DAY ONE

Somewhere near the TNO-Coalition Border

His orders seemd simple enough. Conquer a small, mostly empty planet on the Imperial border. It seemed simple enough, like most things, until he learned more about it. The political situation was tense, with the leading human minority oppressing the Chubbit majority. There was also a wayward militant faction present, the intentions of which were entirely unknown. Regardless of the obstacles, Piter planned with vigilance and enthusiam. He liked to be challanged.

Piter D'vry surveyed the tactical screens on the bridge of his Star Destroyer. Using contacts from his old smuggling days, the potential captain had arranged for a squad of insurgent commandos to land on Aridus, the victim planet. The most recent reports where promising. Local Chubbits were armed and ready to overthrow their human overlords; explosives where in place; the jamming devices positioned to block out commands between the planet-side hierarchy and defense fleet. Current reports show that the local defense fleet consisted of a Majestic flagship, along with 6 Warrior Gunships and 6 Marauder Corvettes. Two Republic Star Destroyers and an Endurance Carrier also orbitted the planet. These appeared to be controlled by a rogue military faction of Aridus. A wildcard that made Piter uneasy.


Abondoned Mine, South of Aridus Trade City

The Lieutenant in charge of the special operations on Aridus was pleased. The modest planetary shields would be disabled on his order, along with the few orbital-defense guns. The communications of the local military command would also be jammed. He gave the final orders to his 11 companions. The Lieutenant was interrupted by a little Chubbit reminding him that the rally was to start very soon.
"Time flies when your having fun," thought the Lieutenant. Nearly 10 thousand Chubbit warriors were gathered in an abandoned mine near the capital of Aridus Trade City. Saddly, no more than 1 thousand had adequate weapons. Most of the small reptiles would die. That was the price they were willing to pay for the illusion of independence. For a fleeting moment the Lieutenant allowed himself to feel sorry for these people he was manipulating, but then discarded the thought. Retaining a certain amount of humanity was important to him, but duty to TNO was more important. However, his duty had no proscription against feeling pity for the thousands of sentient beings who would die soon. Clearing his mind once again, the Lieutenant stepped out onto his dais and spoke the same mumbo jumbo that had helped bring down a dozen worlds. The crowd cheered.


Somewhere near the TNO-Coalition Border

D'vry's fleet was safely in Imperial space, a two days journey from desolate Aridus. All the threads he had lain around that planet were quickly forming into a beautiful tapestry, a work of art in it's own right. It was the kind of complex plan Piter loved to watch take form, though he had never witnessed one involving such large forces firsthand before.

"Task Force One, do you copy?" it was a statement, more than a question.
"Yes sir, all ships are ready to enter hyperspace," answered young Captain Heffman.
"Ship check."
Heffman replied, " Iridescent Fire Light Frigate check! Guillotine Fire Light Frigate check!" And on the list went, each of the four Light Frigates and 8 Gunships reporting their readiness. After the last gunship, Namib, affirmed readiness, Task Force One and Captain Heffman disappeared into hyperspace.

Fifteen minutes later, after similar procedures for the larger ships were finished, Task Force Two disappeared after Captain Heffman.

DAY TWO

The Space Above Aridus

General Hash looked down at his planet from the main viewport of his flagship, Iron Tower. He loved the planet; the contrast between peaceful desert expanse and volatile volcano pits. The foolish ideologues below may have good intentions, but they had no understanding of the real galaxy. His beautiful planet lay near several galactic powers, and it was only a matter of time until someone struck his beloved home world. "If only I was in charge again, things would be different," thought General Hash. One thing was certain though; Hash and his men would die for that jewel.

Abondoned Mine, South of Aridus Trade City

Krassk vibrated with the crowd, cheering and roaring for independence. Suddenly, a singular, unremarkable word ripped him out of the swarm mentality that had been drowning his conscious. He appreciated the detail with which these off-worlders had prepared this rally. Huge vibrators thrummed the ground of the cave to stimulate the Chubbit 6th sense of ground vibration, the dais was illuminated by infra-red light. The scales under his tail seemed to pulsate. This was never a good sign for Krasssk. His instincts told him something was wrong. These angels from the sky were not human, but neither were they Chubbit. At least they offered the hope of regaining his planet's independence from the human overlords. Suddenly his older nest-mate Luisss shoved him; and Krasssk reentered the beat of the swarm.

