The octagon table tonight held the most estimed officers in K'taruuk's shadow army. Seven of the finest military leaders sat in thier high backed, organic chairs, each illuminated by a pale lamp dangling above thier heads. On the table in front of them lay eight covered dishes, each with a pire of steam rising from the ventalation holes in the top, sending intoxicating flavour bombarding upon thier nostrils, sending thier salivary glands wild with anticipation of tonights meal.

K'taruuk signalled his compatriots to begin the feast with an audible grunt as he himself removed the massive oval lid from his meal to reveal the roasted torso of a humanoid. The particular species was indistinguishable as most of the flesh had been charred into a thick crisp coating.

"Dig in!" commanded K'taruuk. His men quickly followed suit, and started to rip and tear with thier razorous talons into thier food. Blood, boiled organs and roasted tissue spattered in all directions as the eight hungry Retakkenari engaged in a feeding frenzy. K'taruuk nuzzled away, ripping with his powerful jaws, snapping bone and sinew, and devouring the nutritious marrow that lay within, before washing it all down with a pint of thick, putrid Retakken ale.



The guzzling and gluttany ceased momentarily as a small troup of servant drones wheeled in eight, six foot tall boxes setting one behind each of the men at the table.

"Main course, sirs." Grunted one of the drones, before removing the black blanket that lay over the top. Inside each container was a single live morsal of food. Retakkenari's most preferred method of devouring food would have to be live, in fact it is encouraged.

Clicking a small button on the side of each cage, the Drones slid the doors open, and without haste, each of the eight Retakkenari dove in, tearing, ripping, and eviscerating thier pray. Screams echoed around the walls of the meeting room but were lost among the grunting of the hungry Retakkenari.

So, the violent, bloody and overall grizzly feasting time of the Retakkenari was over, nothing different from every other day.

Once the feeding had ended, and the trays removed, the satisfied council then moved on to the matters of primary importance.

"Gentlemen!" Said K'taruuk, catching each of the eight other general's attention. "We are here to discuss the future of what we strive to protect every single day of our lives, our home and people. The purpose of this council is to form a potent force that can ensure the safety, security and overall secrecy of our race that we have so valued in the past, but we also strive to venture out into the stars. While our glorius leader, the Imperius strives inward, uniting the scattered remenants of our people, we, my friends, will seek to reunite our selves with the rest of the galaxy."

He reached to a panel on the table, pushing a few brightly coloured buttons which brought up a holographic display in the centre of the table.

"This my friends, is the planet Hoth. It lies in the Hoth system at the outermost boundries of our territory. It is a harsh, cold and desolate planet, only a few dozen species of animal can survive its temperatures. This planet, is the perfect place, for us to set up a forward post of operations, be it for intelligence purposes or . . .otherwise." He smirked.

"Our intelligence agents have told me that this world, is far enough out of the way of the any normal trade or galactic traffic routes, the chances of our operation being noticed are slim to none.

Once there, we shall set up our operations on the northern glacier region, one hundred miles under the surface. From this administrative facility we will be able to take command over the entire starfleet if need be. This base will serve as the nerve centre for our operations."


He clicked another button, bringing up a new holoprojection, this time of thier base.


"What you can see here is our control centre. It will be powered by the new S3 advanced tactical correlation unit. From here, we would have the power to orchestrate entire invasions, fleet engagements. This will be the cradle of our New Empire gentlemen, our new Regime. Hoth will be the crucible in which it will be born.


General Yeesek, what is the status of the fleet?" Said K'taruuk, looking over to a rather straight laced Retakkenari. The general sat upright in his chair, his muscular body rippling with bone-crunching power.

"The fleet is ready at your command sir, the necessary equipment is already on it's way to the planet." He hissed.

"Very Good. General Takkaa, I trust you have the manpower ready that I requested."

"Yes sir, fifteen thousand drones and more are on thier way with the fleet."

"Excellent. What of our problems with the climate, General Hakash, have you succeeded in adapting our equipment to the cold?"

