Yes, Hyfe... I found this little piece of rp history in my computer. The rp that prompted me to create the character Simon Kaine.
Daemon Hyfe:
The shield generator came back to life behind the Lambda Class Imperial Shuttle with a slight shimmer of green static, capturing it in a pocket of air as it's sublight engines switched off and the whine of the repulsorlift engines kicked in. The shuttles pilot steered it masterfully into the main hanger bay aboard the ISD Mk. II Intrepid, gliding mere meters above the floor of the hangar, as well as above the head's of dozens of Imperial officers clad in their brown Naval uniforms. A clap of thunder echoed out through the chamber as dozens upon dozens of Imperial stormtroopers snapped their heals together in unison, bringing themselves to attention at the demand of their commanding office, whilst the Lambda-class shuttle settled down towards the deck of the hangar, it's wings folding up into it's usual landing formation. The ship touched down without a sound.
Clouds of steam escaped the shuttle, hissing out in a fog away from the shuttle as the sealed door hissed open, the gang plank slowly lowering. A stoormtrooper guard swarmed forwards, escorting three higher-ranking officers forward, towards the bottom of the ramp as it touched down with a heavy clank.
Through the thick cloud floating away from the shuttle the form of a tall man became prominent in the vision of those three officers as they maintained their positions at the bottom of the ramp. As the Admiral Daemon Hyfe began to stride down the ramp, escorted by two Imperial troopers, blasters clasped in hands, his visage became clear to them and the others around - a tall man, hawk-faced, dark of skin and hair. His thin face held harsh angles warmed only by deep gray eyes. To all that could see, it was clear that this man carried a sense of command, a poised assurance, as though he saw and knew things all around him that were not visible to others.
The three officers stepped back from their positions, clearing a path for the Admiral as he reached the bottom of the ramp. The Admiral seemed not to notice the three officers standing before him; he made no acknowledgment to them in any way. Instead he was scanning the room with his deep gray eyes, a calculation in the glance that seemed to weigh everything in sight. At last his eyes came to meet the three officers before him.
"Admiral," the foremost of the three officers greeted him respectfully, the other two officers nodding deferentially, almost a bow.
In return Daemon offered a concise nod.
Daemon noticed the principle man before him studying him briefly, pausing for a moment as his eyes came up to meet his own once again. And then the officer spoke once more, and his voice came out in oddly measured cadence: "Welcome aboard, Admiral Hyfe. The crew of the Intrepid has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. All has been prepared."
"Excellent," the Admiral remarked judicially. He spoke loud enough so that all nearest to him could hear him clearly, and it was a vibrant and penetrating voice. With a simple word the officers felt full of enthusiasm that they had pleased their new Admiral.
As the foremost of the three officers stepped aside, turning slightly to face the far end of the hangar, a gesture for him to walk with them, Daemon studied the three men quickly. As the four of them began their stride, he continued to make notes about their features; stealing unseen glances; adding knowledge to his computational factory called a brain. His mind was like a whirlwind of information, and he took in the features of these men quickly, saving these new facts for possible further reference in the future.
The spokesman of the three was the Captain of this ship, the Intrepid, in accordance with the customary way to welcome a superior officer aboard a starship. From the document he had read on his trip in the shuttle, Daemon knew this man to be Captain Davin Essian. Essian was a middle-aged man of medium build, his weight slowly packing on with the passing of years, yet he proudly wore his brown military uniform. His awards were clearly displayed, and his boots were polished to a shine, making his attire quite neat and tidy. Mildly graying, curly black hair padded his head, and he donned a shortly trimmed beard, which accentuated the fine lines covering his aging face. Deep cut eyes of shimmering blue and a scar on his chin gave him a roguish look, but his military stature was quite evident nonetheless.
The officer to his left was a small man, weak looking. He had a thin weaselish face, with mouth like a slash in leather, twin ink spots for eyes. The man barely stood much above the Admiral’s own shoulder height, yet there was a casual air of brutality about him, a sense of toughness and poise that would send a shiver through many a man.
The third was a large fellow, the type you’d expect to be fat fingered and bumbling. He was blonde-haired, full faced with green eyes. Crisp lines radiated from his thick-lipped mouth. He walked in an irregular fashion, but he appeared to be a stable man, and he had a sensible look to his face, eyes of knowledge and full of a lust for power.
The four men continued down the cleared course, officers and troops standing off to the side at attention. A group of armed guards promptly took up position behind them.
The shorter man looked at him discreetly, with a mildly questioning quality in his eyes overlarge eyes. The Admiral noticed him, but did not show any sign of having done so. Instead he brought back up the conversation of Captain Essian’s welcome. 'The crew of the Intrepid has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. All has been prepared', the Captain had said.
"I suppose you are then also prepared for the arrival of Fleet Admiral Zell and Lord Tyranus," Daemon remarked offhandedly, suppressing a smile as he foresaw the coming reactions.
