????: [This is General Jan Dodonna. To whom am I speaking?]
I hesitate to respond, a fact that isn't lost on all those on the bridge. It's just that they're right there. All it would take is a single command and the entire Rebellion would cease to exist. However, I don't have any current reasons to wipe them out since they aren't rebelling against me but rather my soon-to-be enemy.
Sigh
I hope I don't come to regret this.
Motioning to Avril, I give her authorization to respond on our behalf and she complies.
Avril: [This is Grand Admiral Avril of the Sith Empire. We have your location locked and are prepared to fire.]
Jan Dodonna: [Hold your fire!]
Avril: [I never said we'd fire.]
Jan Dodonna: [You said Sith Empire. Are you referring to the Galactic Empire?]
Avril: [No.]
Jan Dodonna: [Then why attack us? We have no quarrel with any other political entities-]
Avril: [Simple, really. You have occupied one of our worlds.]
There is silence on the other end for some time before the transmission crackles to life once more. This time, the general's voice echoes a more apologetic tone.
Jan Dodonna: [As the moon was uninhabited, we had no idea it fell under your jurisdiction and apologise for encroaching on your territory. Might we establish proper diplomatic channels to further avoid such mishaps in the future?]
Avril glances my way and after receiving my consent, confirms the general's request.
Jan Dodonna: [As for our current base on this moon, it would be hard for us to evacuate immediately. Could we lease the moon from your empire?]
Avril looks my way yet again but rather than have her continue the conversation, I intervene but without introducing myself.
Me: [I have a much better proposal.]
Jan Dodonna: [I'm listening.]
Me: [Join the Sith Empire. You can operate as an Irregular Unit with its own operational command structure, separate from the regular Sith Empire Military. You'd also have the industrial capacity of the Sith Empire supporting you and could keep the moon, Yavin IV as your base of operations.]
Jan Dodonna: I-]
Me: [However, I don't expect you to remain with us permanently. I have a feeling our doctrines would conflict with one another. As such, once the Galactic Empire is defeated we'd have the galaxy split between the Sith Empire and a New Republic, headed by the government you put in place. At that time, you'd also cease to function as part of the Sith Empire and become your own independent body. We could maintain relations as allies or merely amicable neighbours.]
Jan Dodonna: [We're not really in the position to refuse such a generous offer.]
Me: [Well, you still have a choice. After all, our objective isn't to wipe you out but merely to reclaim our territory.]
Jan Dodonna: [Could we negotiate over the division of the galaxy?]
Me: [Of course. I wouldn't expect you to merely agree to such an open-ended proposal without further discussions on such. Do we have a deal?]
...
...
Jan Dodonna: [Agreed.]
Me: Then I look forward to greeting you in person. I'll have a shuttle come down to retrieve you momentarily. Bring anyone you think should be a part of these discussions with you as well. We'll have much to discuss.
Once the transition end, everyone begins readying to receive their delegation when a priority transmission is received. It comes through scrambled, indicating interference but the most important words make it through.
Hadra: [Enemies...Korriban...help.]
Me: [Hadra!]
We try hailing her again and again but to no avail. We're completely cut off.
Avril: What should we do?
Me: Receive them.
Avril: I-
Me: I trust you'll do well. Shae!
Shae: I've already alerted the clan. They're already transferring to the nearest Dreadnought.
Me: Good, come, we must return to Korriban at once.
Leaving Avril without so much as another glance, Shae and I dash for the hangar, jumping in the first fighter we come across before blasting off into space and into the hangar of another Dreadnought. Even as we move to land, the Dreadnought manoeuvres out of position and prepares to jump to Hyperspace.
Me: [Avril, let me know if anything requiring my response comes up.]
Avril: [Safe travels.]
Krell: [Welcome aboard, Empress. We're ready to depart on your command.]
Me: [Then let's go.]
The ship lurches forward as its emergency hyperdrive spools up, ripping a hole through space and time and leaving behind a blinding burst of light in its wake. These hyperdrives were only experimental when we'd entered the singularity but in the years during which we'd been stuck inside we'd managed to perfect their use. They're still too taxing to be used regularly but for emergencies, they're absolutely ideal as they can propel us across the galaxy in no time at all, at the cost of arriving virtually unarmed as the systems recharge.
Krell: [Dropping out of hyperspace...now!]
In an equally blinding flash of light, the ship returns to normal space and as soon as there's enough power, the blast doors to the hangar open allowing us to depart. With us are the Mandolorians from Shae's clan and 100 elite units from the regular army alongside 15 fighter escorts.
Me: [Maintain a tight formation as we drop into the atmosphere. Remember, our objective is to locate and secure friendly forces in the area. Eliminate anything else you come across.]
All: [Yes, ma'am!]
Shae: Can you feel her presence?
Me: Not at the moment, no.
Shae: That's not a good sign.
Me: On Korriban, there are quite a number of places where one could hide their presence using the environment. Most of the tombs are like that, given the sheer levels of-
Shae: Look out!
She points at an incoming flying mammal heading straight for us. Aiming right at its head, I open fire, ripping it to shreds only to find we've flown into an entire flock of the beasts.
All fighters and transports are forced to take evasive action before engaging, quickly gunning down the remainder before continuing onwards, all the while searching for any signs of friendly forces below.
Shae: Something tells me if we're not careful we might end up stranded as well.
Me: Haha. As fun as camping with you would be, we have a dreadnought waiting in orbit. It wouldn't take much to get help.
Shae: Oh, I'm not worried for our sake. Think of the birds-
Me: Hahahahaha!
YOU ARE READING
Star Wars: Darth Nyx (Book 1)
Fiksi PenggemarA Darth of the ancient Sith Empire suddenly finds herself, countless centuries in the future within a new age ripe with opportunity. A galaxy weakened by civil war yet firmly under the control of one who claims to be the Dark Lord of the Sith, this...