"I have had a great deal of success in that area sir, the modifications to our machines went exceptionally well, the conditions should no longer be of any threat to our operation."



"Good, then we leave for Hoth at once. I am very interested in overseeing this project personally, as of now, I am taking command, thank you for your time and devotion generals, but you will no longer be need. You just, dont fit in with my plans for this new order."

"You're shutting us out!? You can't do this."


"I think you'll find that I can, and will, there's nothing you can do to prevent it."


"Ack!, the blood, you poisoned the blood, you @#%$." squaked one of the generals as he slumped to the floor in unison with seven compatriots."


"Guards! Clean up this mess." he sneered." And bring me Doctor Mixenhine, our latest aquisition wil be greatly needed on this project."

The familiar click-clack shuffling of leather shoes echoed through the bio-organic hallways leading up to Ktaruuk's main chamber.

The figure fingered a button on the door's side panel, and leant over to speak into it.

"Um, its Mi, m, mixenhine here to see you sir."


"Come in doctor." Came the crackly reply.

The doors parted and the Floggle meandered into the office, his head bowed in reverence to his new employer, nervoulsy gripping the edges of his dirty labcoat, in which he had been less than fourty eight hours removed from his position on Lok with the Chiss. In clearing out after thier spineless retreat at Mon Calamari, things had begun to go from bad to worse. To cut the story short, there would be no place for Floggle had Xilen returned, the Chiss empire would have been a vastly different arena, and no place for him. So, he left, only to fall into the hands of the swarm.

His luck had just hit a road bump.

"Are you prepared to go Doctor?" He said, staring at the deshevelled Scientist.

"Oh, very much so sir. Your drones were very helpful in accomadating me. However I'm still getting used to your species equipment."

And their Rudementry grasp of his language, he thought to himself.


"Sir, I must ask, of all the planets in the galaxy, why is hoth so, valuable. Surely for a military outpost there would be far more suitable and remote worlds to place a base on?"

"I see that there's no fooling you my good Doctor.

One of my reasons is to establish a military outpost on the world, however it is far from the primary reason for its selection. You see, my homeworld, Retak, is covered in lakes of Hidrogen, as is it's polar cap. Over time these lakes release a series of gases, which are absorbed into the atmosphere. Our people found that these gases are necessary in keeping the atmosphere of my planet stable, and have done so for over sixty seven million years, as far as we can tell. However, lately, Retakkenari Scientists have discovered that the concentration of these gases have decreased almost twenty five percent in the last fourty years, which points to the fact that the Hidrogen is breaking down, and currently we have no means to replenish it. Frankly, in just over a hundred years, our planet will be unihabitable, the atmosphere will break down, and we will be vulnerable to the radiation from our sun."


Floggle's eyebrow simply jolted upwards as his eyes widened in a dumbfounded state of amazment.


"Like I said, we have no means to replenish it, until recently. Hoth is a virtual treasure chest of hidrogen, albeit combined in its water state . . .I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. At the current time the atmosphere on Hoth is extremely resistant to solar radiation, and is some distance from the sun. What I need to do, is to thin the atmosphere, letting in the warming solar radiation wash the planet, melting the ice, just enough, so that we may extract the hydrogen. Couple this with our recent aquisitions in cloning technology and . . ."


" . . .and you'd be able to create an atmosphere processor to rejuvinate Retak's atmosphere. Excellent idea sir! But what do you need me for exactly?"

"Well," K'taruuk continued, " while our scientists have been able to construct the processor, as well as the methods for extracting and cloning the liquid hydrogen to suit our atmosphere, they have not, however ,mastered breaking down the atmospheric barriers that would allow us to heat hoth. You however, have that the knowledge and, more importantly already have the technology."


"But sir , I have no knowledge of a device powerful enough to do what you ask."

"Oh but you do Doctor. I've been checking over your personel files given to us by the Sovereign chiss intelligence during our short live alliegence with them, and after much digging, I found that you once worked on a device . . . a weapon, that once activated could, over time, break down the atmosphere of a planetoid, eventually rendering it uninhabitable if used to it's full potential.Tell me doctor is there such a weapon."