The shortest man's stride faltered, almost imperceptively, and his eyes widened as he shot a questioning glance to the chubby officer beside him. The Captain's jaw visibly dropped, and an unavoidable look of fear flashed across his formerly stern face as he looked to the Admiral in surprise. The heavyset man remained his composure remarkably, merely raising a questioning eyebrow at the Admirals statement.
A deep chuckle sounded from aside. A basso voice rumbled out of the chuckle: "Admiral Hyfe, you should not taunt us with such sudden surprises; Captain Essian is likely to lose his nerve. Surely you know that we have not been informed of this…" It was the voice of the chubby officer.
"Perhaps," came Daemons voice. "That does not change the fact of the matter. Fleet Admiral Zell will arrive along with Grand Admiral Tyranus in 3 hours. They will be overseeing this operation."
2 hours, 50 minutes later
Admiral Hyfe continued down the corridor leading into the bridge, past the aft bridge hologram pods and the small storage closets. The corridor came to an end and Daemon found himself suddenly in the vast open area of the Star Destroyer’s bridge. Officers were hurrying about, giving orders and tending to their duties, and the clicks and beeps of various consoles could be heard, adding to familiarity to the environment. Not stopping as he entered, Daemon strode towards his command chair a few meters short of the central command walkway.
"Admiral on deck!" a voice shouted from off to his right as Daemon strode onwards, and he recognized it immediately as the bold tenor of Captain Essian.
As Daemon neared his chair, he gave a simple hand gesture, his "at ease" signal. The crew quickly returned to their duties as he rounded his chair, noticing the Captain approaching him with hands clasped behind his back.
"Admiral," the Captain greeted.
Daemon looked to the Captain and returned the greeting with a nod, with this same gesture also letting the Captain know to report.
"Word from comm is that the Grand Admiral's shuttle will be arriving in 15 minutes. All has been prepared," the Captain stated in an assuring manner, black-gloved hands still clasped behind his back.
"Good," Daemon replied simply. "We will head to the hangar immediately. Inform all personel to man their stations. I assume the honor guard has been prepared."
"Of course, sir," Essian said.
Daemon glanced out the main view port at the starry void of space around them, then: "Very well. Let us go,"
"Yes sir," came the reply.
The two men left the bridge, heading off to meet two extremely powerful men, of whom they knew next to nothing about. The only thing that Admiral Hyfe knew was that Grand Admiral Zell and Grand Admiral Tyranus were two men not to be taken lightly. They were symbols of the true order that would be brought upon this galaxy.
Davin Essian:
The two men rounded the corner, and the door to the main hangar whooshed open. Like a giant cave, the hangar bay engulfed them. The simple structures of the bay conveyed the rooms purpose clearly, and it’s cause was unmistakeable; it was a haven for ships. Surely every sensible person in the galaxy knew this.
Yet as Admiral Hyfe and Captain Essian stepped into the huge chamber, the function of the room was betrayed by a gathering of hundreds of men forming up into groups. Orders were being shouted about, and the men at last were falling into their positions. This was what appeared to be a huge mock-throne room, and the tension in the air was clear even to him.
Seemingly inaudible calls occasionally were aired over a loudspeaker comm system, alerting officers and troopers alike as to their orders. One of these calls echoed out through the hangar bay, yet this one was perceptible: "Shuttle arrival estimated in 2 minutes and counting." - and the words filled Captain Essian with a sudden sense of urgency, even though he knew there was nothing further he could to prepare. The arrival of the TNO’s only two Grand Admirals was imminent.
The arrival of his commanding Admiral was enough for one day, Essian thought. Now were coming the The New Order's only two Grand Admiral's; surely two of the most brilliant military tacticians in the modern galaxy! His struggle to remain his composure was seemingly futile.
The Admiral however, stood beside him like a tall statue, perfectly calm, at least to the trained eye. Even now Captain Essian could sense the power in him, the impact of personality, as though he were of royal blood, born to command. He could only imagine what sort of thoughts ticked through the mind of Admiral Hyfe at this moment. Regardless, the Grand Admiral’s would surely be impressed.
Captain Essian himself, however, wasn’t sure how much more of this he could handle.
Fleet Commander Zell:
A pair of crimson-clad Royal Guards emerged from the Lambda-Class Shuttle. They stopped briefly at the entrance of the ship, faced each other, took a couple of steps forward and proceeded towards the gangplank. They marched in unison as the metallic chirp echoed through the silent chambers where hundreds of loyal subjects awaited the arrival of the Fleet Commander, Grand Admiral Azrael Zell.
The two Royal Guards stopped at the bottom of the gangplank as one guard stood on either side of the walkway.
And then, he appeared, Grand Admiral Zell, live and in the flesh. He stood no taller than two meters, broad shouldered and obviously physically fit. Most humanoid men would hope they looked half as well as Azrael Zell when they were his age, he stood there with a confident demeanor that immediately gripped the respect of every last individual in the room.
