one of them tapping it.


"You have him in your palm..." the other man mentioned admiringly and her face instantly flashed with anger, her hand slapping his face hard.

"Watch yourself, Commander. Simon Kaine is a great man and like all great men, his problems have a life of their own. But do not doubt the man's genius and skill."


The man flushed at the strike but nodded his obedience. After she turned away to walk out, he ventured to speak once more, "How can you be sure he is not using you?"


It was a cautious question but it was one that drew a sincere smile from the woman and at that moment, she looked like the most beautiful creature the Commander had ever seen.


"As long as I become Supreme Commander, what does it matter?"



**
**



"Sir, Galactus has cleared all moorings and is on station to depart."


Supreme Commander Simon Kaine was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Take us out of here, Gordon."


As the great warship's engines vibrated with life moving at the Supreme Commander's order, Gordon Sveli, the ship's master, moved over to him.


"Is everything alright, sir?"


Kaine sighed and looked over to his friend. "I just know what I have to do and it is not going to be the easiest thing in the galaxy to do."


"If I may, sir. She's no good for you. Pretty as all get out, admittedly, but she has a soul of ice and hate."


Simon Kaine turned to the other man and Gordon thought he had gone too far when Simon suddenly broke into a grin. "She wants to be Supreme Commander, Gordon. And to accomplish what I want accomplish, I think she will need to be."


"Sir, for her to be Supreme Commander, that means you will have to not be."


"There is a purpose to all of this, Gordon. The Coalition will strike and her attention will be captured while I finish my plans. There is a greater purpose here and it will require me to finally act. What makes this visit weigh on me is that I know these things about Ms. Drayson. I know what is driving her and I know what she wants. Her ambition is coiled inside her at all times, guiding her actions and pushed along by her hatred. If she was a force-user she would be a prime candidate for the Sith."


"Then..?"


"Gordon, she is all about control. Like a recovering alcoholic. And I've just given her the keys to the liquor cabinet. Any number of things could happen. I fear the woman is going to kill herself and a great many people."



**
**




..What we know is that Simon Kaine made several visits to Yaga Minor, the majority of them taking place prior to his retirement. He then gained an audience with Emperor Hyfe and secured Bhindi Drayson's appointment as his replacement. A number of projects were started by Supreme Commander Drayson, replacing those of Kaine. Projects of a more exotic nature it seems from what little has been gathered.

Two years later, Bhindi Drayson is considered dead and Yaga Minor ...


..destroyed?





**



Yaga Minor

During the Year of Cataclysm

Super Star Destroyer Acheron



Supreme Commander Bhindi Drayson smiled as her flagship marked off the distance at the edge of the system.


"Terminus Array powering up, Commander. Power bleed-off is nominal.."


As the activity aboard the Acheron intensified, Bhindi whispered to no one in particular. "I have the power..."


"CONTACT! Unidentified starships penetrating our advance warning screens!"


What?

The data crystal that Kaine had given Moff Drayson contained information he had gleaned from the Themiens regarding their ability to move from one universe or dimension (it should be noted that at this point, scientific knowledge regarding the nature of the universe, space and time applicability within the quantum scope and theory into multiverse dynamics was in its infancy) to another. It was yet another boon to add to the arsenal of R&D projects the Yaga Minor Protectorate was financing but there was only so much an ambitious Moff could do.

When Bhindi Drayson became the Supreme Commander, however, she suddenly had access to the financial might of the Empire’s military spending budget. Coupled with her considerable expectations, prototype projects moving her ambitions forward were demanded.

In this case, the scientific progress was lagging behind the iron will and drive of the woman commanding the operational functions of the Imperial military. Therefore, it was later found out, the circumstances surrounding Yaga Minor’s sundering from the Empire during the Year of Cataclysm were as much due to the activation of Project: Looking Glass as it was the Cree’Ar invasion. The Empire’s first foray into trans-dimensional application met with tragic results setting back that field of research until…

The Cree’Ar commander figured the military leader of Yaga Minor was simply employing a “scorched earth” policy of denying a potential fortress world to the enemy. Since Yaga Minor was only one part of an overall invasion program centered on seizing the Imperial Capital of Coruscant, whether the fortress world was removed by it’s own hand or that of the Cree’Ar made little difference to the invading enemy.

