"People of the Coalition - recent events have forced our hand. The Black Dragon attack on Teth was entirely unprovoked, putting the people of the Coalition in danger and costing many lives. We will not stand for this..."

Regrad sighed, as he listened from his place aboard the Coalition. So it has begun.

Panacka was the right man for the job, he had no doubts, but his heart was still heavy. The destruction of the Black Dragon Empire was necessary, but unfortunate nonetheless - he shed no tears for its' foul leaders and conquering habits, but for those who had been conquered and killed already by their enemy, and by those who would die in the future because of this.

Should he have acted sooner? No, there was no chance they would have won. Now they had the power. The opportunity. All he could hope for - all he could pray for - was that he was making the right decision. That it would be worth the cost. There was always a price to pay, and Regrad tired of paying it, but if there was a chance that perhaps this time would be different...

Slowly, he rose from his chair on the bridge, looking out into space. "It begins... but I am resolute. May those who are about to die grant me forgivness, should I deserve it, but it must be done. Prepare to enter hyperspace."



Ashrad and Zek stood with the other recruits, gathered around a screen hanging on the dormitory wall. The two Mon Calamari youth squeezed through the press of their peers to get a better look at what was going on. “This can’t be good.” muttered Zek.

On the screen was Regrad - becoming a familiar sight in galactic events - standing just behind captain Panacka, the young, gaunt, black-haired human who held great prestige in the East of the Coalition after his victory over a Black Dragon invasion of Teth. It was Panacka who was speaking.

“...and so, in light of these aggressive actions, the Coalition has voted in favor of declaring a state of war with the Black Dragon Empire. The Prime Minister has named me chief of the Eastern Military command, meaning that in the coming days...”

“So it’s come to this...” said Zek, sighing “How did we do against the Black Dragons in Galactic Conquest?”

Ashrad shrugged “Dunno, I never bought the expansion pack - they’re just NPCs in the regular game.”

Zek rolled his eyes at his friend, and began walking out of the White Knight academy’s dormitory “Sometimes I wonder why I followed you here.”

“Ha! That’s because you wouldn’t leave me alone!” laughed Ashrad as he caught up his friend. The two walked down the gleaming halls of the relatively new building, stopping to look out a window that gave a panoramic view of ocean as far as the eye could see.

“So...” said Zek, slowly “You don’t think they’d call us to fight, would you? I mean, we’re just recruits. Not nearly trained enough.”

“Honestly? I don’t know. Maybe. I kind of hope so, in fact.”

Zek blinked “Wait, what? You want to go? The Black Dragons are insane! It’ll be a bloodbath, you just see - no place for you and me.”

“The first generation of White Knights went into battle with little more than a few months training, and see how much they’ve accomplished!” Ashrad crossed his arms “It sucks spending all our time training and drilling when the war’s out there.”

Zek sighed, and hung his head “You keep wishing that. I bet we’ll be seeing action sooner than you think - and then we’ll see who’s so anxious to go.”



“...I’ll be taking full responsibility in defending the Eastern Province of the Coalition from attack. To fight this war, liberate areas conquered by the Black Dragons, and ensure the security of the Coalition, we’ll need able-bodied recruits from across the region...”

Ryan Cormier was taking off his coat, trying to hang it on the hook behind him while keeping his eyes fixed to the screen. The young man with frazzled brown hair eventually just dropped his coat and jumped on to the sofa “Bec, w-what’s going on?”

Rebecca Cormier, his wife, was sitting in the chair next to the sofa. “I knew it! Panacka finally did it! I knew he was angry after the attack, and now we’re at war!”

“T-t-the Dragons?”

“Yes!”

The two sat in the silence of their new duplex home in the heart of Teth’s capital, the only voice coming from the newly appointed Chief-of-Command.

“It says they need recruits...” said Rebecca slowly “Didn’t mention a draft, though.”

“It isn’t l-l-l-like the Coalition, to have a d-draft.” stuttered out. He slapped his hand over his mouth, and Rebecca shook her head.

“Calm down. You’re stuttering like crazy - just take a deep breath, okay?”

Ryan breathed in, then out, and said “So this is it, is it? War? What’ll that mean, you think?”

“I don’t know - I don’t think it’ll reach Teth.”

“It d-did when they attacked last!”

“Yeah, but we were on the defensive, right? But if it’s war, then Panacka’s going to be attacking them.” She turned back to the screen for a moment “I don’t think it’ll get this far. But then again... they need recruits.”