Aridus Trade City, Executive Building

Prime Minister Abulard was not content with the current state of things on his planet. The rogue Hash was still in orbit, plotting who knows what. Things in the city were little different. The infrastructure here on Aridus was old and decrepit, requiring constant maintenance. Over the past few days, however, maintenance had not been received. Several water mains had burst and power was out in several of the city quarters. "It must be the damn Chubbits! They've been roving the streets and skirting their duties!" Give a primitive snake-rate some food, shelter, and something to keep them busy, and this was the reward he got. Perhaps if he exterminated another clan of them, that would certainly motivate them. Abulard told his secretary to put it on his agenda, then took a nap. Ruling a planet was tiring.

0*,0* Orbital Defense Gun

The young soldier peered up into space at his deposed leader. It was too bad the fucking fool Abulard had him deported. He hadn’t expected Hash to take half the fleet with him. If only Hash would return to the planet. Damned politicians! Damned Chubbits! The red alarm went off. Startled, the gunner jumped to his station and called his buddies in from the mess room. The comm came on. It was the voice of their idiot political boss. "This is just a drill!" remarked the nasal voice. Infuriated, the gunner told his buddies to go back to the mess hall. Kicking his feet up on the control panel, he pulled his service hat over his eyes and went to sleep; leaving the defence of his planet to the demons that haunted his dreams.

DAY THREE

The Space Over Aridus

Captain Heffman pulled out of Hyperspace a safe distance away from the planet. Nodding briefly, he gave the orders to proceed according to plan. His preparatory speech had been one of the best of his career. Allowing the tedium of 47 hours of Hyperspace duty sink in before his climactic speech. Heffman looked back at it now and relished the memory…

Every one of us on these ships, would be naught, without the men around us. It is only as a whole that men can achieve anything of significance. This wholeness, the group that allows us to be what we are, is defined in its largest and grandest form, as nothing less than The New Order itself. The New Order has commanded Us to execute a mission. Admittedly this mission is neither the most pertinent nor the most glorious. However, each man has his own part in the wholeness of the Empire, and often the unsung hero is the greatest. We strive to bring Aridus into union with the Empire not out of malice, but out of love for our fellow man. You crewman know better than I the brotherhood of our Empire. Why should any man be denied it. Sadly, there are those who would oppose us. But I ask of you, as a brother, do your best in this fight, for I know your best is more than adequate for the rabble who would deny us our brotherhood. Do your best to bring the lonely men of Aridus into our Empire, for the sake of your brothers around you, and for the sake of The New Order!

The sky over Aridus was mostly empty, observed Heffman. Only a scattering of small frigates and corvettes, and one cruiser. Where were the capital ships over which Piter had fretted so much. Was their information compromised? Or had they simply left? Heffman hoped with all his heart it was the latter, or the entire plan could be doomed.

The forward turret of the Iridescent was, ironically, both dark and damp. The pair of gunners was sweating from the heat of the charging guns and the tightness of their helmets. The two gunners, friends from before the Imperial Academy, had been inspired more than most by their captain's speech. They had served together in the same turret for several years, and they liked their job. They were happy right now, the leadership was good and they faced an opponent who would both challenge their skill and offer no true threat of destruction. Frigates were exactly what they liked to shoot at, though corvettes were a spot faster than they would have liked.

Aridus Trade City

The Lieutenant had led the charge into the city, as had his companions from other flanks. Now slipping away to their command post, he rendezvoused with his dantai brothers. Away from the action, they removed the holographic face projects, uncomfortable and malformed armor, and the heavy vibro-boots that betrayed even the Chubbit's complex sense of ground vibration. How foolish to believe that the Empire would actually employ non-humans on a mission so vital. As if some pre-simian lizard could be trusted with an operation so complex. All but the Lieutenant were chuckling together over the deception. Today he seemed somewhat out of touch with their dantai shared consciousness. They were not worried though. The Lieutenant had never let them down, so they continued to make duplicate communications locks with their several remote denoted charges. In the nearby city, chaos and rebellion swept through the populace like wildfire, with the same amount of destruction.

