Dawnbreaker Episode III/Part 1

CHAPTER 1

The heavily scarred Fazabian Fa'neir Dragon stared at the Crocodillian in front of him, Reterique, one of his trusted explorers and someone he relied on to find things that weren't in the proper dimension.

His burned body, scarred from Mustafar, was still healing, just as his medics had told him. He spoke to Reterique.

"Reterique, I have an important job for you. I need you to find my great-grandfather, make sure that he's alive, and bring him back to me, when you find him. I don't care how long it takes you, how you do it, or where it takes you, just bring him back.  If you need to hire hands to find him, do that. I'll pay for your hired help, along with the usual expenses."

"Yes, Tarakus. I'll do whatever it takes to find your great-grandfather for you. I won't let you down." Reterique responded.

"Thanks. I've had this nagging feeling in the back of my head for the last seven months, and I just can't seem to get rid of it. He might be alive, but then again, he might not."

"Before I depart, when was the last time you saw your great-grandfather?"

"It was just before I went to Mustafar to finish things off with Barcünavertis."

"Ok. Well, I'll do what I can, and I'll bring him back to you, Tarakus. You can count on it." Reterique gave The Dragon named Tarakus a reassuring smile.

29 YEARS LATER

Captain Tarakus Deadmerit suddenly jerked out of his bunk, on board the Warmonger Solstice, having flashed back to when he had hired Reterique to find his great-grandfather.

"It's been 29 years." He said, quietly to himself, as he slowly got up, got into his uniform top, and shuffled out of his cabin. He walked slowly to the Command Bridge, tail swaying just a little, and arrived on the bridge, with a bit of a sad air about him. Cyvelon Deathdragon, Tarakus's loyal First Officer, and student, rushed over to Tarakus, and put his arms on his shoulders.

"What is it, master?" Cyvelon said, concern in his voice.

"I had that dream again. Back to when I hired Reterique 29 years ago to find my great-grandfather."

"Perhaps you should check in on Reterique, just to be on the safe side." Cyvelon suggested.

"I should. Ok, I will."



The Crocodillian continued to scale the rock wall of the interdimensional rift zone, muttering madly to himself, with four hired hands close behind.

"It's taken me 29 dang years to find that Dragon's great-grandfather, and it just might be 29 more. I've been up and down these walls for the last 20 years, just looking for one man. It never takes me that long to find something. I'll just have to keep looking."

One of the hired hands, a mercenary, looked up at Reterique, but didn't say anything.

"Sometimes I wish this place had ladders." Reterique said, plopping himself on to a ledge. He helped pull the four hired hands up to sit next to him.

"Why don't we rest for a while."



The Gatekeeper stood over a beaten and battered human body, holding his corrupted lightsaber and looking down at him. He readjusted his mask, checking to make sure the breathing apparatus was still working. As it came back online, he spoke in a partially robotic voice, as his adversary began to stir.

"Kiro Vapthes, you may have created this game, but I am changing the rules! You no longer control me. Time and space no longer serve you. You can manipulate them no longer. Now, the Force is MY servant! Your powers have left you. I am in control now, and soon, you will be nothing more than a memory. You may have created me in your image, but I am NOTHING like you! I am stronger, smarter, and more powerful than you could ever hope to be! You couldn't win. You should never have come back to face me! And now, this coffin in this interdimensional rift will be your final resting place!"

Kiro, too injured to speak, began coughing up blood from his massive internal injuries.

The Gatekeeper laughed. "Put him in."

Several Shadowtroopers lifted up the now unconcious man and lay him in a massive, 15 foot long coffin. They put on the lid, and bound it with cortosis chains.

"What are your orders, Sir?" one of the troopers asked.

"Capture the Uberweapon. We will use it as our flagship!" the Gatekeeper said back. The four troops left, as the Gatekeeper took a final look at the coffin.

"Rest in peace..." he muttered before vanishing.

The Gatekeeper stood aboard the Uberweapon.

That's the fifth time this week I've had that flashback. He thought to himself. "There must be a reason. But what?"

The Gatekeeper was interrupted by Admiral Delagon.

"Sir, although we lost many ships to the RTSE, our fleets are for the most part intact. Speaking of the RTSE, it seems it has completely vanished. We scanned it's known planets, and found them deserted, including Korriban." he said.