“Yeah...” Ryan seemed to think about this for a little while “I’m needed at the market... but this is a matter of n-national service. Doing what’s right.”

“Yeah, right.” said Rebecca, but she seemed less sure. “You are needed at the market though, right? And the stutter wouldn’t help you any.”

“I hardly stutter a-at all any more!” he said, slightly indignantly “And a market’s just a market. This is... important.”

Rebecca nodded slowly “This is important. But you’re important to me. Not to mention you can’t sprint for half a minute before getting winded. I was champion swimmer when we graduated university, remember?”

“No need to rub that in.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” this Rebecca began to say very slowly, as if the idea would explode “What I meant was... they need recruits, the market needs you, I’m still looking for a job - that degree in philosophy is gathering dust nicely - so maybe... y’know what I’m trying to say, right?”

Ryan did, and his eyes widened in disbelief. “Y-Y-You’ve got to be kidding me!” It’s w-w-w-war! I couldn’t just wave you off t-t-t-to something like that and s-s-s...” he took another deep breath “And stay here!”

“You said yourself this’s important!” stormed Rebecca “I believe in Teth, and we had the Dragons bearing down on our heads! Fighting above our house! I have to join, Ryan - you have to let me. I believe in this, right?”

Ryan knew when his wife was asserting herself, and hung his head “W-well then I’ll go with you. At least then - ”

Rebecca sighed “No, Ryan. There’s no reason for us both to risk getting killed. You said the market needed you, and we can’t let things go to ruin at home.” She got up, and lay with him on the sofa “We’ll talk about it in the morning, right?”

With a sigh, Ryan wrapped his arms around Rebecca and closed his eyes. “Okay.”




“...as well as the support of the citizens of the Coalition, who have pledged to protect their nation and the nations that make up the Coalition. We must be united in our goal, which is the complete elimination of the Black Dragon threat from this region of space - it has proven to be a dangerous neighbor and a threat to liberty and our own lives. No effort shall be spared..."


Ruuvan smiled, and bowed to Panacka with great respect “Captain, good at last to meet you. The Dragons have been giving you trouble, eh? Well, we must see what can be done about that.”

Panacka gave a curious look to the armored Mon Calamari before him. “Er... thank you?” he quickly rallied and said “You must be Ruuvan then. I’ve heard of your fight at Bimmisari, congradulations. So I hear the command center is going to be aboard some sort of new ship?”

The Knight grinned, saying “I see someone already told you! Regrad’s pulling out all the stops for this one.” The Knight gestured for Panacka to follow along the corridor of the station in orbit of Teth. “From here we can get our shuttle that will take us to the Vlyx.”

“The Vlyx?” said Panacka, furrowing his brow.

“Your new command.”

“Wait, so you’re telling me a flagship-class vessel entered Teth space, and I wasn’t notified?”

“It would have ruined the surprise!” said Ruuvan, laughing “Relax, you’ll feel better once you’ve seen it.”

The still feeling puzzled, Panacka was lead to a simple shuttle, and boarded it in earnest. “You’ll be able to see it once we’re clear of the hangar.” said Ruuvan. He scanned space for a moment, before pointing out “There!”

Panacka turned his eyes. “Wow...”



The ship that met Panacka’s sight was epic in scope. A pure warship, it was dotted with huge arrays of guns and thick, multi-layered armor. At a glance, he could estimate it was six-thousand meters long, and thought it’s appearance did not carry the artistic beauty of the Mon Calamari line or the cold, fear-inspiring dagger look of the Star Destroyer, it was a vessel that gave no illusions as to it’s purpose - it was all war, all the time.

“The Freedom Vlyx, named in honour of the warship made famous by the great Jedi Jiren and Hexyra. May you command it with all the strength and wisdom that they possessed.” said Ruuvan, smiling “It is armored and shielded as greatly as any vessel could possibly be. The ship is built to accomodate the racial diversity of the East, and yet still speak the universal language of war. The batteries match up gun-for-gun with any other ship of its’ class. It’s got cupholders.”

Panacka snapped out of his awe, and returned the smile “Pity, I didn’t bring you anything!”

Ruuvan laughed heartily, and said “Bring me back something nice from Dameo - I’ve got an empty space on my mantelpiece that would look nice with Grevious’s head on it.”

“I’ll consider it.” said Panacka, who turned back to the Vlyx “It can’t be that fast, though, can it?”