The Space Above Aridus

As expected, the corvettes and frigates swarmed towards Heffman's group of ships at top speed, the Majestic cruiser following somewhat more cautiously. Heffman advanced at a cautionary rate of attack. What few fighters either side possessed where deployed now. The Aridians possessed old and motley B-wings, TIE interceptors and other riff-raff left from wars past. Heffman knew his fighters could finish them easily, consisting mostly of outdated TIE models but with a few TIE Mk Vs. Initially a few torpedoes and independent turbo-laser fire lance out between the two groups. Heffman, however, possessed superior range, and the first hit was made by one of his Iridescent's forward batteries. Heffman made a mental note to reward the man who made that shot. He opened a comm link with all ships in Task Force One.
"Gunners! Do not, repeat, do not concentrate fire. Our mission is not to win this battle, but to soften it."
"Captains! To reiterate, our main objective is to survive, not necessarily to destory. If necessary draw power from other systems to maintain shield strength."
The Aridians, however, did not share the same ethos. They were concentrating fire on one ship, Cornelia, which was barely holding her own. Heffman ordered his ship into position to support her. The Majestic cruiser, apparently named Aridian Pride, was staying out of the conflict. Probably a cowardly captain, thought Heffman with disgust. It was ten minutes before the battle changed significantly. In that time Cornelia was destroyed, though most hands escaped, and two other frigates were not in good condition. However, all the Aridian ships were damaged considerably, to Heffman's pride, with the exception of the Aridian Pride, to Heffman's dismay. Then Task Force Two pulled out of Hyperspace.
The comm buzzed.
"Captain Heffman, this is your commanding officer, report."

Aridus Trade City

The Lieutenant received his command. Hesitating for but a moment, he signalled for his Sergeant, who would provide the duplicate encryption necessary to complete their mission
"On the count of three."
"Yes sir!"
"One... Two... Three"
Both Lieutenant and Sergeant turned the special code bars in their slots at precisely the same moment.
Baboomf! The detonation of the orbital defence gun on the north side of the city shook dust here in their isolated camp. All present knew that 6 others had been detonated simultaneously.

0*,0* Orbital Defense Gun

Once again the red alarm went off, awaking the lone gunner. This time, he waited to be sure that this was not a drill.
"Warning! This is not a drill, all hands to battle-ready stations!" Screamed a nasally voice in barely controlled panic. Groggily, the gunner called in the rest of the crew, assuring them as the voice had, that this was indeed, not a drill. Barely had they been seated when a small crack! was heard above them. The gunner, with his trained reflexes, was the only one to look up in time, before the power source of their massive single turbo-laser was destroyed by its own fuel.

Aridus Trade City, Executive Building

The Prime Minister was also groggy, and even more displeased than he had been yesterday. The Chubbits were in open revolt now, and he feared that precious money would have to be spent solving the issue and then exterminating the damned pests. He was, however, completely wrong. The New Order would more likely be paying for such expenses. Abulard hadn't the slightest idea that TNO was in any way involved with his planet yet. He did not care to read the battle reports. The captain of Aridus Prime, who happened to be his son, assured him that everything was going to plan. The scene below did not look promising.
"Ah well, now the council must approve money for new infrastructure," was the Prime Minister's only thought. A yell from the Minister of Planetary Defence caught his attention. The man was a competent advisor, left over from Hash's regime, but had no understanding of politics. Abulard had just a second to glimpse several large blips on his screen, before the whole tactical display went blank. The Minister looked dumbfounded. A second later, an explosion rocked the building. Abulard cursed the Minister, and turned to watch the destruction.

Aridus Trade City, Streets

Krasssk surveyed the street before him. The whole city, with the exception of the Executive Zone, was under Chubbit control. His clan had been one of the few with adequate weapons and armor. They had even been granted a view hover-tanks. Losses were still heavy. The cost of freedom was blood, the offworlders had taught them that. Pushing ahead and around the corner, Krasssk could see the Executive Building. Built in gaudy neo-classical style, it stood out like a tail above the grime of the city. The best soldiers, veterans from the last civil war and patriots to the death, would be defending the blocks that lay before them. With a savage hiss and a thump of the tail, Krasssk led the charge into the Executive Zone, vowing revenge for Luisss.

Iron Tower, Bridge

The bridge of the Iron Tower was bustling with officers and crewman. Though sworn to protect the homeworld of which they had been disowned, Hash and all his men had been caught sleeping. Cursing himself, the damn son of a Droffi, Abulard, and the bastard foreigners who dared attack his planet. Straining the engines of his three capitol ships to their limit, he rushed to reach the light-side of the planet, before it was too late.

Ebony Arrow, Bridge

"This is Captain Heffman reporting. Sir, everything is going to plan, but there is one glitch, sir."
Nonchalantly, D'vry asked, "What would that be?" He thought he might have an idea already.
'The capitol ships you warned us of, they don’t seem to be here."
D'vry smiled vaguely, the more powerful sensors of his ship had picked up trace signals of these ships as the bent around the gravity well of Aridus.
"The obvious solution would be that they are merely on the dark side of the planet, Captain Heffman. I'm sure they are on their way now."