"No, most certainly not!."


"Tell me Doctor, the fate of my race is at stake, I must know . . ."


The doctor looked at the floor, and sighed, relenting. "Yes it's true, the weapon exists."

"Ha, I knew it!."

"But it lies under lock and key in the imperial R&D storage facilities on Byss, you can't possibly reach it there."


"We wouldn't have to, I've recently recieved intelligence from one of my many agents operating on the Imperial capital, and they have informed me that a convoy is scheduled to depart from Byss in nine days, containing a transfer of all research and design materials to the outer rim world of Kessel, where they will be deconstructed and sold as scrap.

You will travel to Kessel, wait there, and use a set of Imperial slave codes I will provide you with to gain control of the convoy, while, my Gunships make thier way in, and take the weapon."

"But I'm hardly prepared for such a mission, I,"

"You leave immediately. Nine days, I expect that weapon to be secured aboard one of my ships.


Do not fail me Doctor."


Floggle gulped, and shuffled his way nervously from the room.

Stolen Imperial Transport Hargrove: En route to Byss


Floggle tapped with halfhearted motion at the portable computer console sitting on his lap, his face basked in the bluey-white glow of its screen, illumuninating his portion of the crew cabin.

Onscreen was the face of his new bos, K'taruuk under a heading that read Command Breifing alpha.


"No doubt that when you are reading this doctor," Spoke the voice on the computer,"you will already be on your way to your specified destination. It's now that I'll tell you exactly what your instructions are for this mission.

When you arrive on the world of Byss, you will infiltrate Imperial security and gain access to the Imperial R&D department by any means necessary. We have fabricated several clearence codes that will ensure your passage into the facility undetered.

Once in, you must locate and stow aboard the transport carrying the target device. The timer I have supplied you with is synchronized to countdown and execute the slave circuit signal at the correct moment, thus transferring control of the convoy to my ships that will be waiting.

After you have achieved this, you will have to make your own way out and back to the transports.

We're counting on you Mr Mixenhine, do not fail us."


K'taruuk's pixelated face gradually faded from view and was replaced by the blank, white screen of the computer, as Floggle drew a deep breath and slumped back in his chair.

"We are approaching the security check points now." Came the call over the cabin comms system.

The pilot punched some numbers into the transciever before speaking. "Shuttle Hargrove requesting passage to Byss."


"Shuttle Hargrove, state your cargo and destination." came the crackled reply.

"Final shipment of R&D materials from Fondor for the R&D department docks." said the pilot.

"Submit your clearence code now and stand by for further instructions."

"Transmitting code now."


As the tiny shuttle passed slowly by the waiting guns of the Imperial star destroyers surrounding byss, every moment between the transmission of the code and its confirmation seemed like an eternity in Floggle's mind.


"Code accepted, you are cleared for landing at port D, R&D facility."

A sigh of relief echoed around the cabin as the pent up tension seeped out.


At least that part was over. thought the Doctor.

K'taruuk stood at the head of the bridge aboard the Sheshmar, one of seven Terakesh-class Gunships headed with the task of intercepting the imperial R&D convoy at Kessel.

On the very same bridge stood the seven commanders of the taskforce ships, each under K'taruuk's main control.

"Gentlemen, I thank you for your presence here, because today, we are in charge of a very delicate and dangerous mission.
You have all read your dossiers and know your mission. I expect extreme precision in this operation, and I will accept nothing less.

I also expect the safe return of the doctor, without him this mission will be fruitless as he is the only source of knowledge on the workings of the atmospheric laser technology. Is that understood, gentlemen?"


Each commander bowed thier heads in correspondance to thier leader.

"Good, dismissed."

After the shuttle hargrove set down on the landing pad, a group of Imperial dockworkers began to unload it's fake cargo containers, one of which contained the intrepid doctor.

