<font color=darkred>Corellia



Who would have thought?

One day, the most respected government in the entire galaxy, ruler of entire solar systems, commander of great fleets.

The next, their capitol in uprising and their nation-states rebelling. The New Republic had lost much since their fateful attack on the world of Eriadu some sixteen hours before.

They had yet to learn, though, exactly how much they lost. One day, he knew, they would learn. One day, soon.

Executor Ton Karlos stood watching the star swirl in front of the ship. Many people were known to get quite violently sick watching the endless cylce of swirling stars and strange colours.

But the Executor had learned long ago that to be sick was to be weak, and so he stood there now, watching them carefully, studying the intricate patterns made by the stars as his ship sped through hyperspace.

Why, the Executor wondered, is this happening?

<hr>

The ship came out of hyperspace some time later over the world-gem that was Corellia. It was, as usual, surrounded by the warships of the New Republic, a fortress that could only be pentrated by the most skilled over persons. If it came to it, the Executor knew, Admiral York could break the Republic's stranglehold on this world.

But he hoped that it would not come to that. War was, and always would be, a terrible thing to Executor Ton Karlos. He worked to avoid such war, because war always led to death. And death led to suffering.

<font color=darkred>Corellia

It had been far to long.
Ton Karlos had been to Corellia, once, before the New Republic had brought it under their Iron Fist. Back before the problems with Thraken Sal-Solo and his band of misfits.
He hadn't been back since then, and in those intervening years the planet had changed much. Far to much for the Exectuor's liking.

<font color=green>"Mr Karlos?"<font color=darkred> The faint voice came from behind him. The Executor turned and faced the speaker, a young woman who looked no more than twenty. Her face showed her youth, he thought, but she has the eyes of an experianced Rebel.

<font color=green>"Yes?"<font color=darkred> He asked, looking her over. She was not terribly attractive, but she was nice to look at. Long red hair reached down past her shoulders, and her pale face wore a bright smile.

<font color=green>"I was sent for you,"<font color=darkred> she said, <font color=green>by Mr. Grychin<font color=darkred> He nodded and hefted his equipment belt, hooked to which was his blaster and comlink, as well as several other tools of the trade, and his plain black duffel bag.

<font color=green>"All set. Let's go."<font color=darkred> She led him out of the building and down the road to her speeder, an older-model sporty vehicle that showed the wear and tear it had suffered since it had been bought. It ran, however, very well, and they were soon speeding through Corellia's streets.

Corellia was, the Executor thought as the speeder zipped in between traffic lanes, a much more beautiful world than Coruscant. On the world-city, everything was designed for efficency and speed. It was a crowded urban nightmare. Corellia, compartively, was open and inviting, with broad streets and parks.

Before long, the speeder pulled up before a large warehouse with a holoboard pronouncing it Telan Corp. District Storage. The woman brought out her comlink and said something into it, and the vehicle door opened, revealing a dark interior.

The young woman quickly brought the vehicle into the spae, and the door shut behind them. The room was sparesly lit, but Ton could see the doorway at the end, and, following the girl's lead, headed towards it.

Halfway across the garage the door opened, silhouetting two people there and spilling light into the otherwise dark garage.

<font color=green>"Hurry up!"<font color=darkred> One of them hissed, stepping out of the doorfram and moving towards the pair. Ton did as he was instructed, climbing the metal stairs and walking through the doorway into the room
beyond.

It took him a moment to adjust to the brightness, and as he did he surveyed his surroundings. The room was large and quite bland. A large steel table with twelve chairs filled one end, and banks of computer consoles and what he assumed were weapons lockers were stacked neatly against the opposite wall.

The Executor turned to the two men and smiled.

<font color=green>"Nice place you've got here."<font color=darkred> The first one smiled appreciativly.
<font color=green>"This one's got wit! I like him! Welcome to Corellia, Mr. Karlos."<font color=darkred>

<font color=darkred>Corellia

New communications. Ton Karlos looked over the top of the book he had been reading, something about spies and espionage that was a long way from the truth, to the woman.

Well? What about them? The other looked at him a moment, and frowned. The Empire. They've declared war. There was a long silence, in which a thousand different horrbile posibilties flashed through the Executor's mind. With the Galactic Defence Initiative.

Now that was certainly not what Ton had expected. Of all the people in the galaxy, he would have thought that the Empire would have at least some honour. But then, as he thought it over, if he was right... the Empire wanted power. And a key source for that power was the Jutraalian Empire, the @#%$ that the New Order had waged war with for the past three months.

If that's what happened...

There's more, She continued. The Trade Federation has been laballed an enemy of the peace for 'Selling of Classified Information and Actions leading to the deaths of citizens of the Galactic Defence Initiative.'.