“No, not really.” said Ruuvan “It’ll keep pace with your slow Dominators, so I’d suggest it for hammer tactics. It really isn’t built for luxury, though - there’s no bars or restaurant on board, very little entertainment of any kind, really. Whatever space remained after all the gunnery positions, crew quarters, shield generators, and power reactors were in place has been converted into your command center. The best technology of the Coalition wired together to give you a live feed of war in the Eastern Sector. It’ll be just like Galactic Conquest.”

Panacka shook his head “I could never get in to that game - did you know they gave me a C rating? Me?”

Ruuvan waved “Such is life. We all have to make sacrifices in wartime, Panacka.”

Panacka seemed to be looking off in to the distance “All my crew and staff will be transfered, then?”

“Everyone.”

“Good, good...” Panacka sighed, and looked at the warship as it grew bigger. “At least we’ll be going prepared this time. Get my command staff together, will you? I’ll be in this command center.”

Panacka pushed open the double-doors to the command center, and was greeted with that 'new warship' smell. "And you even got us the good command chairs."

"No expense spared." said Ruuvan, who promptly took a seat around the table that dominated the room. The table had everything a commander could need, with a holographic display built right in. The walls were adorned with screens and machinery to keep the flow of information and communication going in and out.

"This must have cost a fortune..." he muttered, shaking his head and sitting down. "Do we even have this sort of money?"

"Well, let's just say Regrad's instituted a policy of 'you break it, you buy it.'" Ruuvan let out another laugh, and stretched in his seat. "The Coalition already has access to all the raw materials we'd need, the facilities to build it - the real costs were really labour, which you could argue was better for the economy, as it creates jobs and improves our production. True, the money could probably be better spent, taxes shouldn't be wasted and such, but surely it is a cost we can't avoid, with the galaxy being one that it is."

"And the chairs? A necessary cost?"

"Hey now, these are a family heirloom." Ruuvan said, defensively. "We Mon Calamarians are artisans and craftsmen, explorers and dreamers - you'd pay more than half the ship costs for these chairs in any art gallery in the Core, but I'm giving them to you out of the kindness of my heart." He paused, and steepled his webbed fingers "Just so you know, they're also 'You break it, you buy it'."

Others began to turn up - various officers of the East, representing fleets and armies from all across the Eastern Province.

Ruuvan leaned over to Panacka, and said "I must apologize - as I am a knight, I am not entirely familiar with the officers of the regular military, and thus do not know all of these people."

Panacka straightened his captain's hat, and said "No problem, let me give you the basic rundown - the East's two biggest military centers are Teth and Mon Calamari. Teth has a long military history, a large industrial capacity, and a considerable population, not to mention the attack has really galvinized recruitment. Mon Calamari, as you know, has been a traditionally strong part of the efforts to preserve freedom in the galaxy."

"No mistakes there." said Ruuvan, proudly. "Go on."

"Well, then there's Sneeve, which contributes a fair amount, not to mention Chalacta - the Sneevels are huge, and the Chalactans are near-humans and very spiritual. They don't tend to get along, so better to keep them apart. Tammar, Kubindi, and Fwillsving contribute more to supplies and manpower than to weapons of war, as their populations and planets don't have the industrial output to produce that many warships. Bimmisari is really the head of the 'home front', so to speak, since they're some of the best economists the Coalition has - they run the contributions of the smaller powers in the East and are vital in organizing the domestic side of things. That leaves Teth and Mon Calamari free to lead the charge, as they always have."

"You seem to know much of the East, my good man. Let us hope your command is just as able, eh?"

"Yes." said Panacka, somewhat less enthusiastically. "...We better get started, if everyone's here?"

"Before we begin, I'd like to ask why she's here." said Captain Clarack, somewhat cooly, while gesturing to Sergeant Cy. "I was under the impression that this was a command meeting between officers of rank."

Cy shot the captain a wrathful look, but Panacka quickly rose and said "Sergeant Cy is here in the capacity of Sergeant Major of the East, a well-earned position as spokesperson of enlisted forces at command meetings. As such, she has a right to be here, so let's speak no more of it, okay? We have business to do."

He glanced at the buttons before him, pressed one, and activated the holographic display. "Now, we best begin by taking a look at our standing forces..."



"Name, I.D. number, and file." droned a Mon Calamari in a battleworn military uniform. His body was scarred considerably, and his disposition was of one who had little patience. Rebecca tried not to stare at the patchwork of old wounds across the sergeant's face, and handed him the file she'd been given.

"Private Rebecca Cormier, sir. I.D. # T - 48 - 101..." she paused, uncertain "Um... I think it was... 472?"