He slowly walked forward, with each foot step it seemed as if a life time had passed as the echo carried through the building like some sweet melody in an open air amphitheatre. His perfectly pressed white uniform fit him to the "T", his boots shined with a sparkle that would make you blink if you looked directly into it. Then the true tension set in. More than a few nervous gulps were heard in the mouths of the soldiers as Maximus Tyranus' rugged visage was coupled with his broad shoulders and lean muscular physique. The fact that he didn't have the smile that Grand Admiral Zell wore brightly gave more than a few the shivers.
He stood there in the threshold of the ship for at least ten seconds, but to the stormtroopers who hid behind their ivory armor it seemed like a life time. He looked to the left, and then to the right, his piercing gaze seemed as if it could literally tear right through you. He slowly walked to the bottom of the gangplank and stood directly behind Grand Admiral Zell. The two paused there for a moment and checked out their surroundings before the officers came to greet them with a healthy dose of hospitality.
Daemon Hyfe:
The two imposing figures of Grand Admiral Zell and Grand Amiral Tyranus stood now at the bottom of the gangplank. A line of the Intrepid's top officers stood before them, remaining at perfect attention, a straight look upon their faces. The men parted down the center, and allowed passage for Admiral Hyfe and Captain Essian.
The two men approached the Grand Admirals cautiously. The man in front, Zell, had a pleasant air about him. Daemon Hyfe had never before met a Grand Admiral that seemed more light-hearted and at ease than Zell. Then again, he had never before met a Grand Admiral. A half-smile remained plastered on Zell's face, and his features were warm and welcoming, but Daemon had no doubt that they could become tremendously stern when called for. Behind him, nearly fully hidden from view, were it not for the fact of his height advantage, Maximus Tyranus loomed in an almost dubious fashion. 'Peculiar,' was all that Daemon could think of this.
"My lords," Daemon intoned boldly. He then offered a moderately deep bow of respect to the two powerful figures. "I am Admiral Hyfe. Welcome aboard the Intrepid."
Daemon's words hung in the air for a moment. Grand Admiral Maximus Tyranus strode to the side of his counterpart, his daunting figure coming into view, trailed by his flowing cape. A lightsaber dangled at his waist, half-way conealed by the flow of his attire. Daemon mustered up the ability to keep his face neutral, as if this meant nothing to him. Deep in the back of his mind, however, he was shouting loudly: 'A Dark Jedi… no - a Sith Lord!' Daemon had no means by which to be certain of this, but it seemed an unmistakable fact. He himself could feel the ripples of Darkness around the man, something resonate; penetrating. Undoubtedly the powers of the Force.
Maximus Tyranus:
Maximus stood there staring down at the shorter man, Daemon Hyfe, he seemed to be a perceptive one. Although he hid it well Maximus knew there was something stirring within the man. And he knew exactly what it was, he stared at the man for a few seconds until Daemon established eye contact, and then Maximus looked down to the lightsaber dangling at his side and looked back up to meet the somewhat disheveled gaze of Daemon Hyfe.
He looked away from the Admiral not giving him another thought and began to listen in on what Zell was saying to the men.
"... looks like all is going well Admiral." Maximus picked up mid-sentence. "I look forward to your impending success. Now remember, as I'm sure you know, these people are to be our loyal citizens when all this is done. When Palpatine established himself as the Emperor the Vors sealed all of the holes in the Cathedral of Winds in protest. We must stress that we are going to form a symbiotic" Zell emphasized the last word as he slightly leaned into Daemon to give him the impression that he was emphasizing the importance. "relationship with the Vors. When you've earned their trust, you've earned your rank of Imperial Admiral."
Zell stopped and turned away to walk down the aisle of men which was there to greet him as he stopped and turned back to Daemon. "But I'm sure you'll do an excellent job Admiral, I have the utmost confidence in you."
Maximus Tyranus sidestepped so that he stood toe to toe with Daemon for just a brief second before turning and following Zell down the line, but not before flashing the Admiral a brief nod.
One of the officers which was aboard Zell's shuttle came running down the gangplank. He ran to the spot where Zell was talking to a couple of officers and attempted to politely interrupt.
"Yes officer?" Zell asked.
"Sir, the Regent has personally requested your assistance, something important I'm assuming, we're to leave at once."
"Very well." Zell nodded and turned to Grand Admiral Daemon Hyfe. "Good luck Hyfe, as I said I'm sure you'll do well."
With that the two men immediately boarded the shuttle bound for who knows where. Soon the planet of Vortex would be under Imperial control, and Daemon Hyfe would be to thank.
Daemon Hyfe:
The two Grand Admirals retreated back into their shuttle without another word, the crimson-clad guards following close behind. The shuttle lifted off, pivoted 180 degrees while hovering just above ground level, and slid out of the hangar into open space. The wings folded down into flight formation as it escaped the confines of the hangar bay, and shortly thereafter two TIE fighters took up positions behind it to escort them back to their jump point.
