The Command Staff of ISD Doomhammer gathered in the Captain’s board room. The change to highest alert status had created some confusion and whispers were moving across the ship.
Following their usual routine, Commander Ghent initiated things and gave Captain Gandala a chance to observe and pick her spots to intervene. Around them was the ‘big six’ of any star destroyer: CO, XO, ISB, Fighter command, Legion command, and Fleet communications. Respectively, it was Captain Gandala, Commander Ghent, Agent Bastra, Flight Major Tafo, Colonel Vucora, and Lieutenant Fenik.
“The commands have come through various channels and overlapping chains of command so we’re here to all get up to speed on the status of things and recent changes in orders. We’re moving to Alert Status One. This naturally implies sustained full-scale combat operations. We’re getting status updates across all departments of the ship for combat readiness and deficiencies. Knowing that we just finished a six month tour in the outer rim and the plan was to have a relatively quiet sector assignment, we took on an above average number of fresh troops. This was intended to be a training tour but it looks like we’ll be in the thick of things. Flight Major Tafo, let’s start with the TIE wing.”
Flight Major Tafo kept his back straight and pulled out a small briefing pad with notes. He looked over-prepared and trying to make the best impression.
“Yes sir, Commander. I’ve recently been transferred back into command of the 774th TIE wing as part of a rotation of personnel in and out of academy posting. Glad to be back in the saddle after a few years taking recruits through simulations. We have a standard compliment: 12 Interceptors, 12 Bombers, 48 Standard fighters. 72 craft total. Redwing and Anvil squadrons are the most experienced. Each has a pair of aces to their name. They primarily fly fighters and bombers respectively but are cross-trained on all major craft, as is standard protocol. The other four squadron don’t have enough exploits to justify being named squadrons yet. They’re labelled simply Aurek through Dorn. Alert Status One means our combat patrols are a minimum of 6 fighters. I’d like to keep Besh squadron doing CAP steadily. We can run extra simulations and build up a specialized readiness.”
“Beyond that,” he continued, “we have the standard run of shuttles and landing craft. We’re lucky to have a dedicated Gozanti freighter in the hanger bay. It will give us flexibility for deploying TIEs or ground forces more rapidly. All that said, Ma’am, I’m glad to have a fleet posting. We were last posted on a planetside garrison. The men will be happy for more action up here. On a more personal note, Captain, all those bombardments on your Outer Rim tour have made a bit of a legend in this sector so I’m looking forward to seeing you set some planets on fire.”
Captain Gandala had a surprised look. “Thank you, Flight Major. I didn’t realize I’d earned quite that reputation.”
Ghent kept things moving.
“Thank you, Flight Major. Let’s move to the Legion. Colonel Vucora?”
Colonel Vucora sat with a slouch. Her body language suggested she didn’t care.
“They’re garbage.”
The whole room had a shocked pause at the Colonel.
Ghent stammered for a second. “Come again, Colonel?”
Vucora frowned. “The Legion is below combat readiness, sir.”
Captain Gandala took a bit of surprise at the Colonel’s blunt evaluation and lack of decorum. “Please enlighten us, Colonel. I’ve read the files but I would like your insight and experience.”
“Captain, ‘Insight and experience’ is a clever way to say that I was demoted and this is a punishment detail. The 288th Legion is an old name but it’s all fresh faces. Two infantry regiments and one armoured, as is standard. Armour and second Infantry are entirely new and fresh from the boot camp. Most of the troopers are taking plea deals to avoid jail time or are from backwater settlements and couldn’t pass navy tests. I swear half of them are illiterate. The officer corps is equally weak. It used to be that Stormtrooper officers came from a certain level of status and connection. We’ve been depleted in the past few years of brush fires with the rebellion. Privileged commanders have hoarded the good officers and Legions like this one are left with the dregs. To be honest, Captain, we could use more space for training and drills. The barracks doesn’t have enough room for all the drilling and exercises that we need. If the supply monkeys could clear cargo bay or two it would help get these fools in order sooner.”
Gandala’s response was instant. “Main bays one and three have partial food stocks. We can condense them into three with some spill over into secondary bay five. Secondary five would be a little over half full. Cargo bay one should be enough room. Your bunch will have to clean it first to make it fit to purpose. And clean it when you’re done. Light rifles only and no detonators. I’d like the walls relatively intact and minimal patching needed.”
Colonel Vucora was a bit incredulous. “That’s a surprisingly detailed knowledge of cargo stocks for a captain.”
“I ranked up as a supply monkey, Colonel. What about the other infantry regiment?”
She grimaced. “I have plenty of men who need a punishment detail to scrub a cargo bay. The other infantry regiment is an oddity. They are competent but annoying. Three battalions are experienced and recent transfers. The last battalion shouldn’t exist. They were trained at Camp 501. It’s the baby of a senate committee and a dumping ground for all the old clones. Those clones spent their twilight years making otherwise good stormtroopers into fools. They have unconventional approaches to equipment, morale, and tactics. Antiquated practices from the Clone Wars. They don’t have the usual ethic of stormtroopers. Too many nicknames, too much laughter. They’re unserious. But they get the job done. The list of battle honours on that battalion is a parsec long.”