The Mon Calamari was scanning his eyes over the information in the file, before nodding and said "Yeah, it is. And the sir is unnecessary for none-comissioned. Sergeant is a little long, though, so I'll allow sarge if you so preffer. That about wraps up your formal introduction to the Coalition Eastern Provincials." He gave Rebecca a quick look up and down - which usually she would have objected to, but the sergeant's expression left no doubt that there wasn't an ounce of lechery left in his being.

"I don't like having last minute additions to my unit, but then again we'll need all the help we can get. You had briefings on the Dragons during basic?"

"Just one, sir - I mean, sergeant." she said, keeping eyes forwards.

The sergeant sighed, and said "They're sending us untrained kids? Maybe Panacka didn't know, but we already have an army, you new recruits are just going to cause trouble and need us to pull you out. If I find the guy responsible for this rushed deployment, I'll twist his fins so hard he couldn't swim if his head broke the water."

Decoding ethnic insults - at least the philosophy degree's paying for itself. Thought Rebecca.

"My name, by the way, is Sergeant Ishmael. You answer to me for the extent of your service, until either promotion or death for either of us." He said this with unsettling calm, and lead Rebecca onwards "You are now a soldier, and will be treated as such - even though everyone else you will be serving with has trained for months, not weeks, and most of us have seen action. I do not accept any drags on squad efficiency, as you will soon learn. Currently we are stationed on the C.E.F. vessel Quadratic, although expect that to change regularly. Just where the Quadratic is right now is classified, which means I don't know."

Rebecca did her best to seem attentive and confident, even though a little voice was whispering What are you even doing here? You're a philosophy major, you're meant for debate, not destruction! If the other soldiers are anything like you've been lead to believe the army's like, you'll be tied naked in electrical tape by morning.

"The rest of the unit's just in here." he said, gesturing for Rebecca to enter a door he had just opened somewhere in the heart of the Quadratic.

Inside, an eclectic mix of different races lay about on bunks. A few she recognized as human, the rest came from across the Eastern Province and beyond.

“Wait...” said Ishmael slowly “Where’s Rud?”

“Dunno, sarge. Saw him earlier, think he went to get us breakfast in bed.” the joke came from a Duros, lying half over his bunk and yawning deeply.

“You guys have to stop telling him to do that sort of thing.” said Ishmael, with a sigh “You just know he’s on the way back here now carrying twenty orders of army rations.”

“I’m not that thick, sir.” said a deep voice from behind. Rud was a huge grey being, with rubbery skin and spiky hair that Rebecca had only seen on the holonet. Though a soldier, he was in strange red and black armor, and ducked under the doorway to enter the dormitory.

“Ah, Rud, good. Everyone? This is Rebecca - an addition to our unit. Treat her with respect, even if she is new, and try not to let her drop a thermal detonator by mistake or shoot herself in the foot.” there was a general hum of agreement. Ishmael, unsatisfied, shouted “Atten-SHUN!” and without fail, the whole unit leapt to attention - resulting in more than one head hitting the ceiling. “Right, now let’s try that again. Try not to let Private Cormier here hurt herself, all right?”

“Yes Sergeant!” They intoned back.

Content, Ishmael said “I’ll be back in half an hour, so stand easy until then. Then it’s instruction, drills, and combat readiness inspection. I have high hopes that today will be the day, so try not to get sloppy. At ease.”

With that, the sergeant left the room. Immediately the whole squad relaxed back. Rebecca stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, carrying her belongings under on arm and her crisp new uniform under the other. Finally, the Duros which had made the joke earlier looked up, saw her, and said “Is anyone going to show her around, or will I have to?”

“I’m sure we’d all hate for your so needed rest to be interrupted, Flim. I’ll handle it.” the speaker was a Chalactan, a woman a few years older than Rebecca and bearing corporal markers on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get your possessions stashed safely. You don’t want to leave anything around these blunderers, or it’ll be either broken or stolen by lunchtime.”

“Hey, I resent that.” said a Bimm soldier from a top-bunk, leaning over the side to be seen. “I ain’t never broke nothing.”

The corporal smiled, and said “No, you haven’t. I was referring to the latter offense, in your case - or do you still contend that it was pure chance that my prayer beads were found stuffed down your sock?”

This silenced the Bimm. The corporal turned, and said “My full name is rather long, but you may call me Risha, and yes, I am a Chalactan.”

