A bank manager’s life is not a very hard one—one simply has to have a secondary school diploma and no criminal record to qualify for the job. But as bland, boring, and easy to qualify for the job as it is, it is men like Kirin Sawyer who keep money changing hands and civilization moving.

As a manager, his responsibilities were not very extensive—speaking with dissatisfied patrons, convincing wealthy men and corporations looking for a place to store funds to choose Kuati First Financial, and to approve all major money transfers.

He always remembered the Imperial navy transfers because they were so phenomenally large. His bank dealt with transfers from the Mid-Rim and Boarderland protectorates to the shipyards in orbit. Other protectorates had their own banks of choice to transfer through.

The two amounts of the two transfers he held in his hand now were some of the smallest he’d ever seen of their type. Only relatively of course—the multi-trillion dollar checks were worth more than all but a few men in the galaxy and nearly every planet. But the sum of the checks was barely enough to pay for a slowed construction of the hundreds of ships being constructed for each protectorate.

Was the cost of these ships starting to really hit home at a time of rapid expansion in the Borderland protectorate? Or perhaps the expense of domestic programs was rising—Mid-Rim programs were particularly known for the generosity, and there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Or perhaps something bigger, something far more ominous was in the works.

He could only fathom.

Imperial Junction - Nerisia system

The Imperial Regent class star destroyer Fuhrer dropped out of hyperspace well within the planetery system, relying on the gravity well projected by the planet rather than her own navigation systems. The star destroyer bristled with weaponry and other systems, and was a very formidable opponent for almost any capital ship belonging to a friendly, neutral, or hostile goverment. Built to take down enemy capital warships, she was espically heavy in the turbolaser weaponry, relying more on her complement of TIE-2 fighters to protect her from the threat of smaller enemy ships.

Today her mission was one of escort rather than serving in the battleline. She protected not a convoy of ships but rather a single solitary person, the governer of one of the various Protectorates within the Galatic Empire, or as outsiders refer to it, the New Order.

Standing on the bridge of the vessel, Park Kraken stared out of the virewports at the massive station known as Imperial Junction, a city in space unto itself, with industries, living quarters, entertainment sections, and a garrison fit for a good sized planet, with multipule slips for the construction of up to medium sized capital warships, repairs of any kind of ship up to command ship sized, and docking facilities for even the largest of command ships, such as the Ebony Vigilance II. A smile graced his lips as he got his first good look at the station constructed and maintained by one of his former subordinates, Rear-Admiral Huey, former Commodore under the MRP.

This station was effectivley the capital city of the Expansion protectorate, the name given to the region of space near the Koornacht cluster in the unknown regions that was being explored, settled, or in some cases, conquered by the Empire.

The captian of the Fuhrer walked up to him, signaling with a nod his head and a salute that his personal shuttle and escort were ready. Normally Kraken would fly around on the Superior, but in an attempt to reduce the budget of operating expenses and mantinence, had left his flagship in orbit over Vladet while taking this recently comissioned destroyer in her stead. Besides reducing operating costs, he had left secretly, believing that no one outside of the Empire would see him flying around on a lesser capital ship.

Boarding the shuttle in the hangar bay several minutes later after about one thousand meters of walking, which was named the Melina, after his wife, something else dear to him that he left behind on Vladet, Kraken was on his way to the Imperial station. Along with the shuttle, a nominal escort of four TIE-2 fighters departed the forward docking bays of the capital ship as she went to join the other vessels of the Imperial fleet in the system.

The Vos-class Frigate dropped out of hyperspace. It's commander, always a cautious man, had the sensors running imediately. Everything checked out, though; only Imperial ships in the system. Four TIE Schutzstaffel's launched and took up escort positions around the frigate, more for show than anything else.

A small shuttle launched, escorted by another seven fighters. Why that many were needed for one shuttle escort was unclear, but to anyone watching it would seem that the passenger was a very important man within the Empire. The shuttle headed for the main docking bay of the Imperial station.