As the sounds of the three craft's engines faded and died, Daemon was left to ponder the two outlandish men; Azrael Zell, the cheery extrovert, and Maximus Tyranus, the silent mystery-man. It had been quite an encounter.
Captain Essian issued orders to the troops and officers gathered, while Daemon remained staring out of the hangar bay at the fading blue afterglow of the shuttles sublight engines.
Emptiness was befalling the hangar as troopers filed out, and its typical atmosphere returned. They would depart for the Beneteau system in a matter of hours, Daemon knew. He turned and headed briskly towards the hangars exit, his last thoughts echoing through his mind: ‘A Sith…’
2 hours, 31 minutes later
Admiral Daemon Hyfe now sat in complete silence, his face expressionless, deep lines of contemplation etched into his visage as if they had been carved there by a shard of glass. His eyes were locked in concentration on the status readouts now wrapped around his command chair. Nothing disturbed his concentration; he seemed completely unaware of the bustling bridge crew all about him.
The head tactical officer stepped up to the Intrepid's bridge command station, coming to attention. Daemon seemed not to notice. The officer stood for a moment, awkwardly, wondering if the Admiral had indeed noted his presence. Daemon remained silent for another few heartbeats, still studying the various status and tactical readouts before him, then he looked up to the tactical officer, nodding curtly as a signal for him to speak.
"All units signal ready, Admiral," he reported dutifully.
"Very well," Daemon replied. It was Commander Hayt, Daemon noted, the short sly-looking man he had encountered in the hangar bay when he had first arrived. He gave the officer another brief nod. The tactical officer took the cue, returning to his post.
With the tap of a button on his right armrest, Daemon brought up a small holographic tactical display in the open area of his command station in front of him, along with various readouts and ship schematics. Settling back into his command chair, he surveyed the displays quickly.
The small attack force at his command had made their last jump into the region of the Beneteau system, which was home to the planet Vortex. They only needed to make one final hyperjump into the system.
Daemon let out a sigh, surveying the bridge of the Star Destroyer, his lips contorting into a wry smile.
"Captain, is my flagship ready?" he asked in the formal manner.
"The Intrepid is fully at your command, Admiral Hyfe," came the Captains formal reply.
Davin Essian:
"Excellent," Davin heard the Admiral reply.
Captain Essian turned his attention again to the bank of tactical readouts before him. All ship defenses did indeed show ready; shields working optimally, weapons all primed, fighters in their bays were manned and poised, in case they were needed. Though he doubted they would be.
"Captain: begin the count," Admiral Hyfe ordered.
"Yes, sir." Essian nodded to the crewer on his right, who reached over and touched the timer switch. A small readout above the button blurred to life, displaying a small counter starting at 00:01:00. It began to count down almost immediately. All around them, Essian knew, the other ships of the attack force would be locking on to this signal, counting down together, and jumping at the exact same moment.
Essian glanced to the Admiral, who was staring straight ahead through the main viewport, eyes full of eagerness, but face calm, controlled. He brought his own eyes back to the timer as it finished it’s countdown.
00:00:04… 00:00:03… 00:00:02… 00:00:01…
The ship gave a slight lurch as the pinpoints of stars blurred into blue streaking lines, and then into the familiar mottled form of hyperspace. He gazed on only for a second to wonder at the beautiful sea of swirling colors, like an Ithorian kaleidoscope.
A helmsman towards the aft of the crew pit below gave a call, announcing the successful entrance to hyperspace, as well as their speed.
"Acknowledged," came the voice of Admiral Hyfe as Essian studied his readouts, looking to the countdown display again, observing that it was now counting up from zero.
00:00:44… 00:00:45… 00:00:46… 00:0047…
Starlines pierced the mottled sky, streaking back into their blue lines as the blotchy void of hyperspace faded away. The starlines shrank abruptly back into stars. They had arrived.
Daemon Hyfe:
The large planet of Vortex hung in the threads of space, a swirling orb of blue and gray/white wisps, which betrayed the violent nature of the planets atmosphere. Due to its sharp axial tilt, the planet suffered sudden seasonal changes with harsh windstorms that battered the planets surface. These powerful atmospheric storms made it extremely difficult to land on the planet during the changing of seasons, which were usually drawn out for nearly a week, and occurred just about once every standard month.
However, from several clicks away, aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Intrepid, the planet was a beautiful collage of colors. It had no natural satellites, which was true to the planets description in the Star Destroyers vast databanks, causing a persons focus to center totally on the planet and it’s beautiful hues. It was at this time that Daemon came to truly understand that the only typical place in the cosmos is the everlasting night of intergalactic space, a place so vast and desolate that by comparison, planets and stars and galaxies seem achingly rare and lovely. Lovely indeed.
A diplomatic envoy had just embarked for the planets surface to discuss peace terms for the submission of Vortex to The New Order. The head representative was to report back within the hour. The Admiral would then take a second shuttle down to meet with the Vors. This was quite a delicate mission, Admiral Hyfe knew. He would have to take care in handling the diplomacy correctly.