Piter turned to survey the damage. Already weakened by task force two, the remaining enemy frigates and corvettes were obliterated as the big guns opened fire on them. To the naked eye, Aridus Pride was the only ship standing between them and victory. Piter knew better. Seeing that the attention was once again on him, Heffman replied, blushing.

"Excuse me sir… Er… other than that, everything is successful. Operations planet-side have gone exactly to plan. There will be little to conquer once our troops land."

Even as Heffman and Piter spoke, and fire was shifted towards Aridus Pride, half of the troop ships rushed towards Aridus under minimal escort to secure the planet. At the last possible second, Piter observed the big ships rounding the curve of the horizon. Two of the dropships were lost.

The Majestic cruiser seemed to be temporarily dumbfounded. Guns were not firing, lights were flickering and engine power was erratic. Then, abruptly, it turned bout and ran full speed towards the oncoming Star Destroyers. Fighters and gunships pursued at blinding speeds, but pulled away as swarms of fighters were deployed from the lone Endurance Carrier. The enemy fighters consisted of every imaginable combination of discontinued Republic fighters, some Headhunters, and even a few Imperial models. The pilots, however, seemed to be as experience as their fighters were, flying in perfect formations and overtaking any enemy that presented an opportunity.

"Navigator."
"Yes sir?"
"See how those two Republic Star Destroyers are at angles to each other; maneuver the Ebony Arrow to point-blank-range between the two."
Confused but unwilling to disobey, the navigator nodded, and the Ebony Arrow pulled ahead of the rest of the group. Indeed, the bridges of the Destroyers were at 45* angles to each other, and some 7 kilometers apart. The Aurora Star Destroyers, Wakizashi and Jian maneuvered into more traditional positions towards the flank of each enemy ship.

Iridescent, Bridge

Heffman review his new orders. They were simple enough; keep the small fighters away from the big ships. Basically, they would beef up the fighter defensive. The enemy fighters did not worry him at all. Rather, the devils that flew them seemed to be the challenge. They were experts, while most of the pilots Piter had brought with him were rookies. It would be up to the gunners aboard Heffman's more experienced Task Force One, and the crews knew it. Flying perpendicular to the lines of battle at cruising speed, Heffman gave the order to fire at will.

Far below, in the front turrets, two gunners were happy. Their side would fire first, before the ship turned 180*, giving them a break and allowing the gunners and the other side for some chance at the fun. But if the Starboard Gunners had their way with it, there would be little left for their foes, the Port Gunners. They liked a challenge like this. There were a dozen different models, each moving at its own speed and in its own way. Leading on the same fighter over and over again became tedious sometimes, but the variety present here assured that no one would fall into a routine of any kind. Target a newly refurbished and modernized X-Wing, gunner #1 of the forward turret scored the first kill.

Ebony Arrow, Bridge

D'vry's plan was not a conventional one, and he knew it. The ship itself was new to him, even if the name was not. He had studied the schematics and statistics on it for hours, contemplating its strengths and weaknesses; testing its hypothetical boundaries. Two things stood out to him. First; the ship was designed as a command ship, and therefore possessed several innovative and powerful shield devices. The modified shields of his ship would let it withstand much more than his enemies would expect, hopefully. Secondly; the disruptor cannons, lethal at close proximity, useless at a distance. Originally designed to be a last ditch weapon when enemies were getting too close to the command ship for the commander's comfort, Piter planned to use them for a more aggressive tactic.

As the Ebony Arrow began to move, the opponent calculated its trajectory and reacted. Initially, moving together to block his approach, then spreading apart slightly to give him room if he decided to make such a stupid decision as to move right in between their broadsides. Piter D'vry was pleased, who ever was in charge over there was clearly either exceedingly intelligent, or could not make up his mind. Most evidence pointed to the latter. The Wakizashi and the Jian were already in location, it was the fighters that worried him. Whatever shortcomings or unseen attributes the enemy leader possessed, it seemed the only thing the enemy pilots possessed were demons in their souls. They fought viciously and quickly, facing heavy losses and inflicting heavier ones. Though the frigates of Task Force One were performing admirably, the green pilots he had brought on his capitol ships were being massacred. Sadly, there was nothing to be done. Though recalling the fighters might save lives, it would merely postpone the death of the wanting until a later date. It would also be a death warrant for the frigates and gunships zooming across the battle lines. As the Ebony Arrow moved into firing range, Heffman charged his secret weapons, knowing that he may only get one or two shots out of them.