Rebecca’s eyes lit up in sudden interest “I studied the Chalactan belief systems while in college! It was part of my major philosophy credit. The more contemporary believers seemed a bit more... uh... aggressive...” she soon realized that she might have gone too far, but Risha simply laughed.

“A philosophy degree will serve you well here, I see. Don’t worry, a little culture shock is expected at first.”

“If you think that’s shocking, wait until you see her legs!” chimed in Flim, the Duros “Does your belief system have something against razors, Risha? Only I hadn’t seen that much hair since - Ow! That hurt!”

“Important lesson, private.” said Risha, coldly “The standard issue helmet for humanoids is aerodynamic, and makes an excellent throwing weapon in a tight corner.”

A little more at ease, Rebecca smiled, and put down her gear. Maybe the war wouldn’t be so bad after all?

There was a muffled yelping from somewhere below the bags. Surprised, Rebecca looked down.

“Ah.” said Risha “it appears you have managed to stop our loyal Bimm comrade from liberating several small valuables from your luggage. You get used to him.”



“...which brings our standing ground forces up to just adequate for the estimated mission parameters.” said Panacka, going over the figures again.

“Though the call for additional volunteers was admirable, the reduced training to ensure we’d have them ready in time makes me doubt their reliability in battle.” said Ruuvan, frowning “To make a professional, lifetime soldier it takes a year. To make a soldier to last a war, it takes two months. You gave us half that. What, pray tell, will make up the other half of their training?”

Panacka sighed, and nodded. “You know well that I’m no starry-eyed optimist, but if I know anything, it’s the East. The people here have been at war for decades - they’re born soldiers, at this point. The rest will be made up by determination, courage, and - hopefully - good leadership on our part.”

“I only hope your confidence in them is correct, captain.”

“I only hope I can meet their confidence in us, good knight.”

North-Eastern Cronese Mandate
Black Tion Sector
DragoNest Defense Platform A-90

Space was quiet, as it inveriably was. Where life persisted, no matter the form or size, sound would follow. The loud clang of thick metallic boots filled the air in this instance, many rows of PSP's and Daemun Death Knights filled the corridors of the massive hangar bays of the A-90. Thunder. It was the only comparison that could be made, the rolling of thunder along the cloud tops was an easy memory to bring forth as one stood in the midst of the gathering.

This one hangar bay represented many more, not merely on the A-90, but across the edges of Imperium space. Defense platforms, long considered mere trade depots of the Imperium were coming to new life, to fulfill their primary function. New troops were being created en mass from artificail mysteri. Filled with the combat knowledge of an entire Empire, built with greatest technologies known to this galaxy and blessed by their Taj to the end of existance...

The Claws of the Dragon

They assembled before the multitude rows of TASC Shuttles, visible through the atmospheric shielding guarding them from space were many more ready to lift the next regimine of units created, and behind them more visibly... a contigment of the Imperium fleet. The wide berth of a great ship, easily recognizeable to any citizen of the Imperium, and gloriously hailed by any defender of the realm.

A Star Dragon

Nearly matching the size of the station itself, it could not be fully seen by any of the bays, even from its Tion Destroyer escorts. It was a bohemoth, an awe inspiring sight designed to place the strength of its creators in the minds of all who saw her. TASC's flew between her and the A-90 all this time, loading her up with the supplies and crew she would require on her patrol and mission.


-10 Imperium Standard Hours Previous

Zonama Sekot, a mystery world, for so long herald of fantasy among talks of galactic leaders. More than that now, a capital of the Imperium, a world full of biological wonder, inhabited by the most technological minded race in all the galaxy. its undisclosed location only trackable by the Intelligence web, even its human inhabitants knew not their own location, nor any future ones.

Red Cybe, liason between the Daemun officer based upon the planetoid and the human officers of the Black Tion Sector and Farfalen troops, breathed a heavy sigh as she faced down over a darkened valley, illuminated only by the dim suns of of far away systems. She was on the holonet now, on a feed that overode all communications in Imperium space, a special communique of important need.

Raising her hand smoothly, she sliped a stray strand of hair from her cheek to just behind her ear as she looked back up to the sky. She was being shown in real time to all those watching, no video crew or news service on scene, the Intelligence net itself had her for all to see.

Closing her eyes briefly, she turned, her long auburn hair trailing behind her, falling to cover the dark blue robes she wore on this occasion.