RESTORATION OF ORDER: VORTEX
July 2001
July 2001
Daemon Hyfe:
The shield generator came back to life behind the Lambda Class Imperial Shuttle with a slight shimmer of green static, capturing it in a pocket of air as it's sublight engines switched off and the whine of the repulsorlift engines kicked in. The shuttles pilot steered it masterfully into the main hanger bay aboard the ISD Mk. II Intrepid, gliding mere meters above the floor of the hangar, as well as above the head's of dozens of Imperial officers clad in their brown Naval uniforms. A clap of thunder echoed out through the chamber as dozens upon dozens of Imperial stormtroopers snapped their heals together in unison, bringing themselves to attention at the demand of their commanding office, whilst the Lambda-class shuttle settled down towards the deck of the hangar, it's wings folding up into it's usual landing formation. The ship touched down without a sound.
Clouds of steam escaped the shuttle, hissing out in a fog away from the shuttle as the sealed door hissed open, the gang plank slowly lowering. A stoormtrooper guard swarmed forwards, escorting three higher-ranking officers forward, towards the bottom of the ramp as it touched down with a heavy clank.
Through the thick cloud floating away from the shuttle the form of a tall man became prominent in the vision of those three officers as they maintained their positions at the bottom of the ramp. As the Admiral Daemon Hyfe began to stride down the ramp, escorted by two Imperial troopers, blasters clasped in hands, his visage became clear to them and the others around - a tall man, hawk-faced, dark of skin and hair. His thin face held harsh angles warmed only by deep gray eyes. To all that could see, it was clear that this man carried a sense of command, a poised assurance, as though he saw and knew things all around him that were not visible to others.
The three officers stepped back from their positions, clearing a path for the Admiral as he reached the bottom of the ramp. The Admiral seemed not to notice the three officers standing before him; he made no acknowledgment to them in any way. Instead he was scanning the room with his deep gray eyes, a calculation in the glance that seemed to weigh everything in sight. At last his eyes came to meet the three officers before him.
"Admiral," the foremost of the three officers greeted him respectfully, the other two officers nodding deferentially, almost a bow.
In return Daemon offered a concise nod.
Daemon noticed the principle man before him studying him briefly, pausing for a moment as his eyes came up to meet his own once again. And then the officer spoke once more, and his voice came out in oddly measured cadence: "Welcome aboard, Admiral Hyfe. The crew of the Intrepid has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. All has been prepared."
*
"Excellent," the Admiral remarked judicially. He spoke loud enough so that all nearest to him could hear him clearly, and it was a vibrant and penetrating voice. With a simple word the officers felt full of enthusiasm that they had pleased their new Admiral.
As the foremost of the three officers stepped aside, turning slightly to face the far end of the hangar, a gesture for him to walk with them, Daemon studied the three men quickly. As the four of them began their stride, he continued to make notes about their features; stealing unseen glances; adding knowledge to his computational factory called a brain. His mind was like a whirlwind of information, and he took in the features of these men quickly, saving these new facts for possible further reference in the future.
The spokesman of the three was the Captain of this ship, the Intrepid, in accordance with the customary way to welcome a superior officer aboard a starship. From the document he had read on his trip in the shuttle, Daemon knew this man to be Captain Davin Essian. Essian was a middle-aged man of medium build, his weight slowly packing on with the passing of years, yet he proudly wore his brown military uniform. His awards were clearly displayed, and his boots were polished to a shine, making his attire quite neat and tidy. Mildly graying, curly black hair padded his head, and he donned a shortly trimmed beard, which accentuated the fine lines covering his aging face. Deep cut eyes of shimmering blue and a scar on his chin gave him a roguish look, but his military stature was quite evident nonetheless.
The officer to his left was a small man, weak looking. He had a thin weaselish face, with mouth like a slash in leather, twin ink spots for eyes. The man barely stood much above the Admiral’s own shoulder height, yet there was a casual air of brutality about him, a sense of toughness and poise that would send a shiver through many a man.
The third was a large fellow, the type you’d expect to be fat fingered and bumbling. He was blonde-haired, full faced with green eyes. Crisp lines radiated from his thick-lipped mouth. He walked in an irregular fashion, but he appeared to be a stable man, and he had a sensible look to his face, eyes of knowledge and full of a lust for power.
The four men continued down the cleared course, officers and troops standing off to the side at attention. A group of armed guards promptly took up position behind them.
The shorter man looked at him discreetly, with a mildly questioning quality in his eyes overlarge eyes. The Admiral noticed him, but did not show any sign of having done so. Instead he brought back up the conversation of Captain Essian’s welcome. 'The crew of the Intrepid has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. All has been prepared', the Captain had said.
"I suppose you are then also prepared for the arrival of Fleet Admiral Zell and Lord Tyranus," Daemon remarked offhandedly, suppressing a smile as he foresaw the coming reactions.
