Arg!

Stupid spaceship!

Frakutsk fiddled with the insides of his small ship, which had been behaving oddly and sporadically lately. Sometimes its energy was so great that it flew five or six times the speed that it was supposed to, but often it could not even operate its communicator.

It wasn't really logical for Frakutsk to think that he could figure out the problem on his own, so Frakutsk had gone to Azgaurd to get it fixed. Unfortuneatly, not even the skilled engineers there had any idea what was wrong.

So there was no reason whatsoever for Frakutsk to be laying beneath his starship, but he wasn't going to give up yet, even though he was making no progress.

Frakutsk was so concentrated on his fruitless task that the extremely loud and alarming beeping of the communicator inside his starship made him jump. The Gungan bonked his green head on his ship as he lept up from under the ship and into the cockpit to recieve the communication.

It was an Azgaurd on the other line, a TARGET official by the looks of him. Would they never rest? Frakutsk had just finished his long and confusing mission at Riflor, surely they coulden't already have another assignment for him! He was the Minister of Peace, not one of their explorers! Frakutsk's eyes on the ends of their stalks resisted the temptation of giving a huge roll.

"So nice it is to see yous again! What bes you wantin' this time?" Frakutsk said, with a subtle note of sarcasm.

The Azgaurd responded promptly, "Your dimplomatic excellence is needed in the Roche Asteroid Belt, where a group of of operatives are having difficulties communicating with the species that resides there. A full briefing has just been uploaded onto your ship's computer."

It was now a far greater temptation to roll his eyes, but Frakutsk managed to resist anyway. "Hmm... I bes needin' a ship den, disa ones no good."

Just after his message went through, however, the lights on Frakutsk's communicator, and the rest of his ship, clicked off. He just barely read the words displayed on the computer interface before the power died, "This is a recording."

Great, a recording. They hadn't even considered him worthy of live communication. Frakutsk did not resist rolling his eyes this time.

The power was now back enough for Frakutsk to read the breifing. At least it thanked him for his work on Riflor, and adressed him as if he were competent. Frakutsk got the impression that a very simaler version of the recorded message he had recieved had also been sent to other diplomats at many other points in time.

Frakutsk relaxed in his cockpit as he began to read the rest of the mildly lengthy briefing

An hour or so later, Frakutsk turned off the datapad and reflected on what he had just read. Apparently, this Asteroid Belt was home to a mildly reclusive insectoid species called Verpine. They were most renowned for their skills with technology and their method of communication.

According the the briefing, they communicated with eachother through radiowaves that were recieved through their antennae. These radiowaves could reach any and all of the Verpine, which allowed each one of them to speak with complete authority about the opinion of all the others.

Frakutsk nodded slightly and pushed open the cockpit of his spaceship to get out and make preperations for his journey. Unfortunatly, it was quite dark. Leaving would have to wait until tommorow.



It was the next day, and Frakutsk had made complete preperations and was now ready to depart for the Roche asteroid belt, which wasn't actually very far away. Unfortunatly, he still only had his malfunctioning spaceship to get him there.

Frakutsk shrugged and hopped into his personal ship. At least it worked, that was all that was needed. The sleek, silver body of the spaceship glinted in the sunlight as the ship took off at an amazing speed out of the planet's atmosphere.

And, just as the ship was about to enter space, it stopped. Frakutsk slouched and tapped his fingers boredly on the controls.

The rest of the journey proceeded similerly. Frakutsk constantly had to calculate and recalculate the astrogation, but, eventually, not, of course, without pestering from TARGET, he made it.

The coordinates in his briefing pointed to a medium-sized rock with a medium-sized ship on it. When he landed on the asteroid (not alltogether gracefully), two Mon-Calamarians, one young and one old, and an Azgaurd came to greet him.

"Ah, you have arrived!" said the young Mon-Calamarian happily.

"We've been having trouble finding these instects..." said the Azgaurd, getting right to the point.

The Mon-Calamarians shot the Azgaurd glares, but said nothing, waiting for Frakutsk to reply.

"Yesa..." said Frakutsk, nodding, "Mesa been told dat."

One Mon-Calamarian, the older one, spoke in a business-like tone, "Right", he said, the casual nature of the important greeting obviously desturbing him slightly, "I have detected radio-waves in these asteroids, but am unable to identify precisely which asteroid they are coming from. We are unable to communicate with the species through radio-waves due to a sort of language barrier."

