Chapter One: Deep into the Dark

[Fel]

Commander La Forge was awakened by the beeping of his holonet terminal. He crossed the room to his desk and pressed the answer button. "What," he said, annoyed.

"Did I catch you at a bad moment, Mr. La Forge?"

La Forge snapped to attention. "Sorry, sir, Vice Admiral, sir! I was sleeping and thought it w-"

Fel interrupted. "Don't worry about it, commander. Or should I say, captain. I've got a request from Calder that you receive the brevet rank of captain to command in his absence."

"Thank you, sir... Was there something you needed?" La Forge asked, rubbing his eyes.

The blue, glowing holo of Vice Admiral Fel precisely conveyed his angular features, to the detail that La Forge could notice the narrowing of his eyes. "The time for action is now. I'm issuing orders that the Chimaera move out to the Outer Sectors. You should find your PDA has the detailed orders downloaded to it already."

La Forge looked, and indeed they were exactly where the Vice Admiral said they would be. "I've got them, Admiral."

"Excellent. It's unfortunate we've had to send you out before the resupply exchange takes place, but you'll have to hold the Sector Group together until the rescheduled meeting. If Admiral Polanski has made one thing clear to me, it's that the Chimaera is to come back in one piece. I don't blame him: It is the flagship, and losing it would send the wrong message about Imperial forces to the enemy."

"I promise I'll bring her back in one piece, sir, don't worry."

"You'd best get going, comman- captain. The Chimaera needs to jump to hyperspace in fifteen minutes to make an appointment."

"On my way, sir," La Forge said, before saluting quickly.

Fel returned the salute and the holo faded out, leaving La Forge in the dark again to contemplate the promise he had just made...

**********

Line Captain Wedge looked up from the console in the conference room and turned around to find Vice Admiral Fel standing a meter behind him, and he jumped back in surprise. "Sithspawn, sir, how do you do that?"

Fel smiled. "I have a little talent for walking softly. It was very handy when I was captain... it's a neat way to catch people not at their posts or chatting instead of working."

Wedge returned the smile. "I still wish you wouldn't use it on me," he said with a wink.

"Can't help it. It's habit now," Fel said as he handed over a datapad to Wedge. "I want all your pilots in the simulator as soon as possible. Even though we're docked at the shipyards."

"To prepare for the rendez-vous?"

"Something like that. It's more general than that, though... we need to be prepared for what lies out there, not just for the resupply."

"I'll make sure they get right on it, Admiral." Wedge pocketed the datapad and left the briefing room.

Vice Admiral Fel moved to the large transparent wall and looked out. Past the edge of the shipyards, far out in the distance, the VSD Adamant rumbled on, barely visible, patrolling the system to ensure there were no surprises. Beyond that tiny speck of a capital ship, beyond several sectors of Imperial space, past the fringes of Imperial-friendly territory, there are far too many questions and far too few answers...

**********

Colonel Jagged Fel thumbed through the datapad handed to him by Army Lieutenant Mitchell about an hour before. The colonel paced the halls of the Chimaera, eager to be out in the field once again rather than cooped up in the ship. He had been awakened by the jump to lightspeed; it was something he'd never quite gotten used to.

The latest orders from General Jansen were short and to the point. The colonel read them, transmitted them to the rest of the company, then procured a cup of caf and began writing.

**********

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PDA Data
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Sector Group I
****
Imperial Intelligence truly is everywhere. We have learned of a Rebel convoy leaving the moon. Whether or not this implies the Rebels are working with the pirates is currently not known. It is critical that we learn what they went there for.

The Chimaera recon squadron is assigned to inspect the convoy for anything of note. All freighters must be inspected for this mission to succeed... we cannot afford to miss anything. Do not, however, destroy the freighters. That might attract the attention of a major strike fleet, and we do not wish to do that yet. Until we have better knowledge of the rebel forces here in the outer sectors, we do not want to trigger a large retaliation. However, if there are fighters, you may engage as you see fit.

**
Here is the TIE mission for this week: http://www.empirereborn.net/cc.php?page=detail&id=62
You have one week to complete this mission... (Turn it in to Vice Admiral Fel when completed)
**

Sector Group II
****

Even though the Nemesis might be in dock, this isn't just downtime for the pilots. Admiral Fel has ordered training missions to ensure combat readiness. We are almost ready to depart for the rendez-vous with the Chimaera, and we had better be ready. When the rendez-vous takes place the Nemesis fighters will need to cover the transfer, since the Chimaera is the ship receiving resupply. It is therefore very important that you get in the simulator on the double.

**

Here is the XWA mission for this week: http://outersectors.empirereborn.net/OS-SKM1.skm
(Note: You are to fly as a T/A)
Here is the XvT mission for this week: "Turkey Shoot" from the standard XvT Missions
You have one week to complete your assigned mission... (Turn it in to Vice Admiral Fel when completed)

**

Imperial Army
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The army is currently aboard the Chimarea awaiting deployment into the Outer Sectors. Having just returned from their mission on Geonosis, General Jansen has ordered all officers to turn in an after-action report on what took place. Please do not spare any minor details, since every one may be important.

**
(Note: This is a fiction activity! Please be sure to turn in your fiction to General Jansen by the deadline!)