The shortest man's stride faltered, almost imperceptively, and his eyes widened as he shot a questioning glance to the chubby officer beside him. The Captain's jaw visibly dropped, and an unavoidable look of fear flashed across his formerly stern face as he looked to the Admiral in surprise. The heavyset man remained his composure remarkably, merely raising a questioning eyebrow at the Admirals statement.
A deep chuckle sounded from aside. A basso voice rumbled out of the chuckle: "Admiral Hyfe, you should not taunt us with such sudden surprises; Captain Essian is likely to lose his nerve. Surely you know that we have not been informed of this…" It was the voice of the chubby officer.
"Perhaps," came Daemons voice. "That does not change the fact of the matter. Fleet Admiral Zell will arrive along with Grand Admiral Tyranus in 3 hours. They will be overseeing this operation."
*
2 hours, 50 minutes later
Admiral Hyfe continued down the corridor leading into the bridge, past the aft bridge hologram pods and the small storage closets. The corridor came to an end and Daemon found himself suddenly in the vast open area of the Star Destroyer’s bridge. Officers were hurrying about, giving orders and tending to their duties, and the clicks and beeps of various consoles could be heard, adding to familiarity to the environment. Not stopping as he entered, Daemon strode towards his command chair a few meters short of the central command walkway.
"Admiral on deck!" a voice shouted from off to his right as Daemon strode onwards, and he recognized it immediately as the bold tenor of Captain Essian.
As Daemon neared his chair, he gave a simple hand gesture, his "at ease" signal. The crew quickly returned to their duties as he rounded his chair, noticing the Captain approaching him with hands clasped behind his back.
"Admiral," the Captain greeted.
Daemon looked to the Captain and returned the greeting with a nod, with this same gesture also letting the Captain know to report.
"Word from comm is that the Grand Admiral's shuttle will be arriving in 15 minutes. All has been prepared," the Captain stated in an assuring manner, black-gloved hands still clasped behind his back.
"Good," Daemon replied simply. "We will head to the hangar immediately. Inform all personel to man their stations. I assume the honor guard has been prepared."
"Of course, sir," Essian said.
Daemon glanced out the main view port at the starry void of space around them, then: "Very well. Let us go,"
"Yes sir," came the reply.
The two men left the bridge, heading off to meet two extremely powerful men, of whom they knew next to nothing about. The only thing that Admiral Hyfe knew was that Grand Admiral Zell and Grand Admiral Tyranus were two men not to be taken lightly. They were symbols of the true order that would be brought upon this galaxy.
Davin Essian:
The two men rounded the corner, and the door to the main hangar whooshed open. Like a giant cave, the hangar bay engulfed them. The simple structures of the bay conveyed the rooms purpose clearly, and it’s cause was unmistakeable; it was a haven for ships. Surely every sensible person in the galaxy knew this.
Yet as Admiral Hyfe and Captain Essian stepped into the huge chamber, the function of the room was betrayed by a gathering of hundreds of men forming up into groups. Orders were being shouted about, and the men at last were falling into their positions. This was what appeared to be a huge mock-throne room, and the tension in the air was clear even to him.
Seemingly inaudible calls occasionally were aired over a loudspeaker comm system, alerting officers and troopers alike as to their orders. One of these calls echoed out through the hangar bay, yet this one was perceptible: "Shuttle arrival estimated in 2 minutes and counting." - and the words filled Captain Essian with a sudden sense of urgency, even though he knew there was nothing further he could to prepare. The arrival of the TNO’s only two Grand Admirals was imminent.
The arrival of his commanding Admiral was enough for one day, Essian thought. Now were coming the The New Order's only two Grand Admiral's; surely two of the most brilliant military tacticians in the modern galaxy! His struggle to remain his composure was seemingly futile.
The Admiral however, stood beside him like a tall statue, perfectly calm, at least to the trained eye. Even now Captain Essian could sense the power in him, the impact of personality, as though he were of royal blood, born to command. He could only imagine what sort of thoughts ticked through the mind of Admiral Hyfe at this moment. Regardless, the Grand Admiral’s would surely be impressed.
Captain Essian himself, however, wasn’t sure how much more of this he could handle.
Fleet Commander Zell:
A pair of crimson-clad Royal Guards emerged from the Lambda-Class Shuttle. They stopped briefly at the entrance of the ship, faced each other, took a couple of steps forward and proceeded towards the gangplank. They marched in unison as the metallic chirp echoed through the silent chambers where hundreds of loyal subjects awaited the arrival of the Fleet Commander, Grand Admiral Azrael Zell.
The two Royal Guards stopped at the bottom of the gangplank as one guard stood on either side of the walkway.
And then, he appeared, Grand Admiral Zell, live and in the flesh. He stood no taller than two meters, broad shouldered and obviously physically fit. Most humanoid men would hope they looked half as well as Azrael Zell when they were his age, he stood there with a confident demeanor that immediately gripped the respect of every last individual in the room.
