V
2 Years Later
The history of Agamar read like that of an errant child. It was a planet that struck out on it's own after the Empire retreated from the Core to it's Bastion Base in the Outer Regions.
At first, with the shadows of Imperial protocols and organization still in place, the planet seemed to prosper. Such prosperity were the gains of excellent organization, low crime rate and an Imperial presence. Where the latter was fading and the low crime rate growing, the organization remained and, for a time, stayed the hand of anarchy.
But ultimately, the weak knees of democracy buckled and representative leadership amounted to a lack of leadership. Invariably, weak minded fools took the reigns throwing their money and society away. Overwrought and overtaxed, the planet was in rebellion.
Until General Chau Ming, with the help of Imperial Intelligence, heard their cries.
Until the Empire returned.
And the planet road to victory after victory along with the rest of the Empire until the Second Civil War.
When Tilaric Brel and his dreaded Wrath Virus destroyed all that had been built and collectively all galactic governments watched in horror as star system after star system slipped from their grasp.
A dark day indeed for fear and panic rode the holonetworks and boiled on the minds of the people.
To a man dying of thirst, drinking battery acid may seem like a good and justifiable idea. Whatever Agamar's leaders justification was for allowing the Black Hand nearly total access to every aspect of the planet's life, it was a mistake paid for in blood.
For war broke out between the masters of the Black Hand and the Empire. A war that ultimately bore ill to the shattered ORS Intelligence Agency as well as the nation that spawned it.
Imperial Intelligence had tracked the Black Hand's attempt to destroy the Emperor's Eclipse Star Destroyer back to Agamar. A supposedly neutral world but one teeming with Black Hand operatives.
Imperial Intelligence had waited in silent invisibility watching the comings and goings of both honest merchantment and the minions of Joren Arden and his Admiral Griff.
Until they had observed enough.
And struck. But not soon enough.
It was ironic that Ysanne Isard's drive towards the total destruction of the Black Hand and it's training academy was not halted from without but by the actions within.
In short, Ysanne Isard's conquest was defeated by one Theren Gevel.
Broken by Theren Gevel's drive through the heart of it's powerbase, the Outer Rim Soveriegnty collapsed and what organization was left drifted to the Coalition. And bereft of funding, materials, consideration and direction, the Black Hand splintered.
And all that lay before Imperial Intelligence's ultimate goal was a planet. All they had to show for their effort, for their planning...
..was a planet, Agamar.
Sure they held the data. But what good was it if the organization they were hunting for was dead already?
And so Imperial Intelligence's occupation of the world ended and the Empire's custodianship of it began.
Slapped with the reputation of harboring the enemy during a time of war, the Empire punished Agamar's leadership holding it accountable to the standards they once walked as members of the Greater Imperial Society.
But, as is true of all parents, the punishing hand was eventually lifted.
Organization began to take root once more.
The Stormtroopers took back the streets once again from the criminal element...
Now, the time of custodianship was over.
The third element that had made Agamar prosperous once before was returning.
The Presence...
The Empire.
...or so they thought.