What would have given the Supreme Commander nearly unlimited power proved to be her undoing. Historians often allow themselves to play the speculative game of ‘what if’ when contemplating the Yaga Minor Sundering. What if Supreme Commander Drayson had tempered her ambition and allowed the science to catch up? What if, instead of inadequate control of misunderstood rules governing galactic realities on a quantum level, she was found to have a solid handle on the science even if with limited applicability? It is possible her fortress world would have been bypassed or would have repulsed the alien invasion making her name the only real choice in terms of succession despite Trachta’s coup. It is quite possible a live Drayson would have better reinforced the Empire and Coruscant perhaps turning the tide of the war. As it was, the Cree’Ar correctly assumed that an able Supreme Commander removed would sprout a less able, less capable replacement. This would prove to be true for the IHC Admiralty were used to being directed by the Supreme Commander, not leading in her absence and the Regent, while a former Grand Admiral, was not prepared or equipped to handle the complexity and logistics of the Grand Imperial Navy. And if Park Kraken had still declared himself Emperor, it is certain she would have declared herself Empress thus ripping the Empire in two instead of the …

**

"What is it?!" snapped Supreme Commander Drayson impatient to commence with the test.


"The pickets are intercepting," her Executive Officer responded hastily as he was being updated. "Could be a smuggler, freighter or just a ship in distress.."


His voice trailed off as he groped for some sort of confirmation. "At least the advance warning system is working."


Bhindi narrowed her eyes. She did not believe in coincidences. Yaga Minor's defenses had been upgraded after the Coalition's attack on Billibringi.


"Destroy it!" she snapped. Better a dead mistake than live potential. Especially potential to interfere with her plans.


"Relaying to the Devestator," the Exec signaled to the Comm Officer in charge of the station pit.


"Terminus Array is fully charged and awaiting your command," the system's monitor interrupted and Drayson felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.


The hands of the Empire's second Supreme Commander gripped the rail encompassing the bridge of her flagship, taking in the activity in the station pits below.


"Execute," her voice purred.


"Activating the Array," confirmed the monitor and a slight vibration of the Acheron's hull was felt until the harmonics of the energy transfer reached a parity with the starship's systems.


"Power augmentation complete."

"Phase collectors charged."

"Transfer commencing."

"Arrays firing!"


The scene outside the flagship's bridge viewport flashed as if the vessel had made a jump to lightspeed. Except the acceleration engines had not fired.


"Report!" Drayson commanded as the Acheron suddenly rocked as if struck by something.


"Direct hit! Minor damage to ventral sections!"


"The Terminus Array is preventing shields from raising!"



*********
*********


"It is a trying task," the Skey'g'aar replied as he proceeded to rise from a seated position. "It requires a discipline most fine distasteful."

"It would seem to be an ability leaders would claw each other to have at their command." Varro Kai responded; his bulky frame uncomfortable in the corridor of the Arbiter.

"To send soldiers who can position-shift at will..." the Judicator’s voice drifted off as questions came to his eyes.

Zeratul cast an amused glance at the young Judicator. "You see the problem. Soldiers are effective when they are concentrated solely on the task at hand. Take this hill or destroy that position. Any shift in that focus will shift the course of battle. Your position-shifting soldiers would die by the thousands since they would ignore the threats to them to concentrate on shifting."

"But if it is an inherent ability with you, Zeratul, surely the shift can be accomplished rather quickly."

"The act, perhaps, Judicator. But you would not like the results. Any fool can push buttons and steer a starship but that does not make him a pilot. Any fool can order soldiers to take this and that but that does not make him a Judicator."

Varro Kai flushed in embarrassment and then again when he realized he felt embarrassed in front of a Skey'g'aar. Still, this was not just any Skey'g'aar. This was Zeratul who resided in the glorious company of Kal Shora and Artanis.

He wanted to ask if the ability was indeed natural to the Skey’g’aar or if it was a result of Nexus but courage failed him. Shadowcaste was everywhere and Zeratul was mysterious enough to put pause to the young Judicator’s inhibitions.

Was Zeratul Shadowcaste?

“What is the large warship doing?” the Skey’g’aar asked diverting the Judicator’s senses to things other than himself.

“Moving beyond sight… slowly. It appears these Imperials move with purpose but not belligerence. Our gravitic field is stable. They are blind to our presence.”

“As always,” Zeratul murmured. “I will require privacy. I cannot allow any distraction to enter my mind and you must tend to the ship.”