He slowly walked forward, with each foot step it seemed as if a life time had passed as the echo carried through the building like some sweet melody in an open air amphitheatre. His perfectly pressed white uniform fit him to the "T", his boots shined with a sparkle that would make you blink if you looked directly into it. Then the true tension set in. More than a few nervous gulps were heard in the mouths of the soldiers as Maximus Tyranus' rugged visage was coupled with his broad shoulders and lean muscular physique. The fact that he didn't have the smile that Grand Admiral Zell wore brightly gave more than a few the shivers.
He stood there in the threshold of the ship for at least ten seconds, but to the stormtroopers who hid behind their ivory armor it seemed like a life time. He looked to the left, and then to the right, his piercing gaze seemed as if it could literally tear right through you. He slowly walked to the bottom of the gangplank and stood directly behind Grand Admiral Zell. The two paused there for a moment and checked out their surroundings before the officers came to greet them with a healthy dose of hospitality.
Daemon Hyfe:
The two imposing figures of Grand Admiral Zell and Grand Amiral Tyranus stood now at the bottom of the gangplank. A line of the Intrepid's top officers stood before them, remaining at perfect attention, a straight look upon their faces. The men parted down the center, and allowed passage for Admiral Hyfe and Captain Essian.
The two men approached the Grand Admirals cautiously. The man in front, Zell, had a pleasant air about him. Daemon Hyfe had never before met a Grand Admiral that seemed more light-hearted and at ease than Zell. Then again, he had never before met a Grand Admiral. A half-smile remained plastered on Zell's face, and his features were warm and welcoming, but Daemon had no doubt that they could become tremendously stern when called for. Behind him, nearly fully hidden from view, were it not for the fact of his height advantage, Maximus Tyranus loomed in an almost dubious fashion. 'Peculiar,' was all that Daemon could think of this.
"My lords," Daemon intoned boldly. He then offered a moderately deep bow of respect to the two powerful figures. "I am Admiral Hyfe. Welcome aboard the Intrepid."
Daemon's words hung in the air for a moment. Grand Admiral Maximus Tyranus strode to the side of his counterpart, his daunting figure coming into view, trailed by his flowing cape. A lightsaber dangled at his waist, half-way conealed by the flow of his attire. Daemon mustered up the ability to keep his face neutral, as if this meant nothing to him. Deep in the back of his mind, however, he was shouting loudly: 'A Dark Jedi… no - a Sith Lord!' Daemon had no means by which to be certain of this, but it seemed an unmistakable fact. He himself could feel the ripples of Darkness around the man, something resonate; penetrating. Undoubtedly the powers of the Force.
Maximus Tyranus:
Maximus stood there staring down at the shorter man, Daemon Hyfe, he seemed to be a perceptive one. Although he hid it well Maximus knew there was something stirring within the man. And he knew exactly what it was, he stared at the man for a few seconds until Daemon established eye contact, and then Maximus looked down to the lightsaber dangling at his side and looked back up to meet the somewhat disheveled gaze of Daemon Hyfe.
He looked away from the Admiral not giving him another thought and began to listen in on what Zell was saying to the men.
"... looks like all is going well Admiral." Maximus picked up mid-sentence. "I look forward to your impending success. Now remember, as I'm sure you know, these people are to be our loyal citizens when all this is done. When Palpatine established himself as the Emperor the Vors sealed all of the holes in the Cathedral of Winds in protest. We must stress that we are going to form a symbiotic" Zell emphasized the last word as he slightly leaned into Daemon to give him the impression that he was emphasizing the importance. "relationship with the Vors. When you've earned their trust, you've earned your rank of Imperial Admiral."
Zell stopped and turned away to walk down the aisle of men which was there to greet him as he stopped and turned back to Daemon. "But I'm sure you'll do an excellent job Admiral, I have the utmost confidence in you."
Maximus Tyranus sidestepped so that he stood toe to toe with Daemon for just a brief second before turning and following Zell down the line, but not before flashing the Admiral a brief nod.
One of the officers which was aboard Zell's shuttle came running down the gangplank. He ran to the spot where Zell was talking to a couple of officers and attempted to politely interrupt.
"Yes officer?" Zell asked.
"Sir, the Regent has personally requested your assistance, something important I'm assuming, we're to leave at once."
"Very well." Zell nodded and turned to Grand Admiral Daemon Hyfe. "Good luck Hyfe, as I said I'm sure you'll do well."
With that the two men immediately boarded the shuttle bound for who knows where. Soon the planet of Vortex would be under Imperial control, and Daemon Hyfe would be to thank.
Daemon Hyfe:
The two Grand Admirals retreated back into their shuttle without another word, the crimson-clad guards following close behind. The shuttle lifted off, pivoted 180 degrees while hovering just above ground level, and slid out of the hangar into open space. The wings folded down into flight formation as it escaped the confines of the hangar bay, and shortly thereafter two TIE fighters took up positions behind it to escort them back to their jump point.