Inside one of the fighters, Colonel Wesley Vos pondered the orders he had received. Apparently there was a meeting of several high-level Imperial officers, including Governor Park Kraken and Captain Thorton. Thorton he had worked with before; actually, Thorton had been temporarily under his command recently. Kraken, though, Wes had only met once, though he'd had several conversations with him over the holonet or comm.

The question running through Wes's mind, though, was why he had been ordered to come and bring with him the commanders of his various units. That was the reason for so many fighters; the commanders of the six SS Kommando squadrons flew with Wes, while his XO, the Waffen-SS commander, and the SS Panzer commander were in the shuttle.

Regardless of the reason, they were here, and they would soon be meeting. Whatever the purpose, whatever incredible plans were being made on that station, Wes felt priviledged to be a part.

[font=Palatino Linotype]"Pain is in your mind!" That was, as Jarred recalled, how the drill sergeant described the feeling that was currently searing his soul. Of course, for once, it was perhaps the most concrete truth he could cling to: pain was smiply something in his mind...and it hurt worse than he could have possibly imagined. He'd gone out on a limb to save the woman he loved, and had earned a reward of ridicule and shame for his efforts. The mockery and derision had been incessant over the past few days, and Special Forces HighCom had been more than willing to reprimand him for his heroism. And what hurt worst of all...[/font]

[font=Palatino Linotype]...she still got hurt.[/font]

[font=Palatino Linotype]The TIE was graceful as it continued to speed along its assigned course, maintaining an armed escort position among the other seven fighters stationed around the colonel's shuttle. The fact that it was marked as such was an effective ruse, should any opposing forces happen to come by; with him in one of the fighters on escort, it would be hard for them to find him specifically.[/font]

[font=Palatino Linotype]The station loomed ominously in the distance as it came closer and closer. Soon, the escrt group and associated shuttle would be there. Soon, they would be able to get on with this meeting...and he'd know why the Hell he'd been called in again. As if being disrespected by the majority of my own squadron wasn't enough![/font]

Kach Thorton was a man who appreciated subtlety--a lifetime of work on the other side of the law would give you respect for it. Instead of arriving in a huge battleship, escorted by dozens of cruisers and hundreds of fighters, and landing with a storm trooper escort large enough for a small parade, he appeared on the other side of the station in a small Svelte-class shuttle a few moments after a flotilla just like described above exited hyperspace on the other side of the planet.

With the confidence of a man who had clearly spent many hours behind this sort of shuttle, he guided it into his preassigned docking bay, where an escort awaited him.

The woman standing before him was not particularly impressive looking, though she was rather pretty. Like all women in his majesty Hyfe's service not ranked high enough to avoid it, her light blond hair was the regulation shoulder length for women, partially concealed by naval beret she wore. Her rather shapely figure was not quite visible, thanks to the purposely boxy grey uniform she wore.

"Welcome to Imperial Junction, Commodore," she said to him with a smile. After the arrival of several admirals from the Borderland and Mid-Rim Protectorates in just the last few hours, a visit from a Commodore was not a particularly special event, even if it might have been under more normal circumstances, but Thorton was a special case.

At the sound of her voice he smiled. "Thank you, Melini," he replied as he reached the bottom of the ramp. "It has been far too long. I haven't seen you since our days at the academy." He looked around the hanger in an exaggerated manor. "So what does one have to do--or fail to do--to be given an assignment way out here in the boondocks?" he asked.

"I have attempting to sleep with a superior officer to thank for it. I was trying to score some points in a contest between me and a few others over promotion, and attempted to seduce him. He--mercifully, he said--merely had me demoted and sent out here instead of discharged, but only if I gave him what I had originally set out to give him anyway."

A quick look down at her rank bar--a Lieutenant's rank bar--while she was looking another direction confirmed her story, at least the part about the demotion.

