Tak Felank looked around him feeling distinctly un-happy. Why him? Why did he have to be put in charge of this mission when there were thousands of Black Hand employees more qualified than him. This was just one of those cases of being too smart for his own good.

Two Months Ago…



The Deep Core in the very center of the galaxy was the location of hundreds of hidden Imperial Bases. With the recent rapid expansion of the Empire following the Wrath Virus catastrophe it would seem likely that the New Order would retake their once hidden bases. Black Hand has begun expansion into the Core regions with such planets as Esseles and Khomm. So would it be feasible and advisable for Black Hand to attempt to reinforce their core holdings with hidden Deep Core bases? It would be feasible and advisable to expand to the Deep Core for the following reasons: Hidden Deep Core bases could provide a last line of defense and become strongholds similar to CN-1344 and CN-1653. It is likely that there are various places where Black Hand could obtain Imperial Deep Core Hyperspace Maps. Because of material constraints it is unlikely that the Empire has seriously expanded to the Deep Core. Deep Core expansion would be a very good plan and one that should be implemented soon.

Black Hand is expanding quite rapidly. If we follow our pre-established formula of one new construction planet for every 3 planets taken, our next planet to obtain would be a construction planet. Also Black Hand standard Operating Procedure indicates that every important planet such as Command Planets, Locations of Secret Projects and Construction Planets should be in hidden locations. We could use one of the readily available hidden planets near CN-1344 but they would do nothing to support our Core Holdings.

The Imperial Navy extensively mapped hidden Deep Core hyperspace routes. They were then handed over to the New Republic during the First Yu’uzhan Vong War. It is likely that the New Republic has lost all of their copies but the Imperials likely have some copies remaining. The maps aren’t in the Black Hand Database so the Yevethans obviously never captured a copy. Black Hand forces could pull Data Raids at Imperial Planets. One of the most feasible options would be to try J’t’p’tan where we have multiple Black Hand agents. If none of our Data Raids worked we’d have to attempt to salvage some of the Navigation Information stored on ships destroyed in the Battle of Ebaq 9. With the second option it is extremely likely we will find the needed information. However, it probably won’t be all the maps just the location of one or two planets.

With the destruction caused by the Wrath Virus and the Battle of Bastion, the Empire had to rebuild pretty much all their military resources as did the rest of the galaxy including Black Hand. The subsequent rapid expansion into known space by the Empire and the battles with the Coalition of Lightside Factions makes it extremely improbable that the empire would waste a fleet, establishing control over bases that they can get at their own leisure. Unless the Empire had a hidden battle fleet that they didn’t use at Bastion which is also extremely improbable because the Empire was fighting for their life their, they wouldn’t have the resources to acquire and defend their planets.

It would be a good idea for Black Hand to attempt to take control of one of the hidden Deep Core Imperial Bases. The empire is unlikely to interfere with such an operation and it would help provide security for our newest Construction Planet as well as giving us a final line of defense in a supporting position of Khomm and Esseles. I think that immediate steps should be taken towards taking a new hidden planet with one of the Deep Core planets being a preference.

End Report

ooc:TNO I'm sorry but I'm not going to wait forever.

The Flower Nebula was huge, a large colorful gaseous mist. It had been documented centuries ago by Old Republic explorers, and aside from the occasional astronomical survey ship, it was largely left alone. The nebula itself was completely left alone, and had never been explored by anyone, it very simply, was a worthless place.

One man’s garbage was another man’s treasure.

The Black Hand, several months earlier had slipped some Birds of Prey into the Flower Nebula, and had begun thorough exploration and documentation of the Nebula. They had discovered that aside from numerous ion storms, it was completely and utterly harmless. They had discovered several ‘safe paths’ through the Nebula, they had charted these paths and followed them, all originating to a common point. Just like a hurricane, the Nebula possessed, an ‘eye of the storm’, an area in the exact center of the nebula that held no gasses, no ion storms.

And most of all, it held a planet.

A common theory was that in ancient times, a star had exploded, and had obliterated all of its planetary bodies, except one. Black Hand promptly named the planet CN-1653 and had begun to colonize it. It had since become a hub of activity, as Black Hand begun to build new shipyards over the planet. It was also the center of Black Hand’s cloning program, as technology from Khomm was used to better the cloning progress that the people of Kamino had started so long ago.


Now almost a year later, it was time to move again.

***

Black Hand Drydock - CN-1653

Staff Sergeant Isom let out a sigh of relief as two dockworkers dropped a crate in front of him. He had been waiting for a day and a half for his power converters. And they had finally arrived. He and his subordinate, Spaceman First Class Haniss each took a laser cutter and began to cut the box open. With a groan the durasteel plate fell to the floor.

“I ask for power converters and they send me a case of mechanical lubricating gel” Isom said, sighing.

“Perhaps it can be put to use, sir?” Haniss asked, hopefully. He was an enlistee of about twenty years of age, and was full of enthusiasm, much to Isom’s often annoyance.

“Yeah, take it over to Redik, in section four. I am going to see about getting some power converters up here” He paused. “Again”

Haniss nodded and quickly grabbed a hoversled to lug the huge crate away. As he was pushing the sled away, he glanced over his shoulder, Isom was arguing with a guy from Supply.

Nobody would notice. Haniss suddenly swerved to the right and in a darkened portion of section four, behind several huge construction loaders. He walked around and reached into the crate.

And wedged between the tightly packed racks of mechanical lubricating gel, was a datapad. It was encrypted, but Haniss punched in the proper coding and soon text was scrolling down the screen.