As the sounds of the three craft's engines faded and died, Daemon was left to ponder the two outlandish men; Azrael Zell, the cheery extrovert, and Maximus Tyranus, the silent mystery-man. It had been quite an encounter.
Captain Essian issued orders to the troops and officers gathered, while Daemon remained staring out of the hangar bay at the fading blue afterglow of the shuttles sublight engines.
Emptiness was befalling the hangar as troopers filed out, and its typical atmosphere returned. They would depart for the Beneteau system in a matter of hours, Daemon knew. He turned and headed briskly towards the hangars exit, his last thoughts echoing through his mind: ‘A Sith…’
*
2 hours, 31 minutes later
Admiral Daemon Hyfe now sat in complete silence, his face expressionless, deep lines of contemplation etched into his visage as if they had been carved there by a shard of glass. His eyes were locked in concentration on the status readouts now wrapped around his command chair. Nothing disturbed his concentration; he seemed completely unaware of the bustling bridge crew all about him.
The head tactical officer stepped up to the Intrepid's bridge command station, coming to attention. Daemon seemed not to notice. The officer stood for a moment, awkwardly, wondering if the Admiral had indeed noted his presence. Daemon remained silent for another few heartbeats, still studying the various status and tactical readouts before him, then he looked up to the tactical officer, nodding curtly as a signal for him to speak.
"All units signal ready, Admiral," he reported dutifully.
"Very well," Daemon replied. It was Commander Hayt, Daemon noted, the short sly-looking man he had encountered in the hangar bay when he had first arrived. He gave the officer another brief nod. The tactical officer took the cue, returning to his post.
With the tap of a button on his right armrest, Daemon brought up a small holographic tactical display in the open area of his command station in front of him, along with various readouts and ship schematics. Settling back into his command chair, he surveyed the displays quickly.
The small attack force at his command had made their last jump into the region of the Beneteau system, which was home to the planet Vortex. They only needed to make one final hyperjump into the system.
Daemon let out a sigh, surveying the bridge of the Star Destroyer, his lips contorting into a wry smile.
"Captain, is my flagship ready?" he asked in the formal manner.
"The Intrepid is fully at your command, Admiral Hyfe," came the Captains formal reply.
Davin Essian:
"Excellent," Davin heard the Admiral reply.
Captain Essian turned his attention again to the bank of tactical readouts before him. All ship defenses did indeed show ready; shields working optimally, weapons all primed, fighters in their bays were manned and poised, in case they were needed. Though he doubted they would be.
"Captain: begin the count," Admiral Hyfe ordered.
"Yes, sir." Essian nodded to the crewer on his right, who reached over and touched the timer switch. A small readout above the button blurred to life, displaying a small counter starting at 00:01:00. It began to count down almost immediately. All around them, Essian knew, the other ships of the attack force would be locking on to this signal, counting down together, and jumping at the exact same moment.
Essian glanced to the Admiral, who was staring straight ahead through the main viewport, eyes full of eagerness, but face calm, controlled. He brought his own eyes back to the timer as it finished it’s countdown.
00:00:04… 00:00:03… 00:00:02… 00:00:01…
The ship gave a slight lurch as the pinpoints of stars blurred into blue streaking lines, and then into the familiar mottled form of hyperspace. He gazed on only for a second to wonder at the beautiful sea of swirling colors, like an Ithorian kaleidoscope.
A helmsman towards the aft of the crew pit below gave a call, announcing the successful entrance to hyperspace, as well as their speed.
"Acknowledged," came the voice of Admiral Hyfe as Essian studied his readouts, looking to the countdown display again, observing that it was now counting up from zero.
00:00:44… 00:00:45… 00:00:46… 00:0047…
Starlines pierced the mottled sky, streaking back into their blue lines as the blotchy void of hyperspace faded away. The starlines shrank abruptly back into stars. They had arrived.
Daemon Hyfe:
The large planet of Vortex hung in the threads of space, a swirling orb of blue and gray/white wisps, which betrayed the violent nature of the planets atmosphere. Due to its sharp axial tilt, the planet suffered sudden seasonal changes with harsh windstorms that battered the planets surface. These powerful atmospheric storms made it extremely difficult to land on the planet during the changing of seasons, which were usually drawn out for nearly a week, and occurred just about once every standard month.
However, from several clicks away, aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Intrepid, the planet was a beautiful collage of colors. It had no natural satellites, which was true to the planets description in the Star Destroyers vast databanks, causing a persons focus to center totally on the planet and it’s beautiful hues. It was at this time that Daemon came to truly understand that the only typical place in the cosmos is the everlasting night of intergalactic space, a place so vast and desolate that by comparison, planets and stars and galaxies seem achingly rare and lovely. Lovely indeed.
A diplomatic envoy had just embarked for the planets surface to discuss peace terms for the submission of Vortex to The New Order. The head representative was to report back within the hour. The Admiral would then take a second shuttle down to meet with the Vors. This was quite a delicate mission, Admiral Hyfe knew. He would have to take care in handling the diplomacy correctly.