"A shame, a shame," Kach replied morosely. "You were doubtlessly one of the brighter officers in our class. Perfect marks and attendance, and a superb record in all simulations and exercises."

His mind wasn't on the present, as she realized from his seemingly automatic response. Her short tale about seducing her superior--which curiously he remembered was his own (More curious to him was that Gilford had turned her offer down initially--he's usually very happy to oblige them)--had made him remember several flings they'd had back at the academy. He idly wondered whether there'd be any chance of that happening here.

She realized what he was thinking about and almost blushed.

"If you'll come this way, Commodore, I will show you to the apartment that has been placed at your disposal for the duration on the conference."

She turned to the exit, and he idly followed her out into the stations corridors.

She picked up a turbolift in the corridor outside the hanger, and they were on their way.

"How many decks are there?" he asked, looking at the rows of buttons on the front of the turbolift.

"A hundred and twenty-seven," she replied without looking at him.

"And what is there to do, I must ask, on this station?" he asked with a slight smile commonly described as a "Smuggler's Smirk."

"For those off duty, the station has many different recreational facilities. There are libraries, gyms, movie theaters, restaurants, bowling alleys, and even dance parlors. Unfortunitly for you, most of these, with the exception of several fine dining restaurants, are located near the officers and enlisted person's quarters, a good fifteen minutes walk, plus a lift ride, from the ambassador suites in the station's center you will be staying in. But since your apartment will be located in the stations center, near both the command center and the conference rooms, you will have little trouble getting to and from your meetings."

He thanked her as they stepped off the turbolift at the appropriate level.

"Right now we are at the executive hanger bays. There are only four, and since there are more than four men who outrank you attending your conference, you were bumped down to a lower priority bay. To reach the command center, you follow the main corridor we are at now. Once you are there, you can be directed to the suites."

With a smile--which Kach noticed she returned--he thanked her. "Thank you, Melanie, it has been good to see you again. However," he glanced around him with an overwhelmed look, "I fear that I might still manage to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the station. I would be much obliged if you would escort me to my suite."

It would do her no good to decline a request from a superior officer--he'd just order it. Besides, she had no complaints about being around the man. He tended to be very tasteful and was a pleasure to speak with.

"I would be happy to, Mr. Thorton."



The walk to his apartment was filled with conversation as the two caught up on what had happened with the other. She had been familiar with much of his exploits--his skirmish with the Coalition over Bandomeer, his role in the mopping up of the Onixian commonwealth, his putting down of the Lahara rebellion, and even the embarrassing Foerost incident that he wished everyone would forget about--much of this had been in the newspapers or even the holonews, though of course it all had INS propaganda workers spin on the stories (For the Foerost story, for example, the fact he had disobeyed his superiors for the greater good of the Empire and the Core Worlds was greatly emphasized. The INS even persuaded the navy to give him a medal for it--a low one, they still weren't too happy about his disobeying of orders--but a medal none the less for it), but she had been able to find out most of the truth by going through navy channels.

Finally, however, they managed to reach his suite, and there was more than a little disappointment on her part that they had to end their reunion now. It was not without some relief and a smile that she entered the apartment after he entered after he called to her, "Say, Melini, think you can show me around my suite?"

The shuttle landed in the primary hangar bay in the garrison section of the Imperial Junction station. Awaiting the arrival of the governer were several rows of Imperial stormtroopers and naval troopers, dressed out in spotless white and black uniforms, their rifles held at attention as they stood ramrod straight in near perfect parade formation. One of the officers awaiting with the troops detached himself from the rows and came forward to offer Governer Kraken a salute.

"Vice-Admiral Kraken, sir, a pleasure to meet you once again." said Commodore Huey, holding his salute with a smile gracing his lips.

Kraken returned the salute, then followed it up with a handshake.

"A pleasure as well, Commodore Huey. Tell me, how have you been lately?" inquired Kraken gently, not wanting to get too personal, but also wondering about how his old friend was doing.