DAY THREE

Iron Tower, Bridge

General Hash viewed the tactical displays furtively for only a second, then glowered out the main viewport. He preferred to see the action live, rather than via unnecessary technology. The frigates and cruisers, which had remained loyal to Abulard during the last civil war, were mostly gone, except for Aridian Pride, which was retreating towards him at top speeds. Small enemy ships were in pursuit.
"Flight Control!"
"Yes sir?"
"Deploy all fighters from the Archbervy to intercept incoming frigates and gunships."

The fighters were hastily departing their Endurance Carrier; a hodgepodge of varied designs. Under his old regime, he could have easily afforded standardized fighters, rather he chose random fighters of different designs from different parts of the galaxies. There could be no predicting his fighter forces, which their combination of maniac technique and variety of ship. Hash peered out the viewport intently. The battle seemed to be going well. Enemy fighters were being handled adequately, as well as tying down all support craft. His Star Destroyers seemed to be evenly matched with those of the enemy for the time being. General Hash did not recognize the third ship, which seemed to be preparing to blow right past them.
"Jarl!"
"Yes sir?"
"Do you recognize that model of ship ahead of us?"
"Well sir, I'm sure you realize its some kind of modified Star Destroyer. I would treat it with caution until we know more about it."
"Hahahaha!" Hash's booming laugh filled the bridge. Everyone glanced up to see what their eccentric hero was up to now.
"When have I have been cautious Jarl, you should know me better than that!"

"General Hash? This is Karl Wajarzk, newly appointed captain of Aridius Pride. With all respect, we would like to join the fleet proper."
Jarl looked up in hope, he had thought his brother dead. Nudging General Hash, he received a comforting nod from his superior officer.
"What happened to the son of a Doffi who used to be your captain?"
"I figured this time was as good as any to execute the mission you placed me aboard for." You have one more ship in this time of need."
"A time of need it is. You've done well."

Turning about, the Aridian Prime took position between the two Star Destroyers.

Aridus Trade City

Abulard viewed the burning city from his fleeing executive hover-car. He had prepared against such a state of affairs, though he never expected it to come from the Chubbits. He could live out his life in peace in his mountain estate, comfortably without worrying about militant psychopaths are damned Chubbits.

Krassk viewed the destruction which surrounded his city and his homeworld. Only now was he comprehending the full scope of the treachery in which he was embroiled. They came from the sky, just like the first helpers had. They had not appeared human at first, and they offered treatment for the injured, and shots that would prevent the diseases that spawned around death. Soon, most of the army was in a drug induced haze, locked in pens like animals. The aliens who had ruled his planet before seemed to worship the aliens who ruled his planet now. Krasssk and a select few had managed to escape the massacre. They would escape into the mountains, living the traditional life, as they had before the strange people had come.

Iron Tower, Bridge

Hash raked the battlefield, examining every detail. The enemy fighter groups were nearly decimated, though the frigates still reeked havoc. The strange enemy ship, Ebony Arrow, or so Hash's failing eyes told him, was now within firing range, and both were passing pot-shots. The battle seemed to be in his hands. Only one thing remained uncertain. What was this strange ship up to?

Ebony Arrow, Bridge

Piter viewed the tactical display with cold intention, hoping his crew would fall for the act. Inside he was a storm of conflicting tactical ideology. Really, Piter had no idea what he was doing, and was well aware of it. The hermits on Degobah had taught him many things, however, one of which was that only through practice could excellence be reached. Tossing all doubts out the garbage ejector, Piter continued as planned.

That plan was disturbed when the Aridian Pride projected itself into his trajectory. If it came to that, both sides knew that the Ebony Arrow would win in a collision. Piter hoped it wouldn't come to that. Neither did Piter want to betray that he wanted to be in that location so badly that he was willing to ignore two more potent threats.
"Chief Gunner."
"Yes sir?"
"Appropriate 25% of available firepower on that Majestic Cruiser, and maintain fire on the enemy Star Destroyers."
"Yes sir."

Iridescent, Bridge

The crews of Task Force One were by no means veterans. But they were the only thing holding together the fighters, and Heffman knew it. Still, there was only so much he could do. The last intact squadron had just lost its leader; all fighting from here out would be devoid of the squad swarm tactics which prevailed in the Empire. It was time to take decisive action. The frigates, in particular Iridescent were becoming the main target of the enemy fighters.
"Helmsman, takes us parallel to the keel of that ship, Iron Tower, at maximum speed."