The Judicator nodded and left the small room. The Cree’Ar Arbiter was a small, cramped ship. Functional for it’s purpose and creature comfort held no line of sight with that purposes’ vision.

When Varro Kai left, Zeratul’s breathing slowed. An ordered mind, a clear mind is what was necessary for the position-shift. The Skey’g’aar had oversimplified matters for the Judicator as the other need not be privy to the abilities of Zeratul. The ability to discorporalize his body and reappear elsewhere was not to be taken lightly. Flights of fancy would have him disappearing on a starship and appearing on a planet in the next system over but, with any ability that involved bodily functionality, such things as where he would materialize and how far away depended greatly on not only the will of the mind but the knowledge that will steadied itself on. To dematerialize and appear on another side of a wall (let alone greater distances) rested on his knowledge of that room. If he knew nothing of what was on the other side of that wall, he would very likely die in the attempt. Thickness of the wall, whether a table was pushed against the opposite side, or in the middle of the room or, Borleas forbid, filled with molten lava were things his senses needed to know to complete a successful shift. And that was the difference between his ability and, say, the human fiction of teleportation machines. His ability required knowledge gathered from his senses whereas human fiction relied on mechanical sensors and scanning sweeps to ensure safety. The body will fight to live and does not surrender easily. Convincing himself to his core being that his shift will be successful was a difficult thing if he could not determine that success first hand by seeing it, feeling it, tasting and smelling it. Artanis made it that much more difficult since all Zeratul had to go on where the scans, albeit detailed, from the warlord Chaddwick Fearsons. That this Fearsons would trade his intimate knowledge of Yaga Minor (once a former possession of the man) for food stuffs for his Jutraalian soldiers inserted a small doubt into the Skey’g’aar’s mind as to the veracity of the data. Unfortunately, small doubts led to death or an inability shift.

~ TBC

Gyndine


Ortho Gutt huffed in irritation at the flutter of hands wrapping cloth around his body. He was using the custom tailors for his new Gyndine Compact uniforms and, so far, he liked what he saw. He just wished they could make his garments without having to touch him as they made him involuntarily self-conscious.

"Have we received word from the Emperor regarding our new status?" he demanded of his aide, the planet's former Magistrate.

"No, Lord. The Gyndine Compact has yet to be issued Protectorate status from Imperial Center," his aide dutifully replied. He swallowed uneasily as the two Imperial Stormtroopers standing at the door shifted which made Ortho silently pleased. He had used his stormtrooper contingent aboard the Predator to establish his control over Gyndine and now they were a regular sight wherever Gutt's crony overseers went. He felt his move to leave the local planetary infrastructure in place though truth be told, the planet was Imperial and so did not need to have its infrastructure replaced. Ortho Gutt, though, suspected the world's populace were malcontent and rife with rebellious attitudes and considered implementing hostile takeover procedures normally reserved for worlds conquered. What stayed his hand was the fact that he could not bring the military forces from the Predator to run the world and continue to have an active starship. He decided that the people running things were competent enough and so inserted yet another layer of bureaucracy in the form of Overseers which required minimal personnel.

Having the largest warship in the area also convinced local garrisons and military installations to defer to his authority. When one Admiral balked at being overridden by this upstart Captain, Ortho had the man shot under an obscure Emergency Powers Act in which rank took a backseat to operational power. The Empire was, after all, in a state of war.

Prison, a place Ortho had called home mere weeks ago, had taught the elevated Captain the value of seizing opportunities no matter how large or small. And nothing provided as many opportunities as war. War provided absolution for even the most despicable of sinners and crushed underfoot those weaklings who somehow found their way to power during peacetime. Ortho was determined not to show weakness or, if such an occurrence did take place, to stamp the life out of those who were witnesses.

"Leave me," he imperiously ordered the aide who all but scrambled to leave the room.

He was sure that a man like Emperor Kraken could identify with Ortho Gutt. It was why he pushed forward immediate implementation of the commands that issued from Vladet. He was, in all but name, Moff of the Gydine Compact. With the outer Protectorates battling the Reaver threat and the inner protectorates in turmoil over the Cree'Ar attacks, he took action where he saw it was needed and created an island of functional order out of the chaos. That was the Compact.

It would be a Protectorate. He would be Moff. He would attack the Cree'Ar and beat them back. He would destroy the aliens and rebels alike.