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Gandala smiled. “I served with with clones some time ago. They had a particular uniqueness to them but never let me down. I’m curious how much of that has transferred to these troops. In any case, start putting stormtroopers on regular patrol through the ship. They’ll stabilize the crew while we get used to sustained operations.”
“Colonel,” Agent Bastra cut in, “one corporal has a variety of ISB tags on his file. RN-7220. What can you tell us?”
The Colonel had an immediate look of disgust. “He has my attention too. Part of that stupid battalion of pretend clones that just transferred in. He’s Alderaanian. Most of them had the good sense to shoot themselves or defect after the Death Star. He just stuck with his squad and focused on his duty. His file has investigations and bravery commendations on alternating weeks. ISB ran up one side of him and down the other but he kept his post. His group, Torch Squad, has been decorated a dozen times for bravery and ruthlessness but they’re completely insufferable. He’ll shoot a baby as well as any stormtrooper but he’ll crack wise afterward like some kind of comedian. He’s reliable, ma’am. Stupid, but reliable.”
Gandala looked over at Agent Bastra. “Satisfied?”
“Satisfied. Still curious.”
Ghent continued down his list. “Lieutenant Fenik, what is the fleet status?”
“We’re developing a picture of fleet activities, Sir. It’s very busy. Fleet HQ will have specific orders soon. We’ve had an unbroken stream of requests for assistance and more urgent distress calls. We haven’t had any reports of hostile fleet activity. With respect, sir, this is very odd. If you could fill me in on the missing pieces that would help strategic planning.”
Gandala stood up. “Right, let’s get to the big news. The short version of things is that the rebellion has intensified greatly and the galaxy is in chaos. We had constructed a second Death Star and it was nearing completion in the Endor system.”
Flight Major Tafo’s head sank. “Not again...”
“It gets worse.” Gandala continued. “The Emperor and Lord Vader were both present at the second Death Star. A rebel fleet engaged the fleet guarding the station. The Death Star was destroyed and the fleet experienced heavy losses. Both the Emperor and Lord Vader are presumed dead. Moments after the battle, the rebels broadcast a message across all civilian bands that they had killed the Emperor and every system should rise up. ISB tried to crash the civilian holonet to limit its spread but the holonet can operate decentralized and mostly resisted the shut down attempts.”
Lt. Fenik tried to process things out loud. “So if the Emperor and Lord Vader are dead... who’s in charge? What is the succession?”
“We don’t know.” Sighed Gandala. “There doesn’t seem to be a protocol. Politicians, governors, and admirals are all hashing this out and the command comm frequencies are completely jammed.”
Agent Bastra cut in. “ISB will ensure the continuity of the Empire while it is worked out. It appears that the Emperor left no meaningful succession plan. Without an Emperor there is still an Empire and you all will stay loyal and do your duty.”
“The point is,” Captain Gandala continued, “that the new emperor isn’t anyone in this room. We’ll extinguish the rebellion one planet at a time.”
A small buzz came from the comm panel at the centre of the table. “Captain, Admiral Antur is transmitting. He wants to talk to you right away.”
“Thank you. Transfer him to the holotable here.”
“Right away, Ma’am.”
The lights dimmed automatically and the table blinked a bit of blue before the image of the Admiral and two of his assistants showed up.
“Captain Gandala,” the admiral began, “I see you are keeping with your customarily generous definition of ‘CO eyes only’. I know you love to incinerate planets but I have something with a softer touch that needs your attention right away. The eggheads are running projections and models on expected losses and equipment needs. Supply monkeys are clamouring to build a stockpile of bacta. The Pasaana system is off the main hyperlanes but you’re the nearest capable ship in range. There is a mid-size bacta refinery there. Take on as much bacta as you can carry and then rally with the fleet. If the garrison there can’t maintain order then embark them and burn the refinery down on your way out. Antur out.”
Gandala looked around the room. “Well, that’s that I guess. Lt. Fenik, get up to the bridge and pass on the new orders. Colonel, could you wait for a second? Everyone else dismissed.”
Everyone got up but Commander Ghent and Agent Bastra didn’t move towards the door. The Colonel walked over to Gandala.
“Colonel Vucora,” Gandala started, “favour for favour. You have your cargo bay. I need that Torch Squad for something discreet.”
“They’re all yours. I don’t want them involved in training and screwing up the others. They’re yours whenever you want them.”
“Thank you. Dismissed.”
Once Vucora left the room, Bastra turned over to Gandala. “Torch Squad is your plan for the Baron?”
Ghent looked at Bastra with surprise. “You know about the Moff’s request?”
“Of course I know. I know everything on this ship. My job is to know things and make people disappear. I’ll have some agents organized to facilitate the disposal of the baron. Scrubbing records of his arrival won’t be hard. We’ll have to change the registration on his shuttle. Captain Gandala, what would you like to name the yacht you just bought on Kashyyyk?”
Gandala shook her head. Agent Bastra was always a little too organized when it came to everything nefarious and Ghent was always a little too surprised at everything nefarious. He’d lose his innocence about the necessities of command eventually but Bastra would likely never be entirely trustworthy.
“Call it... The Guilty Prize.”