I hit the chime to the admiral’s ready room. It opened. A very small and young looking man was sitted at the head of the table. Beside him, were equally young pilots? All that separated me from them were my JAG pin in addition to my starfighter wings. Only two out ranked me at the table. A then Capt JC Sabre and Capt Fal Azzameen. Two flight officers and a Junior Grade Lieutenant were sitted around the table, Lt. j.g. Andrew Whiteway, Zaron Farwalker, and Taugrim.
“Lt. Pbarny, sit down,” the Admiral invited. I was seriously waiting for his voice to crack. There was no way a whole task force was going to be led by some one just barely old enough to shave. But then again, Luke Skywalker destroyed the first Death Star and was barely 18 standard years old.
The Admiral continued. “We’re about to undertake part of the mopping up operation that has been going on for the better part of two years now. Several Imperial Groups have pronounced themselves to ‘heirs’ to Palpatine’s thrown. Several task forces are being dispatched. Ours is what you saw here. A Mon Calamari Cruiser, a Nebulon B-Class Frigate and one complete wing of fighters, with you gentlemen as the thrusting port of the fighters. Fal Azzameen and Andy Whiteway are veterans of the Battle of Endor. JC Sabre is a veteran from a shipping firm his family ran until the Empire seized it. Voren Pbarny is a former Imperial reservist who has spent the better part of two years researching and helping write the declaration of the New Republic as well as the its constitution. Taugrim and Zaron Farwalker are cousins. They’ve just joined up and were assigned to us. We’ll be going after a group called Omega.
“They claim that they are endowed by the Imperial Guard as protectors of all Palpatine had. They are effective at infiltrating most of our held space using precise inner system jumping. The tactic isn’t anything new, but is rather disciplined. They fly mostly modified interceptors. These things aren’t quite what the old TIE Advanced series was, but they have shields and hyperspace capabilities just like us. Their fighters basically have the same turning rates and speed profiles as the X-wings we’ll be using. Their capital ships and support infrastructure is at this time unknown.”
“Why is it unknown?” JC Sabre asked. “Can’t we get some sort of Intel on them?”
“It’s unknown because like most Imperial resources, accounting can be moved and keep books balanced,” Adm. Azzameen replied.
“Actually Admiral, as the intelligence officer for the squadron, I think we should make an effort to gauge some of their infrastructure. See where the money is going through then if it’s favorable for a strike, we take it out,” Fal Azzameen said.
“No, that won’t do. We have to go after them. Not their infrastructure. They can just rebuild,” the admiral started off flustered, but regaining composure like he’d just pulled the wool over the eyes.
“Yes, the people willing to deal with them are collaborators anyways. We’ll just be routing them out. Eventually, they’ll have no safe harbor. Planetary systems won’t want to deal with the fearing attack from us, or collateral damage if we are successful upon weakening them. Destroy their infrastructure they have less to fall back on. One more head on the Imperial hydra would be slain, one less for us to kill later,” Fal continued to argue.
“I’ve made up my mind. We’ll train, then seek to engage the Omega group directly,” the admiral stated in almost a tantrum tone. “We need to get this done. Weaken them up Draw them up. Make them see that there is no escaping the New Republic.”
I could see the look of disbelief in Fal’s face. JC and Andy seemed surprised as well. But they seemed to accept the path that the Admiral had chosen for us. Taugrim and Zaron didn’t know what was going on, but I doubt they know what would hit them.
“We’ll be shuttling over to our staging point on the space platform in a few moments. I need Fal to set up his intelligence office and orient his staff. Voren, set up our JAG and liaison offices with the local planetary government and magistrates. JC, set up training schedules both for simming and hand to hand combat. Andy, set up diplomatic and recruiting offices. Zaron and Taugrim you two will actually be escorting a milk run. A pair of medium transports is making a run to reinforce the retaking of General Calriasan’s Bespin mining colony. Escort them there, refuel, and hyper back here the next day. Store your piloting gear onboard and see you all at 0600 tomorrow.”
With that, we all departed. Fal approached me after the meeting on the way back to the turbolift. “Lieutenant, I can tell you had a funny reaction to the Admiral’s orders. Why?”
“Just doesn’t make sense, Captain,” I started.
“Call me Fal. I’ll be your flight leader. So I’ll dispense with the titles if you will,” he interrupted.
“OK. Well for starters, he seems so set on direct star fighter combat. Most of these pretenders are some how holding on to what loyal industries there are. They then trade amongst others to get what they need. I hear it’s not uncommon for these Warlords to trade credits or goods for the use of Interdictors Cruisers or Fighter Squadrons. We cut their supplies, we cut off what income they can spend on fighting us.”
“I know. Good analysis. I’d like to use you on some of my Intel operations. With your training I think we can probably send you off on a long term mission while we take care of things here.”
“Really? I wish I could right now, but cutting through red tape to set up a court system here on the platform and in the wing has to be my first job. I need a lot of things. Most of them being some one with a remote concept of the law.”
“Not my strong suit. I tend to forget rules and regs from time to time. Explains why I’m out here going after the smallest of the fish in the pond.”
“Oh, really? Why’s that? That the story with everyone here?”
“Probably not, Voren. Your record should put you on the fast track for promotions. You’re already a full lieutenant and the JAG officer of a wing while some one like Andy Whiteway who’s been in the Alliance for years is just a lieutenant j.g. Consider yourself lucky. JC is here because his family’s business ties are paying for him not to see front line action or much of it anyways. I don’t know much about Taugrim or Zaron though.”
“Saw them at starfighter training. Didn’t seem any different than anyone else though.”
“Don’t worry. You’re not the unit spy. You’re the unit’s JAG officer. You meet any of the Provisional Council during your time writing the Articles of the New Republic?” Fal asked me.
“Actually, Mon Mothma talked to us twice in some briefing room aboard Home One. I didn’t know it at the time, but Leia Organa-Solo’s protocol droid was our reference and research aide. She stopped by from time to time. Also Luke Skywalker and Han Solo stopped by. Skywalker had this radiance about him. Guess it had to be that Jedi stuff beaming off him or something,” I answered.
“That’s more than most of us. I mean we’ve all seen or met with Adm. Ackbar and Gen. Madine at one point or another over the past three years, probably not as intimate as you. Get some sleep. JC is brutal on training exercises.”
“Will do Fal. See you tomorrow.” With that turbolift doors opened and Fal walked down the hall to his office. I entered the lift pleasantly surprised to see the Chief tanding in their alone.