"Gloria Imperium Draconis My Brothers and My Sisters. To All those viewing in this, the most holy realm, the heaven amongst the stars," she waved a hand behind her, aiming it up to the sky and brought it around in a wide arch to emphasize it all. She was good at her job, she had to be. "We have come so far from the days of old, where once we had been considered a backwater sector of space, a relic of days gone by trying to keep up with a rapidly advancing galaxy..."

She brought a hand to her mouth and stiffled a small chuckle, her cheeks flushing red for a moment before she returned her view to where she intended the invisible camera to be. "These are nothing more than the idling thoughts of history, we have become what we were truely ment to be, and forever more shall be."

A deeper look of seriousness delved upon her face, the darkness seemed even more persistant from this moment on. "Ours is a most Holy journey, in the name of our Taj, Glory be. As we strive to become closer to him, there are those.. forces of evil, that would seek to sway us from this noble endeavour. They would take enlightenment and and the joys of eternal heaven away from us."

"There is a wind of change in this place, and it blows against the strong and the devout. It is for this that the most revered has sent edicts down to strengthen our resolve." Her fists clenched, with both anger and strength as she clamped down one fist upon the other. "We shall press our message across the Imperium and herald a new era in the galaxy. Heaven will be crafted not from the blood of those that seek to tear us apart, from the strength our convictions and the might of our Taj."

She turned once more to gaze upon the landscape before her, a tear fell down her cheek, the camera was at just the right angle to catch its fall.

"...And so it was that the Lord did craft Dameo to its perfection, and its people did rejoice in their splendor. It was on this day that the Lord did look to the sky..."

“With that out of the way, I must ask, what is the state of our enemy? Do we have any more intel since last meeting?” Said Panacka.

“Just a little.” said Clacks “They’ve been quiet for a while. A lot of internal subjugation going on and clamping down on resistance. We’ve got a big wedge in there, but until Teth they’ve just been sort of ignoring this fact. Now it appears they’ve got nothing left to do but take us over.

“Their military technology is still very impressive. Lots of variety, things we can’t even understand, and some real powerful ships, but ironically - their military’s actually less organized than ours. They’ve taken a medium sized region of space and divided it into all sorts of subgroups that’re so different it’s almost like fighting a federation of independents. Their great technology and military isn’t universal, either, and there’s a mix of internal issues, power struggles, and language barriers that seem to slow them down. A lot of their men and commanders are veterans of conquest, but it’s been a while since they’ve acted, meaning they might have gone a bit soft.

“So far as forces comparatively? I’d say we’re outnumbered, and a little outgunned, but I wouldn’t trade a detachment of ours for an armada of theirs - we’ve got more leadership, a stronger command structure, and our troops aren’t a mix of zealots and conscripts.”

“Those two groups never get along.” said Panacka, shaking his head “Nothing new, then?”

“We have a little information about their deployments.” she said “It seems the largest force is in and around the Tion cluster - some broad estimates put it up to as much as 60%. Their outposts are comparatively undefended, just too far out for them to patrol, and there are even inroads in their Empire Proper that are fairly undefended. Most of their forces get redirected to subjugate planets in their sphere of influence, so they’re not built to fight a boarder-war.”

“Subjugating planets?” said Panacka, curiously.

“A lot of the Black Dragon territory was conquered, and them being both religious and strange means that a great deal of those conquered resent it. Even the Tion cluster fought fiercely against the encroachment. The Tion resistance has been more or less flattened, but in its’ time it kept the Dragons busy. It’s really only the might of the Dragon that keeps them all cowed - I’d be willing to bet 70% of their territory would turn if we could drive out the Dragons in just the right way and come out as the good guys.”

“We are the good guys.” said Ruuvan. “But point noted. We need to fight this war like we do everything else - a line that is a perfect set-up for any number of jokes, I know, but what I mean is we really need to stay honorable and fight this one right. I want to accelerate the Knights program’s deployment - not cut the training period, just make sure my guys are quickly dispersed into the regulars before the attack.”

“You have that much confidence that your Knights can win the hearts and minds of a foreign people, even on the front lines?” said Panacka.

“I know my Knights, Panacka.” said Ruuvan, proudly “If you want a war fought right, we’re the ones to call.”



“If you want a war fought right, kill the leaders of both nations before you start.” said Zek, firmly. “That way, people will only remember the rhetoric and fight for that, not the secret agendas of their leaders. So if two people are fighting for justice, they’ll meet, find that out, and stop fighting - instead of being pushed into fighting by leaders who have an alternate reason for them to do so.”