Cramped and crouched, Floggle peered through a small air hole in the crate's side, watching, as the Hargrove shot off into the green, cloudy night sky of Byss. He reflected on his situation and that if he didn't get things right here, there would be no going back.

After a short time the container came to a stand still and the voices of the workers outside had faded.

They must be gone, he thought.


It was time to move.

Cautiously, Floggle eased open the container's lid and scanned his surroundings quickly, before clambering out and falling ungraciously onto the durasteel deck plating below with an audible clank. He fumbled through the myriad of security and clearance cards he had been supplied with, in order to find the corresponding access to get him off this port.

Footsteps could be heard coming in his direction. He peered over the top of an adjacent crate and cocked a stormtrooper heading his way.

His heart began to race and his breathing staggered, he fumbled again for the access card but his hands refused to work.

"You there." Called the stormtrooper.

"M . .m, me?" Gulped Floggle.


"Yeah, you, what are you doing back there!?" He shouted insistantly.

"I uh, I was, um, checking to see if this my order was in this crate. Yes that's what I was doing."

"Show me your identification." He demanded.


The fumblings continued so Floggle grabbed a random card and threw it at the soldier. The card landed at his feet, and the trooper bent down to pick it up.

The armour-clad trooper examed the card as Floggle sweated profusely.

"This card checks out, but you shouldn't have been up here without a guard, make sure you do that next time, or I wont be so leniant."


"Oh, uh, thank you Guard, that's ever so gracious of you."

"Now get out of here before I call my friends over."

Floggle's breath grew more and more exacerbated as the minutes dragged on. Trying to find his way through this veritable maze of corridors and walkeways was proving impossible.

Then, as luck would have it, a saving grace in the form of a loudspeeker announcment pointed him in the right direction.


"Would all science R&D personell please report to dock seven for final check-in procedures. That is dock seven."


.................


Peering out from a crate, Floggle scanned the dock for the frieghter he needed to board. His eye's caught sight of a transport that was being loaded towards the end of the dock, and had an awfully large security detachment accompanying it.


That has to be it! thought the Doctor.

Only the atmosphere laser would warrant that kind of care.


"Halt!" came the mechanized voice of an Imperial security droid.

"Hands up."

Slowly and carefully, Floggle reached into his lab coat, and produced a droid restrainer.

He turned and activated it, instantly freezing every mechanism in the droid's body, but not before it let off a blaster bolt that caught him in the arm, burning his flesh, sending him to the floor momentarily.

The laser blast had attracted the attention of the guards and dockworkers who were soon headed his way.

Floggle ripped a back panel from the droid and began tinkering with it's inner workings. A few seconds of cross-wiring later, he had managed to reprogramme the droid so as to provide a diversion, so he could slip onto the transport.


The doctor then reactivated the droid and ran from the crates, screaming his head off.


"It tried to kill me!! It's after me!!" He yelled as the droid emerged from the crates and began firing randomly into the air.

The oncoming stormtroopers drew thier blasters, and fired, hitting the droid, however it's personal shielding deflected much of the fire.

Thankfully the robot had given him enough time to dive through the open loading hatch of the transport and into the cargo hold where he would be safe, for now.


Outside the remaining stormtroopers had dispatched the droid with a thermal missle launcher, and everything was now set to go.

With everything back to normal, the cavalcade of transports, shuttles and freighters lifted off from the starport and made thier way out of Byss, and into the dark depths of space.

The swarm's battle group was nearing it's rendevous with the Imperial R&D convoy at Kessel, only four hours and they would be in possession of a magnificant weapon capable of limitless potential.

K'taruuk slumped back into a high-backed organic chair in his ready room aboard the lead gunship, staring into the white abyss of a data screen, watching simulation after simulation of the atmoshphere laser in action.

The process in which it would totally transform hoth amazed him.
The laser itself was composed of a tri-gacium magnecite crystal, who's beam was capable of breaking down the energies in the atmoshphere of a planet and neutralising it's gases, thus destablising the barrier which kept the sun's harmful rays of radiation and heat out. With this barrier removed, the effects on hoth would be devastating.