She stopped, looking at the document and frowning.

A state of war now exists betweem the Empire and the GDI. We're ordered to commence the infiltration as soon as possible and pull the location of Bastion from the Republic's records, if possible.

Ton nodded. The idea of war with the Empire was appalling. Of all their friends and allies, the GDI had considered the Empire the best. And still recovering from the betrayal of the Corrupt New Republic, to find two more of their allies turned on them...

Can I see it? She nodded and handed him the datapad. He read it, a rage growing in his chest...

<tt>...offensive launched by the New Order against us, the GDI, in coalition with the Jutraalian Empire...</tt>

And to find them working with their former enemies, that the Empire had sworn to crush and the GDI had helped them in that end was absoultely disgusting...

<tt>...above all else the Empire desires power. Fearsons has such power, and he is not below using it to gain the New Order's support in an attack on our government...</tt>

No surprise there. Really, the Empire didn't give a damn about their allies. Whatever brought in more power for them, the better. Selfish @#%$, all.

<tt>...the Trade Federation is a pawn of both these governments. They willfully sold out the Galactic Defence Initiative in exchange for protection... no harm should have come to the Federation if their honour had been kept intact... the Trade Federation has been declared an enemy of the state... state of war with the New Republic, the Jutraalian Empire, the New Order, and the Trade Federation... Trade Federation betrayed the Commonwealth... Federation declared an enemy of the state by the Systems' Commonwealth...</tt>

Hell has found us. Ton stood and tossed the datapad onto the table, glancing at it one last time before moving out of the room.
Are we ready? He asked, opening one of the weapons lockers and drawing out the neccessary equipment.
Give me an hour and we'll be set. Ton smiled thinly and nodded.
An hour, then.

One Hour Later

There. She pointed across the way to the two Republic guards that stood outside the building.
Are we supposed to take them? He whispered back, peering through the scope of the sniper rifle with distaste. Or avoid them?
Avoid them, if we can. Leave the here. Ton set down the rifle and followed her lead, stepping out of the way and walking across the throughfair and up the steps of the building. The two guards failed to notice them until they were climbing the steps, and when they did it was already to late.
Ton drew the taser and pressed it into the first man's throat, stunning him. The woman did likewise, and they dragged the two bodies into the building with them.
Well, that was fun. What's next?
Archive level. Let's go.

(To be continued)

<font color=darkred>Corellia - New Republic Archives

"Anything?" Ton shook his head, no, glaring at the computer terminal in front of him. The green light the system gave off threw an errie glow onto his face.

"Nothing," he said in disgust. "I haven't found anything about Bastion, the Empire, the Remnant... it's all either classified or been deleted." She shook her head.

"No, I doubt that it has been deleted. Probably just classified more heavily than we imagined." Ton turned his head to look at her.

"Great. As if this security isn't hard enough to crack as it is." She smiled at him.

"Just keep trying."

<tt>Accessing database...

Authorization Required. Please enter password:[/i]

EX-669-225-847-Alpha

Password accepted. Welcome, Executor<</tt>

"Where'd you get that password from?" She was leaning over his shoulder now, looking at the screen with mute fascination. He winked.

"A friend of mine put it into the system before I arrived. It's a low-level access, so it won't show up on any system checks, but it will let me into some of their less secret records and let me do further work."

She smiled.

"Say... I never found out your name." Kind of akward, really. It's been two days and I don't even know her name. She laughed. Evidently, should could see what he was thinking.

"Emily," she said. "Emily Kran."

"Well, Emily. Let's see if we can't crack this system, then."

<tt>Entering database...

Options | Home | Search | Back | Logout | Shutdown

Search

Please enter search article: Bastion

Querying database...

ZERO items returned for 'Bastion'

New Search: yes

Please enter seach article: Empire

Querying database...

612 items returned for 'Empire'

View List? no

New Search: yes

Pleae enter seach article: Imperial Capitol

2 items returned for 'Imperial Capitol'

View List? yes

'Coruscant: Capitol of the Empire'
'The Hidden Capitol'

View file: The Hidden Capitol

The Hidden Capitol

The location of Bastion, the Capitol world of the Galactic Empire, has long been a secret. The planet is located deep within Imperial space, near the worlds of Dubrillion and Garqi.

The exact location of Bastion, as well as its true name, remain a secret.

New seach: no

Options | Home | Search | Back | Logout | Shutdown
shutdown

Confirm Shutdown: confirmed

Logging out...

Exiting database...

Shutting down system...</tt>

"What'd you get?" Ton sighed and looked at the time. Almost an hour had passed.
"Nothing," he said wearily. "Except that it's a hidden world somewhere near Garqi." Emily smiled.
"Well, it's something. Now then, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. What do you say we get something to eat?"