Agent 412, report to Training Complex 004. 0200 hours

“Hey! Spaceman First Class!. I need that lube gel!” He heard from behind him, suddenly. He reacted without hesitation, the datapad slipping down to his right hand as he turned around, hiding it from view.

“Sergeant Redik! I am sorry, I couldn’t handle the gravsled very well. Could you help me?” Haniss asked, slipping back into his wide-eyes boy persona.

“Sure, kid. I’ll take it” Redik said, taking a hold of the gravsled and wheeling it off. Haniss went back to where Isom was still arguing with the man from Supply. 0200 Hours indeed.

To some she was known as The Hacker. A faceless, nameless person who could invade the best systems in the galaxy. To those in the know she had a face, she had a name. Her name was Bria, Bria Rostek. For years she had eluded both Outer-Rim Federation and Black Hand forces as well as the security forces of countless other governments and corporations. But finally she’d been found. Picked up at a traffic stop in Coronet City on Corellia. Immediately after her capture by the People’s Security Force, then Chief Analyst Fayar was dispatched to pick her up and bring her to CN-1344. Her hacking ability allowed her to discover Project Scorpion, the super-secret project set up by the Federation Council to be their last line of defence. After the split of Admiral Griff and Black Hand from the Outer-Rim Federation Project Scorpion began to work to defend the interests of Black Hand. They were instrumental in Black Hand creating an alliance with the people of Khomm and with providing information useful to the attack on Arkania where the last remnants of the Federation Council were hiding.

Originally, the deal was that if Bria found the information on Project Scorpion she would be free to go and all record of her past endeavours would be erased. Director Meer, offered her a position in Black Hand but nobody expected her to accept. To everybody’s surprise she did accept his proposition and she was immediately commissioned as an Analyst First Class. Using her extensive skills with computers she began to hack into Black Hand’s various computer archives some of which dated back to the First Yevethan Insurrection.

She now worked in a small office, similar to the office of any other slicer or analyst in Black Hand. There was only one difference. The mirror in the office was a one way mirror. On the other side, there was usually one person, but today there were two.

“Sir?”

Chief Analyst Fayar turned around to look at the person who had intruded into his silence. A small man, with dark hair and wearing the uniform of an Analyst First Class stood in the back of his Observation Room/Office.

“Yes Analyst……?”

“Felank sir, Tak Felank. I have a request from Director Meer.”

Tak took the mini-datapad out of his pocket and handed it to Fayar who accepted it with a nod. He scrolled down the information that was stored then nodded.

“So Director Meer wants us to check the Yevethan files concerning the Navigational Information that they captured off the Imperial Ships. Specifically maps of Hidden Deep Core Bases. One second while I check what Bria’s found so far.”

Fayar walked over to his monitor and clicked the little search icon in the top left hand corner. Lines of Information appeared and slowly began to scroll upwards. He selected one of them and quickly scanned the information.
“Oh I remember we did the Nav Information just a couple of days ago. Sorry but all we have is information on the location of Byss and other important centres. There was one peculiarity though. Three different systems, Treskov 115-W, Melium and Mayro were all designated stay out zones. It’s my conclusion that they were the starting points of hidden hyperspace routes.”

“Treskov 115-W isn’t that the same system as the planet Ebaq?”

“Umm, yes it is.”

“Thanks, can you upload all the information you have on the Deep Core into a data disk please.”

“Sure. Just give me a second.”

Two minutes later Tak Felank left Fayar’s office with one more piece in the puzzle in his pocket.

"I came as soon as I could" Haniss said as he entered a small storage room of Training Complex 004.

Three other people looked up at him from a datapad they were studying. Haniss knew them instantly. Commander Pter, executive officer of the Bird of Prey - Silencer One. He was the ranking Project Scorpion agent in the room. Then was Ensign Tanas, an articulate young communications officer stationed on Wayland. Then there was an Enlisted soldier, in the Sovereignty Army, Asces. They were all assigned to the Deep Core Expansion Project.

"Take a seat, Haniss" Pter said. Haniss sat down. The other agents formed a circle around the datapad.

"The Silencer One has been commissioned to sneak into the Deep Core for some kind of secret mission"

"Another construction planet, possibly?" Asces asked.

"Yeah. Captain Bates just told me yesterday, and my orders came from Jones himself" Pter said.

"But I thought Jones is working for President Griff" Haniss objected.

"Well not entirely. He knows the Director of the Project would kill him if he gave himself over to the Sovereignty completely"

"Yes..." Haniss mused.

"Anyway, it is a class Three Stealth Mission" Pter said.

"Type three?" Tanas asked, surprised.

"Yes. If we are caught..." Asces said, letting the thought trail off.

"Yes. Nothing is allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy" Pter said.

"What enemy, though?" Haniss asked.

"The Empire is the leading strength in the galaxy. And they are occupying N'zoth and J't'p'tan" Tanas said.

"So we could run into them?" Asces asked.

"Yes. However, our cloak should be sufficient to protect us" Pter said.

"So what do we do?" Haniss asked.

"Make sure that the operation is completed in accordance to the parameters set by the President himself...and the parameters set by Project Scorpion. I called you here just to give you a heads-up. So prepare yourselves. Dismissed" Pter said.

***

"The ship is ready?" Captain Bates asked as Pter stepped off the turbolift.

"Yes, all systems report ready" Pter replied.

"Good. Let us get under way. Open a channel to CN-One-Six-Five-Three Dock Control, this is Silencer One requesting permission to get under way" Bates said.

"Silencer One, this is Control. You are cleared to depart ona vector of eight-eight-five point one" The voice of the controller announced.

"Understood" Bates said.

The Silencer One was on its way...