The Iridescent was cruising beneath Iron Tower at top speeds. The rear of the ship and the engines were coming up fast. Suddenly, the grey roof fell away to a starry sky and the fire of engines.
"Helmsman! Cut power in engines 1 through 6 50%, bank relative +Z full power!"
Bulkheads strained as hundreds of tons of metal turned 90* in a few seconds. Heffman knew the gambit would work, he only hoped it would be worth it. His ship was now flying through a crucible of diabolic flames. The already weakened shields strained to the limit and then failed. Hellfire licked and scorched his hull before the Iridescent shot into open space once again, all guns blazing at the command tower of Iron Tower. Nearly 75 fighters had maniacally followed them into the inferno. None had escaped the crucible alive.

Ebony Arrow, Bridge

"Captain Heffman."
"Yes sir?"
"Congratulations on that trick you just pulled. It may cost you in the long run unfortunately. I need you to attack the Majestic. Were your ship at full power, she would stand no chance against a captain of your abilities. I hope you enjoy the challenge."
"Yes sir!"

"Chief Gunner."
"Yes sir?"
"Fire one full salvo at Aridian Pride, then continue as before."
"Yes sir!"

Everything was going as planned. Heffmans stunt and skill on the part of his remaining fighters and frigates had whittled down the fighter ratio to nearly 1:2; or about the same proportion as both sides had started with. It was better than nothing, Piter admitted, but a lot worse than he would have liked. The Majestic was now crippled waiting only for the Iridescent to finish her off. He was nearly in firing range for his piece de resistance, the disruptor cannons.

"Navigator."
"Yes sir?"
"Reduce engine power to broadside cruising speed."

Heavy firepower was splattering against the shields on either side, draining the energy of his Eternal Advanced SD, slowly but surely.

"Chief Gunner,"
The Chief Gunner had the words 'yes sir' on the tip of hos tongue.
"Open fire!"

Taken back by the change of routine, the chief gunner ordered the 6 disruptor cannons to open fire simultaneously. Enemy shields held, faltered, and then failed all together. Explosive harmonics pounded bulkheads, hull plates, and anything that offered a surface against space, randomly ripping molecules to shreds. Black clouds of hydrogen, helium and carbon were the only debris. Once the Ebony Arrow was done passing by, there was little left.

Iron Tower, Bridge

Karl gasped and fainted as his identical twin was destroyed in the fiery inferno that once was Aridus Pride. They had possessed a special connection, possible a force related one. None of this mattered to General Hash anymore. The strange weapons possessed by that strange ship had destroyed most of his ship below him. The command tower was literally floating dead in space. It was only a matter of time until something sparked the main reactor core, blowing them all to hell.
"All ships, this is General Hash, your commanding officer. The battle is lost. God only knows what fate awaits our beloved jewel of Aridus. Continue to act as you see fit. I relinquish command."

Hash sat down for the last time in his captain's chair. It was specially placed so he would have a better view of the space outside. Crying, Karl placed his hand on Hash's shoulder. Hash remained somber. Staring out the viewport, he saw the ancient TIE-Bomber coming from farther away then he cared to calculate. This was a ship he knew with weapons he understood.
"Look boy, do you see that? It is death." The old man pointed not to the fighter but to a point in space that appeared empty to Karl. The empty point in space seemed to be moving quickly, if Hash's finger was to be believed. Seconds before the torpedo struck the reactor, Karl laughed.
"Yes, Hash, I see it now."

DAY FIVE

Ebony Arrow, Bridge

Piter viewed the display of the planet with pride. The last splotch of red had been erased, and the entire image glowed an electric blue. The remaining drop ships had been deployed. Though two had been destroyed in space with all hands, once on the ground, troops faced no resistance. He had lost no capitol ships, and half of his support craft were still operational. With luck and hard work, a few more could be repaired. Heffman had fought admirably, offered a few pointers during cleanup, and been a good friend, while still respecting D'vry's position as commanding officer. Perhaps he would request that Heffman be attached to him somehow. They made a good team.

Aridus, Mountains North of City

Krasssk peered down at the mountain estate from a nearby peak. Scouts had first brought reports of this paradise nearly a week ago, and his clan had been heading there ever since. The location was easily defendable, had its own farmland and a source of fresh water. The architecture was not cold and metallic like the buildings in Aridus Trade City. Rather, it was wood, with soft curves and ornate decoration. Krasssk did not know who lived in that house, but by sundown, they would not live there anymore.