"Not if the Emperor does not confirm it," drolled Captain Yatta, entering the room. Having been identified as a confidant of Captain Gutt, the stormtroopers immediately allowed him through and it was by chance that Yatta heard Gutt mumble out loud his dreams. Unfortunate timing aside, Ortho knew Yatta would do what he said; especially since he knew on which side his bread was buttered. Yatta's Imperator was heavily damaged in a fight with the Cree'Ar and was currently undergoing the repairs that the Gyndine Compact could support. It was not much and oh, how Ortho longed or the massive dry-docks to be found at Yaga Minor, Coruscant or even Kuat. In the meantime, he would have to make do with pressing civilian starship repair centers to military use. They were not happy and their work was not up to military standards but beggers couldn't be choosy. At least, not under the current circumstances.

"The Emperor has more important things to think about than giving me the title of a job I am already performing," Gutt snapped out.


"Easy, don't bust a button," Yatta snickered out lazily finding a seat to plunk down into. His uniform was dirty and his manners coarse but the man had uses. Or so Ortho liked to tell himself.

"Have you arrested the Jedi Corps?" Ortho demanded. The Cree'Ar declaration
of war on all force users was the stuff that strategic pauses in war were made of. If they could distract the Cree'Ar by handing them force users while they regrouped and repositioned themselves, so much the better. Ortho never had any uses for force users anyway. He knew that a Sith entering the Compact could challenge his authority and so had standing orders to arrest any force users on sight.

At least he thought he had standing orders. Looking at a grinning Yatta whose hands widened in seeming helplessness began to cast doubts in his mind. "Have you arrested any?" Ortho's eyes seemed ready to pop out.

"Nope," Yatta casually replied. Before the rotund Captain Gutt could explode in rage, Yatta held up a finger. "I have, however, put many into protective custody."

Confusion diffused Ortho's anger as he tried to assimilate what his fellow Captain was telling him. "Protective..?" He frowned, "What??"

"What happens when you post 'wanted' signs all over the place for force users. Those force users suddenly go off the radar and to ground. You call yourself a hunter? You should know that! The animals scatter. A force user of some power, Sith or Jedi, would probably even openly challenge the notice. You don't need that! Not now!

So, you use the recognizable sounds of an animal caller. Instead of using the bleats of the bloat pig, we simply post warnings to force users offering them protective custody. Offer to move them out of sight and relocation, if needed. Rather than running, they voluntarily come to us. They are contained, guarded just like an arrest only it is 'protective custody'."


Ortho's confusion turned to excitement. "That's bloody brilliant! I am glad I did not open up your starship like a food packet when you first pulled into system!" That was Ortho's way of taking credit for everything the other Captain did. Not that Yatta seemed to mind. At least he wasn't showing it if he did. Not that Ortho cared. Once his old 'friend' outlived his usefulness, he could be sent to the front lines wherever they happened to be at the time.

"I am having the system's holonet terminal dismantled in the Compact," Captain Gutt stated grandly. Captain Yatta looked surprised.

"How will you coordinate with Imperial Center? How will you keep control of the Combine? How will the Combine's people react to you cutting off communications with their friends or family?"

"Who said anything about that?" Gutt asked, pleased with himself.

"But you just said." Yatta started when Gutt turned around, much to the consternation of the tailor and wagged a pudgy finger at him.

"There are transmitters and receivers all over the place but they are small. All communications go through main holonet terminal. The smaller holonet transmitters on ships and planets need the larger system terminals to funnel their content through. So a bunch of little lights become a very large light that probably would attract Reavers."

"Yeah, but without the main terminals, the intersystem holonet traffic will become much weaker and one planetary system will not be able to communicate with another." Yatta pointed out.

"So we use Dictators," Ortho said. When Yatta simply stared with incomprehension, Ortho continued, "In place of the static main holonet terminals.a static lightning rod right into the various systems of the Combine."

"You make the lightning rods mobile.." Captain Yatta incredulously whispered as understanding dawned.

Ortho's smiling triumph was smashed when Yatta asked, "So, whose idea was it?"

The rotund Captain kicked at the seated Captain growling, "It was my idea, you idiot!!"

Communications Pit, Acheron



"Activating the Array"



"What the...", whispered an annoyed Ensign Gerdal.


"Problem, Ensign," his superior asked over his shoulder as if the man had overheard him.