"I've been fair I suppose. I do miss the rest of the outside galaxy, but the thrills of exploring new and unchartered territories is more than enough to compensate." replied the commodore, his face falling into a neutral expression.

"Good good. I hate to cut our visit short, but I am in need of dire rest. I will retire to my quarters for the time being. But I will see you at the first conference meeting." said Kraken, offering up another salute as his and his entourage set off for the VIP quarters.

"Aye, Admiral." Huey bid farewell, before he set off to go about his other duties.

* * *

On his way to his quarters, Admiral Kraken came across another pair of individuals who were standing at the entrance to a set of quarters near his own. He recognized the male immediatly as Commodore Thorton. The female figure jogged his brain, until he suddenly remembered who she was, Lieutenant Melini. Promotions were due for a female to become his new secretary after the old one became pregnant and had to take leave of absence.

Melini had tried to seduce him in order to gain the spot, totally unaware that Kraken was already a married man, and totally turned off to the sexual advances of other women. Well, not totally turned off, that is. In a rare moment where he had let his guard down, he had indulged in looking upon her and imagining what he would like to do to her. When he caught himself, he had become very angry, and perhaps a little unfairly, had taken out most of that anger on her, demoting her and sending her to the new frontier of Imperial Junction, far away from the rest of the galaxy.

It looks like she may not be wasting anytime getting back to her old tricks.. he wondered idly.

"Commodore Thorton, how nice it is to see you again." said Kraken, holding a salute to the Commodore.

He then turned around to look at Lieutenant Melini.

"Liuentnant." he offered up another salute, with just a hint of warning in his eyes, before turning about and proceeding to his own quarters. He turned around briefly.

"I'll be seeing both of you at the conference soon. Be sure to get some rest." he said, smiling briefly, before proceeding into his own room, accompanied by his baggage carriers.

The four ranks of stormtroopers stood at attention as the shuttle and its fighter escort landed. Commander Huey once again stood with his entourage, ready to greet the final arrival. As the ramp descended and the guests descended the ramp, he moved forward to greet them. No one noticed the fighter pilots disembarking from their craft.

Commodore Huey had never met Colonel Vos in person, but somehow he didn't think that any of the men in the shuttle was him. Still, it would not be the Imperial way to not show deference to the high ranking officers standing before him, so he approached and saluted. "Gentlemen, welcome to Imperial Junction. I'm Commodore Huey, at your service." The men in front of him returned the greeting. After a pause, the Commodore continued. "Pardon my asking, but I don't see Colonel Vos. Was he unable to make it?"

The SS Kommando in front of him, a Major, smiled as a voice came from behind the stormtroopers. "I'm over here, Commodore." The white-armored soldiers parted to let the fighter pilots through, Colonel Vos at the head. He chuckled. "It's a security measure, Commodore. Don't feel too bad."

The Commodore quickly saluted and nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

Wes looked a bit taken aback. "Sir?" he asked. "I'm just a Colonel, Commodore. I believe you outrank me."

Huey smiled. "Not anymore. Message came through from High Command while you were enroute. Apparently they appreciated what you've accomplished with the SS and thought that its commander should have a higher rank. The official announcement will open these meetings, but you're now a Major General. Congratulations, Sir."

Wes raised one eyebrow. "You're not funnin' me, are you?"

"No, Sir. I've got the communique here, if you want to see it."

Wes took the datapad and scanned it. The Commodore was right. "Well, then," he said. "Thank you for delivering the message, Commodore."

Huey nodded. "You're welcome, General. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your quarters. You still have a few hours before the meetings begin, so you can get some sleep."

The SS officers fell in behind Huey as he led them through the maze that was Imperial junction. The Commodore pointed out Kach Thorton and Park Kraken's suites as they passed. Wes was pleased to see that the SS got a number of suites, though considering the number of officers it made sense. The group split, each heading to his own room to await the first of these top-secret meetings.