This was interesting, since the Verpine were not at all reclusive enough not to speak galactic basic. In fact, they had been valued engineers for quite some time, though lately, Frakutsk had not seen very many at all. Most likely, they were unable to translate galactic basic into Verpine radio-waves, and the Mon-Calamarian was unable to translate Verpine radio-waves into galactic basic.

"I keep telling him-" began the young Mon-Calamarian, but the older one interrupted him.

"Rakebaz has been foolishly insisting that they probably inhabit some particular Asteroid for some reason. What he does not realize is that the chances of him finding one of the few asteroids on which the Verpine reside are very small indeed."

Frakutsk, not convinced, looked up. A smaller asteroid was flying toward a bigger one, but something deflected it away before it collided.

Frakutsk pointed, "Mesa be thinkin' they probly be inhabbitin' thatsa one."

The older Mon-Calamarian looked up and grunted, "Very well... We will meet there". He turned Around and, grumbling, went back to the ship.

Frakutsk definately heard him say to Rakebaz as they went off, "The Minister is more qualified to make such observations than you, young Rakebaz."

Reversion.


The only part of the journey that was even remotely interesting. Captain Tand wished for a brief moment that he was commanding a larger ship - the Empire's Imperator Class Star Destroyers at least had a full entertainment facility for the crew. The Nebula, a battered but still functioning Aegis Carrier, did not. He quickly shook that thought away, though. The Empire was no longer at war, but life aboard the Star Destroyers was entirely too dangerous. At least the merchant fleet was relatively safe. The only people who had any interest in attacking the Empire's supply fleet were pirates, and the Nebula was formidible enough even in her old age to ward off enemies like those.


"Contact?"


Tand asked, looking out the forward viewports. The Roche Asteroid field was the only hazard to be found on the path from the Core to the Border Regions: the Perlemian Trade Route cut straight through it. The field itself was massive, stretching so far in all directions and moving so randomly, that to try and bypass it in hyperspace would take longer than going through it. It would have been significantly safer, certainly, and most ships did take the few routes that bypassed it entirely, but Captain Tand felt that it would be a wasted trip without some fun.


And so the Empire's Border Regions Resupply Fleet (the official title given to the collection of transports and their escorts) waited on the edge of the massive asteroid field.


"Nothing, Sir."


There was, according to the databanks, a presence of alien life in the asteroid field. Verpines, if he recalled correctly. Whatever they were called, whether they answered or not hardly mattered. By right, Tand thouht with a smile, the entire galaxy was the Empire's domain. He could come and go as he pleased.


"Wait. We have something on sensors - a shuttle of some desript." It was a long way out, and judging by its jittery reversion to realspace suffering from some sort of engine trouble.


More importantly, however, it carried the transponder codes of a New Galactic Coalition vessel. And stamped onto the hull was the insignia of the NGC Diplomatic Corps.


Tand frowned. It was far outside his role as a simple supply fleet commander. But this could well be his chance to move up in the eyes of his superiors. Who knew what information about the actions of the Coalition would be worth to Coruscant?


"Shut down all non-essential systems. Order the rest of the ships to do likewise. Stealth mode." He ordered swiftly, seizing the oppertunity. The other vessel had not spotted them, it was closing swiftly with one asteroid in particular. Evidently the Coalition knew where the Verpines were. Or had already established a working base here...


"And prime our weapons systems. One can't be too careful."


This might be interesting...

Several grasshopper-like beings were crowded around a large computer, surveying it with deep concentration.

The room was absolutely silent, though the green faces of the insectoids were quite expressive. Though they were incapable of frowning, their large eyes showed a concentrated concern.

Well, what is it?

This was the message that one of the Verpine broad casted with her sleek antennae.

It could just be space debris

Responded the Verpine next to her, understanding that she was concerned about the very slight signiture that was further away. She nodded and kept observing it.

That, however, is not space debris.

Sent a bigger Verpine, and the others around him nodded as they shifted their attention to the two approaching smaller vessles.

The wisened Xxikk suspects that they are foreign diplomats, and most others seem to agree that he is probably correct.

Contributed the fourth Verpine, who was the smallest of them and very smooth-skinned.

They all seemed to phase out for a moment as they discussed this matter with all other Verpine in the system.

Our fellows on the asteroid that the diplomats are approaching agree that they should welcome these foreigners in and see what they have to say. They are doing so now.

Sent the eldest and fifth of the Verpine who had gathered around the sensory computer. The others all nodded their approval.