"The fluxuating energy harmonics must be messing with our comms," Gerdal answered briskly. "Transmitting signals are not getting through.."


"Inbound signals?" his superior asked in clipped fashion.


The Ensign toggled a few switches, "We are getting something.." he murmured. "Trying to boost the reception."


"Send to the Scanning Pit and see if they are having any issues as well," the superior ordered before moving on.


It was a sensible order and the Ensign kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier. Was the fluxuation interfering with only the Comms or were Sensors affected? After all, if Sensors were affected, Targeting would be affected and the mistress of the Acheron was extremely sensitive to those things that would affect her ability to fight.


"Kaine's Black Heart!" the Ensign cursed as he tried to narrow down a transmission band and boost the signal only to have it slip away from his virtual grasp.



"Power augmentation complete."



Ensign Gerdal received a response from his bridge communique. It was terse and when he showed it to his superior, he saw the other man grin.


"Evidently we are not the only department to suffer the effects of this exercise."


Gerdal began to use the comm programming to automatically parse those signals with strength enough to make it past the reception buffers.



"Phase collectors charged."



The earpieces of those within the Comm Pit began to screech with a high-pitched digital tone that compelled everyone to painfully but quickly pull them off. One person went unconscious.



"Transfer commencing."



The buttons lit up across Ensign Gerdal's board and he murmured, "Reception Buffers are collating."


"Arrays firing!"


A ping.


"Coruscant, we have a signal," Gerdal grinned and as he called it up he motioned to get the attention of his supervisor.


*


"...Grand Admiral Drakkiss of the Confederation Empire. Surrender your vessel and prepare to be boarded.."


*


Ensign Gerdal gave a confused look to his supervisor. His supervisor turned to the Sensor Pit and towards the Officer-in-Charge. Catching his eye the Comm Supervisor suddenly realized that sensors were confirming the origins of the transmission.


"S..sir? Admiral Drakkiss is dead isn't he?" the Ensign asked.




The scene outside the flagship's bridge viewport flashed as if the vessel had made a jump to lightspeed. Except the acceleration engines had not fired.



The Sensor Officer-in-Charge had a look of uncertain exclamation. The Comm Supervisor looked down at Ensign Gerdal's board and saw that the transmission from a Grand Admiral Drakkiss had vanished from the que.


"Lock down your transmissions, Ensign!" the Supervisor nearly barked out wondering what was going on.



...the Acheron suddenly rocked as if struck by something.


"Sir, a new transmission!!" the Ensign stammered out and his Supervisor squeezed Gerdal's shoulder hard.


"Lock. It. Down. Now!" the Supervisor said through clenched teeth.



"Report!" Drayson commanded..


"Direct hit! Minor damage to ventral sections!"


"The Terminus Array is preventing shields from raising!"




"Asteriod field, dead ahead!!" a Sensor Officer shouted out.


"You are relieved," Drayson mercilessly directed, her eyes drifting to the Helm Stations. "Turn us around and take us back to Yaga Minor."


The Comm Supervisor saw the Sensor Pit Officer-in-Charge move over to the Acheron's master. "Sir, while we have confirmed the location for Yaga Minor, we cannot confirm the existence of Yaga Minor.."


The Supervisor saw Moff Drayson turn white as if slapped in the face with the Death Star.


"Ensign.." the Supervisor's voice trailed off as he saw that Gerdal too had turned white. He saw that the Ensign had locked down the transmission and his eyes went wide.


"M.. Moff Drayson!"




*


"Pickle a flower, now is the hour. Rain as right and Beff the Pike. Yaga Minor is gone and I sing a blue song. Mandalore is gone and I sing. For I am the Ming!"


The creature in a tattered uniform that could have been Imperial that was performing in the transmission was familiar though no one would verbally admit it. General Chau Ming had evidently gone insane but that was not what was important about the picture.


"What the.."

The Ensign started to point at the man's neck when Ming was pulled back by a force greater than his own.


"He is chained about the neck," the Acheron's Executive Officer observed.


"Even I am amazed at how many Imperials that keep popping up. You keep killing them and they keep stepping out of mass shadows to scurry about. Do you think the Brotherhood is not watching?"

A woman stepped into view and Moff Drayson's eyes narrowed but even she could not identify their adversary.


"I think I shall give you to my mate as a present. My Lord, Sith Ahnk, is always looking a suitable diversion."