Ashrad flicked an eye lazily, and said from his bunk in the dormitory “Interesting. You forgot, though, that without leaders there’s no one to stop a war. So if you start a war then eliminate the leadership that started it, who’ll know when it’s over?”

“That’s the beauty of it!” said Zek “The soldiers fighting it will - because no one would be there making them fight it, they’d decide when they’ve had enough.”

Ashrad smiled at his friend, and said “You just may have invented galactic peace, Zek. Of course, the plan relies on being able to bump off any galactic leader anywhere who starts a war, but otherwise good work.”

It was as they and the other Mon Calamari recruits lay about that Isip entered. Quickly, they leapt up to attention, but he waved them to stand at ease. “Recruits, it appears the war that comes shall require your might - and some of you who have neared graduation have been approved for early release, to pair up with fully trained knights and serve. A great honor, but also, a great responsibility. As Knights-in-training, it is your duty to serve the people of the Coalition wherever they may need it, and there is no greater need than on a battlefield. I will now read aloud the list of those recommended for service.” He cleared his throat, and began “Ashrad...”

With a grin, the young Knight bowed. Zek turned to him as Isip named the others one by one “You’re going to the war-front? Well, better you than me - you saw some of those Black Dragons in the training holos. They’d tear you to bits, and all have names like “Deathguard” or “Exterma-gliders” or whatever.”

Ashrad laughed, and said “I’ll send you back a postcard from Dameo.”

“...And Zek.” finished Isip “Report to the hangar immediately for deployment - you are not full Knights yet! As of now, you are the squires of the Knights you will be assigned. Serve the White Knights well, and one day you too will wear the full armor we bear with pride.”

Zek frowned, and sighed “Typical.”

As they arrived in the hangar, they saw a new ship - one they hadn’t seen around the academy.


The Meteor

Somewhat oval, it had a cockpit mounted at the tip while the other end tapered into a large thruster system. Four stubby wings stuck out of the sides, where large thrust and repuslor systems had been built, and there was a turret on either side, as well as on top. The side opened up, revealing a yawning inside complete with chairs with full g-force straps and weapon lockers.

“Not bad.” said Ashrad “What is it?”

“It’s the Meteor, a new troop-transport.” replied Isip with a measure of pride as they entered. “A marvel, to say the least - it allows for rapid deployment of units in ground scenarios. Plenty of overhead room. Armor, versatile thrust, multiple deployment points. Everything the modern soldier could want riding to or from a battle.”

“How do you get out if it gets shot down?” asked Zek.

Isip paused. “...Try not to get shot down.” he said. “Anyways, with the right cover, this thing’d never be brought down - it can maneauver, it’s got turrets, shields, you’re as safe here as in any reinforced bunker. Get used to it, they’ll be our main system of deployment in the coming war.”

As they strapped themselves in, Ruuvan said “I could get used to this. Rapid deployments in battle, fight a bit, get back in, fly out. Efficient.”

“I’ve seen it tested.” said Isip, clearly interested in the conversation as the ship took off and raced over the oceans of Mon Calamari. “It’s managed landings in all sorts of difficult terrain, including urban, jungle, snow - if natural hazards block one door, it’s got one on the other side, a hatch up-top, and a hatch on the floor too.”

“Wait... a floor hatch? Is that safe? What if it gets opened while we’re all sitting here?”

“Well, if we’re strapped in they should hold even against a vacuum, at least for a while. Anyways, I doubt that’d happen. There’s a sensor to ensure we’re at least in atmosphere before the hatch can be opened, and the ground hatch needs a code-input from the pilot or copilot.”

He paused, and said “Worst comes to worst, we’ll get sucked out into space and die - so what? There are plenty of worse ways to be killed.” This clearly didn’t go over too well, so he added “It’ll never happen, okay? You’re probably safer doing this than walking the streets in daylight.”

“Until we’re under fire, of course.” added Zek.

Isip rolled his eyes. “Just forget it. It’s not like there’s some glowing red target at the bottom the enemy just needs to shoot once and we all fall out, while they gain a hundred bonus points or something. This is technology, built to last. Las-fire would just fuse it and keep it from opening. Explosions would tear a hole in a wall anyways. It’s not going to open up on us, okay?”

He sighed, and said “Honestly...”

“All right...” said Zek “But if it ever opens under my feet and sucks me out into space, I’m cursing you with my dying breath.”

“You wouldn’t have a final breath, in space - your last breath would have been before you go sucked out.” said Ashrad.

Isip shook his head. “This is going to be one long war.”