The Verpine had spread to most of the large asteroids across the belt. The Coalition's data, which Dangar, the elder Mon Calamari, had refered to, was out of date.


Yudel, the Azgaurd, flew the Excellence, the diplomatic vessle that he and the Mon Calamari had come upon, to the Asteroid which Rakebaz had located. He trasmitted standard Coalition landing codes out of habit, and, to his suprise, they were received and returned with a docking procedure. Yudel followed the procedure and landed in a large crater on the barren asteroid.

Yaga Minor

"The asteroid field?" The Grand Moff asked, her eyes dark with thought. "They could cut our supply lines in half... the entire Border Region could be starved in a matter of months. Does the Coalition realize the implications of their actions?"

"Does the Coalition ever recognize the implicatrions of their actions?" The younger woman, the Line-Captain, asked. "One wonders if they're even aware of the strategic importance of the Roche Asteroid Field."

Bhindi Drayson shook her head. Ever since assuming the title of Grand Moff, Trinity had noticed the woman had become more cunning. More calculating. Evidently she was alreading putting her newfround powers to good use.

"No. I believe the Galactic Coalition knows precisely what they're doing." She turned, activating the large holographic map of the galaxy. "Look here - in the last six months, the Coalition has taken five planets North of Bilbringi. All under the banner of a new Onxyian Commonwealth. In essence an Empire within the Coalition.

Under the command of our good friend, Joren Logan."

Trinity was silent. The name of Joren Logan was known to almost every officer in the Empire. He was one of the greatest enemies the New Order had ever encountered, ever since his ill-fated New Alliance.

And now he was working for the Coalition.

"It almost sounds as if they're preparing for something." She said, eying the map. The entire region above Bilbringi glowed red - Coalition held space. "From there they would have a straight route to Bilbringi, Vladet, Rachuk, and Csilla."

"And from there, right to the core." Bhindi added, nodding. "And now they've established - or are trying to establish - a base that would cut us off from our worlds in the Border Regions."

"And with Logan in command of those forces... they might even have a chance."

Bhindi nodded.

"I imagine they could take Vladet and Rachuk before we came down and destroyed them. Maybe even Csilla and Bilbringi - although the shipyards are more heavily defended than anything in the Empire save the capital."

"But they must know the Empire would retaliate. And if they begin another war, they have to recognize that the Empire would show no mercy. The Coalition would be ground into the dust."

Bhindi nodded, her eyes moving from the Onxyian Commonwealth to the Border Regions.

"I do not think the Coalition plans to start a war. I believe they desire to take advantadge of someone else's war."

"The Black Dragon Empire." Trinity said, realization dawning. With Roche under their control, the Coalition could watch as the Dragons moved against the Empire in the Border Regions, and then cut off the Empire's retreat by blockading Roche. From there, they could launch their own invasion of Imperial space.

Starting with Bilbringi.

"What about the Coalition bases inside the Black Dragon Empire? Surely they'll be crushed before the Dragons even attempt war with the Empire."

The Grand Moff smiled at this.

"Yes, they will. But that is a sacrafice the Coalition is prepared to make. It is at any rate inevitable - one day, Mon Calamari will fall to the Tions. It is not a matter of if, but when.

"Recall that Jan Dondanda already tried to transfer those worlds to the Black Dragon Empire. And that Prime Minister Regrad has moved the capital off Mon Calamari. In fact, the population of Coalition worlds in Dragon space has been declining steadily.

"The Coalition, Captain, is preparing for something."

"And the Empire must be ready to stop it." Trinity finished. "How?"

And the Grand Moff told her.

A few minutes later, Yudel, Frakutsk, Rakebaz, and Wurden, the older Mon Calamri, were led silently into a room larger than most on the asteroid.

In the center of the room was a large, oval table with four chairs on one side. On the opposite side were four Verpine stood deep in conversation. As Frakutsk and the diplomats entered, one of the Verpine seemed to notice them and what must have been a friendly look spread across his face.

"Ah, Hello, the Verpine greet the Coalition's respresentatives."

The Verpine's voice lacked pitch of any sort, and therefore did not sound alltogether friendly. At first, Frakutsk was suprised both that the Verpine talked and that he knew they were from the Coalition. However, he responded politely regardless.

"Andsa da Coalition's representatives greet desa wise verpine."

Frakutsk did not actually know details of the diplomatic mission, for he had been assigned to help the diplomats make contact, not to conduct an entire operation. However, greatly to Frakutsk's releif, Wurden continued Frakutsk's greeting as the diplomats took the seats that were offered to them.