"Are we responding to this?" Drayson asked pointedly and the Comm people shook their heads. "So, she is talking to herself?"


"She knows we are listening. She can feel it." the Supervisor answered, still unbelieving his eyes.


"She is a force user?" Everyone could tell that Bhindi Drayson was working out the odds of their overpowering the other's vessel when she realized the Sensor Pit had yet to make their report.


"Her name is Skye Keller and she used to rule Coruscant."


The Comm Supervisor was suddenly aware of his gray hair realizing that no matter how far he tried to run from a galaxy insane, he would always come full circle.


"Eternal Rogue Order," he whispered.

Yaga Minor



Something was wrong!


Zeratul had felt it the moment the nondescript room appeared before him. The room was bare, for some sort of storage but it's purpose was immaterial. Only the fact that the room was exactly as the data crystal from Chaddwick Fearsons reported and that, more importantly, it was uninhabited.

He tried personal comm and saw that it was not functioning. It was a surprise for no one was supposed to know he was there but he was already charting the unknown so the situation did not stir alarm. It was merely a fact to be accounted for.

Still, he could not escape the feeling that something was off.

He paused to calm the slight agitation and he saw his body fade slightly before his eyes. His eyes reflected the serenity of purpose that was enhanced by the drawing of his blade.

Purpose had coalesced within his mind as he remembered his mission.

Infiltrate the fortress world of Yaga Minor and strike at the heart of it's Command and Control to either destroy or distract the planetary defenses for the young Judicator's fleet to arrive with a hammer blow.

The Sword of Borleas maneuver was a bold idea for the Task Master turned Judicator but fitting for this bastion of Imperial power.

These Imperials needed to know overwhelmingly that they could be beaten.

Their arrogance had to be blunted and their precious facade of glorious imperial shattered.


By striking at the heart of the Imperial Military, the Imperial Supreme Commander's personal bastion of power, the Cree'Ar hoped to draw their attention to the blade in their eye. And as they moved to pull it out, the Cree'Ar would plunge another into the Imperial heart and kick the carcass to the side.


The door slid open and Zeratul stepped forward into a mass of dead bodies. It surprised him so much that his appearance solidified and he became visible.


A movement!

Barely a whisper but he acted just the same swinging his blade only to have it stopped in mid-air.

A second surprise!


"Another!" the whisper barked out harshly. "Kal Shora truly does not care anymore..."


Zeratul could not see the other but he quickly adjusted to situation drawing his own cloak about him as his skin faded from sight.


"Artanis.." Zeratul began by way of explanation when several creatures appeared around a corner and charged. They could not see what they were charging at but they could sense something was there.

Both Zeratul and his companion worked quickly and soon the creature's bodies joined the others. The other voice motioned, "Come, brother. We must reach the core."


"The core?"


"Kal Shora will be opening a wormhole at the center of this world."


"Artanis.." Zeratul started but the voice stopped him.


"Yes, for the death of Artanis. The Jedi will die a horrible death as their bodies are crushed under the gravity of the Red Sun!"


"The...Red... Sun..?" The mere mention of it stopped Zeratul.


"Kal Shora is bringing the Red Sun here. It is the will of God."


"Wait.." Zeratul commanded, solidifying. Did the Priest Caste move against the Warrior Caste? If so, then it was outright civil war in the Dominion... on the eve of their ultimate victory!

It was almost maddening!


"Hallowed are the Children of the Taj," the voice finished, the armored figure slowly solidifying before him.


And Zeratul realized then just how wrong things were.


For before him stood his twin!






*





It was reflex...


It was training...


It was conditioning...


It was self-preservation...




It was fear...




Zeratul stood before the body of his twin the conflict threatening to shatter the calm that he extruded. If he lost grasp of his mental control, he may not be able to return to the Arbiter.



His eyes flickered as voices intruded and then vanished.... as suddenly the bodies disappeared and reappeared only to disappear again.


People walking...vanishing....


Walls turning into corridors and back again...



The assault on his senses was overwhelming and was winning.


Things had taken a strange turn and he had to find out why. Drawing is cloak of invisibility ever closer, he decided to make his way to Yaga Minor's Command and Control Center.


No matter how the roads twisted and turned, no matter how corridors shifted and changed, all led to the same destination.


Chaddwick Fearson's map would be useful after all..



*



What he found there changed him profoundly.