“So there’s one more thing I’m wondering about...” said Ruuvan “...Have we heard any news about Jedi allies? Even these days, there’s little that legitimizes a war like the Jedi on your side. Imperial slander’s been working overdrive, but it takes more than that to erase twenty-five thousand years of history, and a few Jedi would really help, not just in public relations but also as warriors. They’ve got all sorts of powers - I’ve seen some in action.”

Panacka shrugged “A request has been put forth for the Masters of the Jedi Order on Naboo to lend some able-bodied Jedi to the cause, primarily through the promise of giving them a shot at General Grevious - a known Sith disciple and lightsaber-wielding maniac. Of course, they’d never call it revenge, but he’s killed enough of their number to warrant justice. You have no idea how much I’d like it if they bumped him off, he’s a strategic mastermind. As is, however, the Jedi haven’t sent a reply, so we should assume no Jedi assistance for the time being.”

In an uncharacteristic show of emotion, Clacks slammed the table. “Damn it - we finally work an alliance with these defenders of justice, and they can’t be bothered to show up when we need them.”

Panacka, however, was more restrained. “I agree, it’d be nice if we had Jedi support, but give them time. Recently, the wars they’ve gotten into haven’t exactly gone their way, they haven’t got the numbers to throw into the meat-grinder. We can’t rely on it, sure, but they have their reasons.” he even smiled “Who knows? We might even see a few before the end.



Dolash opened his eyes, after meditation. Visions had swirled around his mind for hours, as they often did when he rested - shards of forgotten places and legends. They called out to him, to find them, to uncover the past. It was not their call he had been looking for, however. The call he’d been seeking was a new one, but it wasn’t to be found in the flow of the Force just yet.

“Anything?” asked Ian, who was sitting nearby. Dolash shook his head. “So Silus says nothing, the Force says nothing... I guess the war just isn’t where the Jedi are supposed to be.” He looked to Dolash, and said “So what are we going to do?”

“We cannot change the will of the Force simply because we do not like it.” he said, with a sigh “I want to help, but whenever Jedi have gone against their senses and what they see in the Force, it spells disaster. For now, we do nothing - but I will keep looking. Wars touch the Force, and when this one does, I shall hear it. When I hear it, we will act.”

Ian nodded, and Dolash rose. “Let’s gather the others. We still have the work of the Force to do, while we wait to do the work of mortals.”



“...So is that everything?” said Panacka. It was late into the night cycle. They’d eaten and drank, and discarded datapads and sheets of paper covered the table. In the middle, the holographic display was marked all over with notes, annotations, arrows, and redrawn maps. One by one, his command crew and fellow officers nodded. “Right... so it begins. Take a copy of the plan on your way out, and guard it with your life. We’ll be using standard, unassuming black datapads for this one, but they’re trapped to melt the core if the right code isn’t put in on start-up. Whatever you do, don’t lose them. Copy parts out on paper if you need to, but not the whole thing. I won’t be handing out new copies except in person to avoid the possibility of it being taken in transit, and this plan calls for a lot of us not to meet again until Dameo.”

He looked at each of them one by one, and nodded back to them “This is it. It starts now. The Coalition will be rid of a great enemy, the galaxy rid of a great scourge. We have to do this for the safety of the East, and for those who’ve died at the hands of the Black Dragons. It isn’t the Empire, I know - we’ve still got them to tackle.” there were a few chuckles from this “Right now, though, I want you all to focus on the battle ahead. We can do it! We have the strength! We have the will! It’s about damn time! Dismissed!”

With some cheers, the officers filed out. Ruuvan stopped at the exit to shake Panacka’s hand. “I gotta hand it to you, you’ve planned quite the campaign. I’ll set off immediately to take control of the Mon Calamari spearhead. I guess we’ll meet again in the Tion Cluster?”

“Hopefully.” he said, and smiled. “The Teth forces are rallied, and we’re facing thinner resistance until we reach the cluster, so we’ll be setting off at once. Isip should be able to hold down the fort until you get back, but just in case I added a contingency plan on your datapad for if they move against Mon Calamari early.”

“Aw, you’re always thinking about me.” said Ruuvan with one last laugh. “Good luck, captain Panacka. We’ll toast on Raktus’s grave, eh?”

With that, he left. Panacka sighed, looking over his now empty war room. He’d be back again, after catching some sleep, and then it would really begin. He only hoped they were ready for it.

The Black Dragons, he meant - Panacka didn’t want it to be a complete cakewalk.