If the atmospheric barrier were to be broken down naturally it would take months, possibly even a year for the sun's radiation to do it's work and completely burn the planet into a dusty crust. The laser accelerated these effects exponentially, allowing the sun to do it's work in a matter of hours. The laser had the beneficial effect of turning the broken down components of the atmosphere into a hyper-conductor for the oncoming barrage of radiation, multiplying it by the thousands.

After the laser had broken down the atmosphere, the ancient atmospheric processing technologies that had proved so beneficial in allowing his people to survive under the surface of Retak, as the surface gases were far to hazerdous to breath for long periods of time. The ancient processors had existed for eons, and had been in place before recorded time, however long study of the machines proved the technology could be easily replicated and adapted to whatever was needed.

In this case, after the laser had finished its work, the atmosphere processors would be activated and draw in the destablised gases and molecules and re-process them into whatever atmosphere they were programmed with. The process called atmospheric reconstitution takes roughly seven weeks to complete, but the end result is truly astounding.

With the canvas of the planet, if you will, wiped clean, K'taruuk was free to reconstruct the planet with whatever planetary climate he wished, or however many he wished.

In essence he could turn hoth from a freezing block of ice to a humid jungle world, or an arid desert for that matter, or a combination of both. With such a process of change the results were limitless.

In the dark surroundings of the cargo bay the shuddering wail of the ships alert claxons sounded in his ears. Floggle could here the muffled crackles of the loudspeaker system through the thick durasteel walls of the cramped compartment, but soon they were drowned out by the searing screech of star ship laser fire which buffeted the small hold back and fourth, causing the doctor to loose his already unsure footing.


Outside in space, the seven swarm Gunships swooped down upong the convoy, blasting thier way through and disabling many of the smaller ships as the larger transports struggled with thier puny lasers in a vain attempt to strike back at thier attackers.
Thier small blasters had little effect though, and the larger more powerful turbolaser disruptors whittled away the freighter's shields until thier were left floating and defenceless in space.

Inside the cargo hold, Floggle fumbled again within the depths of his small white labcoat for the signal transponder that he had to activate in order to transfer the freighter's control to K'taruuk's ship. He managed to pull the device from his pockets but it had been smashed beyond use, probably in his fall.

"Curses!" Screamed the doctor out loud.

Momentarily however he noticed a small buzzing eminating from his coat, his comm link was blinking, indicating K'taruuk was making contact.
He grabbed the comms transciever from his coat and activated it, sending an open channel to the lead swarm ship.

"Doctor, why haven't I recieved the slave circuit code signal yet?" said K'taruuk impatiently.

"The transciever was damaged, I'm afraid it's smashed beyond repair."

"That's unfortunate, Doctor. I advise you to depressurise your lungs, we're blasting you out of there. . ."

"What?!" The comms link beeped off, Floggle stumbled back, apparently very worried.


"Aim a highyield torpedo at the cargo bay are, blast thier hull open. We'll pull the laser and the doctor into the cargo hold and jump into hyperspace." Ordered K'taruuk, as the proton torpedo launched from the gunship and seared towards the frieghter at breakneck speed.


Inside the lowly room, Floggle began to huff and puff every last square centimeter of air from his lungs, as surely the pressure of space would kill him. In his mind he'd estimated that he might only suffer minor injuries in the milliseconds that it took between the initial explosion and the lock on of the Ship's tractor beam that would pull him to safety.

The torpedo hit with absolute precision and blew the entire port hull from the transport. Almost immediately the vacuum of space sucked Floggle and the laser out. It felt like a thousand star destroyers were pressing in on his being, squeezing his insides out. Blood began to seep from all his pores, his blood felt as though it had begun to boild, and freeze at the same time. Around ten seconds later floggle landed hard and ungraciously onto the deck of the gunship's cargo hold along with the huge laser container, and almost instantly he passed out from the pain.