Gyndine Compact



"You come to me asking for tribute?" shouted Ortho Gutt. The people in his "court" stiffened, whispering among themselves.


The representative frowned. "You expect Protectorate Status from his august Imperial Majesty, Park Kraken the Magnificent, then you must earn the right."


Captain Yatta, well... Admiral Yatta now gave him a "you-know-he-has-a-point" look as Ortho scowled.


The representative of Emperor Kraken decided to push his advantage, "If you are having trouble collecting and organizing the said taxes, it is nothing to be embarrassed about. The Empire is, after all, experiencing some troubles..."


Ortho could not help but admire the representative's describing the greatest disaster the Empire has faced since the The New Empire and the Wrath Virus as 'some trouble' but it was the man's next words that truly left Ortho Gutt's mouth hanging open...

"...His Majesty, the Emperor, is fully prepared to send a task force to Gyndine to aid you in your time of troubles."


Even former Captain Yatta, typically clueless about such things, could not mistake the implied threat. Emperor Kraken was thinking of sending a fleet here! Ortho's entire hold on the Gyndine Compact rested in his control of the navy of the growing Gyndine fleet. His hold culminated under the direction of his two largest warships, two Imperator Star Destroyers. If Emperor Kraken decided to send something larger, it would upset the balance of Ortho's power. Hell, even a single Venerator Star Destroyer would give him pause. He could not move unless he was sure he would be able to destroy or take the ship with little loss. Any loss, though, could topple his fragile regime.


Another look to Admiral Yatta told both Ortho and the representative of the Emperor's own Imperial Court that he would have thrown in the towel had he been leading.


The Emperor's representative smiled and Ortho suddenly realized that he had been gauging his comments based on Yatta's expressions. He had naturally assumed that an opportunist like Ortho would want his own lackeys promoted in rank and surrounding him. That they would all think alike.


Perhaps that might have been true at one time in Ortho's life that he would have been just as cowardly as Yatta but that is not why he promoted the man to Admiral. It was because Ortho knew Yatta and knew enough not to fear the man. But just because Yatta was fearful did not mean Ortho would be necessarily.


Perhaps because he knew something the others did not.


His fingers drummed the armrest of his chair as he considered the representative's words.


"It is not threats that compell one to pay their fair share to their governments but love, Sir." Ortho finally said.


Both the representative and Admiral Yatta frowned. Where was he going with this?


"It is heartwarming that the Emperor would feel such love for us that he would strip his own security to add to our own, especially in these trying times. And yet, the lack of recognition is pause for thought. How can we come to love an Emperor who fails to give those their due?"


Before the representative of the Emperor could hammer in another not-so-veiled threat regarding the Imperial Navy, Ortho pointed to a closed door.


"Why, just in another room, we have a representative of Corellia visiting us with tales of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of their former Imperial masters and how they finally did get their due recognition from these alien invaders."


There was a collective gasp as everyone shifted uncomfortably.


Was Ortho Gutt treating with the new overlords of Coruscant?


"We were naturally prepared to treat these statements as lies and enemy propaganda not giving them attention. But your statements now give me pause for concern. I begin to..... wonder."


The representative was suddenly nervous. He wanted to shout outrage at the man sitting on a self-styled throne in his own right and a promise that Emperor Kraken would scour his world of any who uttered such treachery. But he was also worried for Ortho has identified him as being the reason for him to consider listening to the words of the enemy.


Would the Emperor punish him for pushing this ...this disgusting man's Gyndine Compact away from the Empire?


Could he take that risk?


Could he bluster his way and threaten the might of the Empire? It would definitely crush the spine of this man's Admiral but what if... just what if the Emperor decided not to follow up with his fleet due to more important places the fleet needed to be and Gyndine was pushed to the alien's wanting arms. Sure they might regret it later but the aliens would not let go that easily. Coruscant and Corellia were proof of that.


He was now faced with a realization that he was not just representing the Emperor in his action but the Empire and he was not speaking to a simple servant of the Empire but to an independent. A Warlord.


Despite his revulsion he had to admire the man's taking advantage of the opportunity.


"Perhaps I spoke in error," he finally relented. "In retrospect, seeing your point, I am sure the Emperor would not want anything done that would cripple your...love..for him. Perhaps if I sent word recommending such recognition, what might your reciprocation be?"



Ortho Gutt smiled inwardly, though he made a fist on the armrest of his chair in silent triumph.


Warlord, indeed.