CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
--Bastion--
"No. Absolutely not."
The gaunt-faced woman, dressed in the uniform of an Imperial Moff, regarded the well-dressed executive with icy blue eyes. "Are you refusing a direct order from the Imperial Remnant, Mr. Larkin?"
Tars Larkin sputtered in response, sweat developing over his brow as he shifted nervously. Between the piercing gazes of Moff Tareth and General Hux, as well as the looming presence of Captain Phasma, he felt cornered and trapped, like prey ensnared by a predator.
He quickly gathered his bearings and cleared his throat. "You misunderstand me, ma'am," he said to Tareth. "I am not refusing your order but rather... trying to convey the implausibility of this idea to you."
General Hux stepped forward, his eyes narrowed at Larkin in silent furor. "You said the Balik and Larkin Corporation could afford to build as many as three Death Stars."
"Yes, but...." Larkin gesticulated widely with his arms. "This is different than the Death Star. This is... this is beyond anything anyone has ever made in all of galactic history."
"That's the idea," Hux said darkly. "This is is making history, Larkin. This is the Empire making its first footprint in over twenty years."
"I understand that, and believe me, we would love to assist you in accomplishing that goal," Larkin said hastily, finding it difficult to meet the general's stone cold gaze. "But the mere prospect of making a weapon out of a planet is financially unfeasible and beyond the reach of any budget we could muster."
"That's a shame," Moff Tareth said, holding her chin. "We had been hoping for your support. Are you sure we can't change your mind?"
"It's not my mind you need to change, but Balik's," Larkin said. "Ever since the substantial cut to our profits last year, he and the board have been very selective of the projects we invest in, and I know for a fact that they won't approve this one."
"Is that so?" Tareth's lip twitched as she glanced at Hux. "Perhaps it would be wise of us to ask him ourselves."
Hux nodded curtly, turning to Phasma. "Captain?"
The chrome-armored stormtrooper pressed the control panel to the door and it slid open to allow three figures in. Two of them were tall imposing humans in crimson armor and black capes, while the third -- their captive -- was a battered and bruised Balik Selvin, CEO of the B&L Corporation.
Larkin gaped at the sight, horrified by his partner's state. "Balik? By the stars...."
"Mr. Selvin, how good of you to join us," Tareth said. "I was just making a proposal to your partner here, but he's been adamant in his refusal. As CEO of your corporation, you have the final word on any decision made."
"Um, actually, the board has--" Larkin was cut off by a lethal look from both Tareth and Hux.
"There is no board present," the latter said evenly. "As such, there is no other word but the CEO's. And that word is...?"
All eyes were on Balik now. He lifted his one good eye at the two Imperials, meeting their gaze, before sighing. "Yes."
Hux's face twisted into a leering grin as he knelt down before Selvin. "I'm sorry," the general said softly. "I didn't quite hear that."
"Yes," Balik repeated, louder this time.
Hux grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head up. "Once more, for the record."
"Yes!" Balik cried out painfully. Hux then let him go and stood up, turning to Larkin with a smirk.
"Looks like we have a deal then," the red-haired man said, offering his hand to a petrified Larkin. "Pleasure doing business with you. I suggest you have your workers get sta--"
"General."
All heads turned to the opened door, seeing a young officer standing behind the Imperial Knights and Selvin. Hux's face contorted into a scowl.
"This had better be worth interruption."
The officer swallowed before speaking. "Sir, a hostile vessel has appeared in Bastion space."
Hux inhaled sharply. "Alliance?"
"No. It's a Glorian warship. And it's alone."
The general visibly relaxed and his expression softened into another smirk. "Ah. Glorians. What a pleasant surprise. And here I thought we'd heard the last of them after Coruscant."
The officer nodded slowly. "So... orders, General?"
"Let Admiral Unimar deal with them," Hux said briskly. "If it's just a single warship, they shouldn't pose too much of a threat."
As the officer nodded and took their leave, Moff Tareth looked at Hux with an arched eyebrow. "You seem awfully confident about the situation, General. I recall Glorian warships being rather formidable even on their own during the war."
"Indeed they are," Hux said. "But Admiral Unimar commands Sienar Fleet Systems newest gift to the Imperial fleet."
Tareth's stoic expression briefly gave way to surprise. "The Colossus? I thought it was still in the prototype stages."
"Oh it is. In fact, it's still in its construction array." A thin smile crossed the general's staunch features. "But, as we all learned at Endor, a weapon needn't be finished to be used...."
--The Revenger--
"With all due respect, General, this endeavor is incredibly--"
"I did not give you permission to speak, captain," General Benag growled, his hands clasped beneath his chin.
Captain Onyx shifted his feet, folding the wings of his bat-like form tighter around his body as he readjusted the sword hilt attached to his belt. Unlike most Glorians in the remnant, Onyx had decided to keep his form from the infiltration stage of the war. The tall, lanky, and almost elegant appearance of the Chiroks had always appealed to him, not to mention it made him stand out from the virtually identical Glorians that crewed the warship.
Only Benag himself had kept his own alternate form -- a reptilian Falleen -- with Glorian armor covering most of it, leaving only half of his green face exposed, bearing a cybernetic red eye. Having only come under his service after the war, Onyx was unsure whether this was the result of an injury, or simply a stylistic choice.
Clearing his throat, Onyx said, "Forgive me, General. I was simply--"
"You were going to tell me that this strategy is unwise and that we won't stand a chance against the Imperial fleet." Benag looked up at Onyx, his cybernetic eye narrowing. "That was what you were going to say, wasn't it?"
"I -- well -- yes," Onyx stammered, his blue eyes darting. "I mean, the Imperial Remnant, while smaller than the Alliance, is nothing to scoff at. Our lonesome warship may be able to take out a Star Destroyer or two, but a whole fleet...."
"You forget, captain, that this 'lonesome warship' is not only carrying thirteen full squadrons of starships, but also a repurposed and modified Decimator cannon."
Onyx swallowed. "The Bane of Kaal."
Benag growled. "Is that what Starka called it? He always did have a perchance for theatrical names."
"Yes, but, general, the Decimator has only been used for the Doomsday, a larger class of warship. It's never been used by a normal-size vessel."
"It shall be tested here then," Benag snarled. "And by Necros' black bones, it shall succeed."
"General?" A Glorian officer turned to Benag. "We're being hailed."
Benag looked out the viewport at the gathered fleet of Star Destroyers orbiting Bastion awaiting them. Rumbling softly, the general said, "Answer them."
In seconds the visage of a staunch-faced woman appeared on the viewscreen, her icy cerulean eyes narrowing as they met the general's.
"Glorian vessel," the Imperial officer said sharply. "This is Admiral Unimar of the Colossus. I command you to leave this space immediately."
Benag could not help but laugh at this. "You command us? Come now, admiral; surely you give us more credit than that. We did not come clear across the galaxy to your pathetic domain just to leave by your request."
Unimar's lips curled into a sneer. "I'm not going to ask you again."
"I don't expect you to." With a sharp gesture to the Glorian officer to end the call, Benag said, "Prepare the Decimator and dispatch all fighters. It's time we showed the galaxy that the Glorian Empire does not go down quietly."
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