"We bring a gift that you will most undoubtedly find most useful"

Wurden handed a datapad to the Verpine closest to him and waited for the Verpine to review it. Wurden expected the Verpine to take at least a few moments to figure out what the Data-pad spoke of. But, instead, the Verpine showed it to his fellows, who seemed to understand instantly and were very interested.

The Verpine, however, were not a race to be easily impressed. And, after just a moment's pause, a different Verpine spoke.

"This gift is most generous and interesting. We do have a feeling, however, that there is more to your visit than this gift."

The Verpine, of course, was correct. Wurden had another datapad which contained the proposal to the Verpine to join the Coalition.

Frakutsk did not exactly like the way that this meeting was proceeding. The Verpine were, apparently, very direct in nature, and Frakutsk was worried that if the diplomatic team responded with the same directness, they would seem rude. After all, thought Frakutsk, this race has been living alone and happy for many years. Why would they want to give up their peaceful neutrality now?

Rakebaz was looking at Wurden, who was obviously troubled. He could either insist that further business could wait until later, which would be odd given the breifness of their meeting so far. Or, he could offer the Verpine the proposal right away, which, he feared, would be offensive.

Finnally, Wurden made up his mind and spoke.

"As you very well know, the New Galactic Coalition is an alliance of worlds with their own customs and government. An alliance built to preserve freedom and equality. The Coalition wishes to extend an offer to the Verpine."

The short speech sounded completely normal in the Mon Calamari dialect after the eerie Verpine had spoken. Frakutsk, of course, worried that the reverse was true to the Verpine's ears. The entire meeting had a distinct air of awkwardness about it.

Wurden handed the datapad to the Verpine, who again seemed to understand more quickly than normal. He gave a significant but anomalous look to his fellows.

"We will require time to consider this proposal."

Said a Verpine, simply. One of the grasshopper-like sentients led the diplomatic party back to their ship.

Frakutsk was concerned. Hopefully, it was a very generous gift that the Mon Calamari gave the Verpine, because, from Frakutsk's perspecitve, the chances of Roche joining the Coalition were very slim indeed.

"Captain. Reversion in five minutes." A quiet voice said from the crew pit. Ariel Trinity nodded, her mind elsewhere.

Ever since her discussion with the Grand Moff, her head had been spinning. By all accounts the War with the Galactic Coalition was supposed to be the end of it. They had retreated into their little bubble, content to lick their wounds and admit that the New Order did indeed reign Supreme.

But the New Galactic Coalition, as they had taken to calling themselves since absorbing the shattered remains of the Outer Rim Sovereignty, did not seem content to see the Empire rise to more and more power in the galaxy.

Reports from Imperial Intelligence and the Imperial Security Bureau had brought to light troubling Coalition policies that could well mark the start of a renewed conflict between them and the Empire.

And now... the Coalition was actively seeking to disrupt Imperial supply lines. Or such, at least, was the impression garnered by Imperial High Command with their recent expidition into the Roche Asteroid Field.

The pencil pushers on Coruscant were worried, and not without good reason. If the Black Dragon Empire were ever to break out of their bubble, the Perlemian route was the Empire's primary means of bringing men and material to the front.

If the Coalition established themselves along that route, the Empire could be in some trouble.

An alarm sounded from her computer, and Trinity smiled thinly. The fleet was emerging from hyperspace, the blue/white vortex of hyperspace diminshing into distant stars. And, much closer, the shapes of the asteroids that made up the Roche Asteroid Field.

The Imperial force would have been called 'light' by High Command, but it was more than enough to contend with whatever any Coalition task force or pirate group might have in the system if it came to a fight. Six Thorne Class Dreadnaughts flanked a trio of larger Eternal Advanced Star Destroyers, entering the system under the Imperial banner. Two sqaudrons of TIE Interceptors were launched from the bow of Trinity's command, the Eternal, to provide escort and recon.

Over an open comlink, Trinity spoke to the system.

"Under Imperial Directive 644, signed this morning by his Lordship the Emperor Daemon Hyfe, the Roche Asteroid Field is henceforth under the protection of the New Order. All traffic in the sector hearby be subject to Imperial Rules of Passage.

"Failure to follow Imperial directives may result in the use of force."

And with that, the Imperial fleet took up position to defend Roche against intrusion.

"Sir?" Said Rakebaz, hesitantly.

Wurden responded, preocupied, "What?"

"We're... getting something over the comlink."

Wurden suddenly snapped to attention, "What?!"

Rakebaz just motioned to the communicator as Wurden quickly walked over and played the communication.

"Under Imperial Directive 644, signed this morning by his Lordship the Emperor Daemon Hyfe, the Roche Asteroid Field is henceforth under the protection of the New Order. All traffic in the sector hearby be subject to Imperial Rules of Passage.

"Failure to follow Imperial directives may result in the use of force."

Rakebaz had a look of utter horror on his face as the communication finished. "Those filthy, imperial..."

But he was interupted as Wurden signled with the ship's comm for Frakutsk to come over as soon as possible. It was no more than a few moments before the Jedi was there.

Frakutsk had already heard the communication, and as he entered, he stated the obvious, "Theysa can't do dat!"

Wurden, who was looking informationo over on a datapad, nodded, "Indeed, the Roche asteroid system has declared itself a neutral system, and the Coalition will protect it as such under foreign relations article 63."

Rakebaz pointed at the communicator again, "Uh, something else is coming in, Sir."

"Well, play it."

The toneless voice of a verpine sounded, "The Verpine of the Roche asteroid system greet the New Order, and regret that there seems to have been a mistake. The Roche asteroid system is inhabited by the neutral Verpine and will not be subject to unwanted foreign protection or Rules of Passage."

Rakebaz smirked, "You tell 'em."

Meanwhile, the verpine, well aware of the abilities and motives of The New Order, readied defences across the asteroid belt for deployment, after the usual hesitance to risk damaging their beautiful machinery. They did not, however, remotely want to fight.

The Imperial fleet stood fast in spite of the Verpine response. It was well established under Imperial law that all systems belonged to the New Order, and those that 'belonged' to other governments were allowed to do so only at the mercy of the Empire.

Roche had been annexed for strategic reasons, whether the natives were happy about that was irrelevent when put next to the neccessity of mantaining an open supply line to the forward bases of the Empire.

Trinity's dark eyes searched the asteroid field. Sensor reports continued to flow in about weapons being raised - for what reason she could not fathom. The Verpine had to know that if it came to a fight, the Empire would crush them without a moment's hesitation.

And so they waited, mantaining their defensive formation, protecting the Empire. It was, after all, their job.

In the control room of the ship, Frakutsk sat with his eyes closed. He allowed the force to flow through him, examining it as it did. After a few very long moments of meditation, Frakutsk reached out into the force, sensing for the Imperials.

There was still a definate group of people in space, waiting patiently for the moment to arise when it was best for them to take action. This was all Frakutsk needed to know.

Sighing, Frakutsk took out a holo-map and looked at the Roche system. It didn't take him more than a few moments to figure out that Roche was in the middle of an imortant Imperial supply line. Did the Central Intelligence Bureau know about this?

As minister of Peace, it was Frakutsk's job to negotiate Rights of Passage, peace treaties, that sort of thing. Frakutsk wondered if he would be overstepping his bounds to offer the Imperial's passage through the Roche system. No, probably not, he reasoned. After all, it was a very sensable course of action.

Frakutsk then wondered what the Imperial's reaction would be. Would they be content to continue using their supply line unimpaired? That woulden't be like them. It would become a question authority or pride. They would want complete control of the Roche asteroid system simply to prove their Imperial authority.

Nevertheless, it coulden't hurt to offer, could it? Frakutsk thought not. Something else, some other plan, would need to be devised. But this devising would need the cooperation of the Verpine... or something. Woulden't it?

Frakutsk considered, if the Verpine agreed to join the Coalition, and the Coalition offered passage to the Imperials, then what would the Imperials do? Frakutsk nodded to himself. Yes, the Imperial's only course of action would be to attack the Roche system and start a full scale war! They could continue using their supply line unhindered, and therefore would have nothing to complain about since the Roche asteroid belt would be as much a member of the Coalition as Mon Calamari, or Cerea, or any system.

Frakutsk flipped on the comm and punched a few buttone before speaking.

"Thesa New Order should know thatsa the Galactic Coalition grants full Rights of Passage in the Roche Asteroid System to the New Order as stated in the Galactic Coalition policy included with this transmission. Newsa Order vessles maysa pass though as theysa wish unhindered."

The only thing now remaining was for the Verpine to agree to the Galactic Coalition's offer. The Verpine needed to be smart, and Frakutsk knew that they were.