"Most interesting. With the RTSE gone, there is nothing standing between us and galactic domination! Begin colonizing the RTSE's old planets and throw up static defenses as you do. I want their territory under our control!" the Gatekeeper snapped back.

Admiral Delagon gave a brief salute and walked off, leaving the Gatekeeper to his thoughts.

"These flashbacks are beginning to make me uneasy, and since the battle at Akates, the Uberweapon has not responded to my commands! It just stopped. Even with a crew operating it, it won't go anywhere! I'd better check on the construction of my new ship." the Gatekeeper thought to himself.

"Petty Officer Granger, what is the status of the Arkun's construction?" he asked one of the men on the bridge.

"Construction is nearly complete, Sir." he said back. "It should be finished within a weeks time, tops."

"Good. And I take it the seat of government has already been relocated?"

"Yes, Sir." was the response.

"Excellent!" the Gatekeeper said, actually smiling a little before turning back to the viewport.

"I can't mask my concern forever. I sense something big is going to happen. Soon." he thought.

A man walked in and stood before the Gatekeeper, who turned around.

"Sir, your transmission is ready." he said.

"Good. I'll transmit from here." the Gatekeeper said back, pulling up his hood to cover his face.

A hologram of a man wearing an official-looking robe appeared.

"Master Gatekeeper, the Senators are all here. You have something to say to us?"

"You have done a fine job, Senator Jeel. However, I sense a plot to wipe you all out. You are in your chambers for . . . protection..." the Gatekeeper said.

"I see. Our guards are ready to defend us." the Senator said back.

"Just in case anyone tries anything, I am sending my apprentice, Darth Sicol, to your location to 'guard' you..." the Gatekeeper said, a wicked grin on his face.

"Sir, what are you smiling about? This is a serious situation!" the Senator said, becoming uneasy. But before he could say anything else, the door slid open behind him, and a man wearing a red robe walked in, holding a dual bladed lightsaber.

"Sir? What is going on?" the Senator asked, as he and the other Senators looked at the man in confusion.

The Gatekeeper chuckled.

"I am sorry, my Senators, but, your services are no longer required..." he said. "Sicol, finish them!"

Darth Sicol nodded, activating the two blades of his saber and charging the two guards. The guards, although highly trained, were no match for a Sith Lord, as Sicol beheaded one and stabbed the other through the heart after a brief struggle. The Senators began to panic, and tried to run away, but the door was locked from the outside. The massive audience chamber, full of all the representatives from the SE's numerous planets, became a horror zone, as Darth Sicol calmly walked around, slaughtering them all, while the Gatekeeper watched from the hologram in the center of the room, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, the last Senator fell, and Darth Sicol stood before the hologram.

"I have done as you commanded, Master. The Senate, the House, the Buearocrats, and their supporters have been destroyed. The Shadow Empire is now under your complete control." Sicol said.

"You have done well, Lord Sicol. Very well. Now, the NEF is undoubtly going to find out about this. Is our secret Navy ready?"

"Yes, my Lord. The Imperial Navy is fully operational, thanks to our ties with Lord Minoris and Hannibal Warbird. The Death Star III is constructed, the fleet is ready, and are awaiting your orders, Master." Sicol replied.

"Good, good. Tell Grand Admiral Fishburne to proceed with the acquisition of all neutral territory you can find." the Gatekeeper said.

"My Lord, what about Delagon?"

"Admiral Delagon's fleet has been neutralized, along with every other that opposes us within the SE. We are in complete control now. When he returns to his docking bay, the Royal Guard will take care of him."

"Yes, my Master."

"Now, about the NEF. . . once they discover what has transpired here, let me deal with it. I have a relationship with Patten."

"Yes, my Master."

"Good. Now get out of there, before more security arrives."

"Yes, Master."

The Gatekeeper canceled the transmission, and lowered his hood once again. He walked back to the viewport.

"Nothing will stop me now..." he thought. "NOTHING!" The Gatekeeper began to laugh, before vanishing from the bridge, off to prepare his statement to the NEF.

CHAPTER 2


 * R.S.S. BLITZKRIEG - IN ORBIT ABOVE WAYLAND***

"Landing ships standing by for ground assault kommadore!" a Sinyan officer shouted.

"Launch the invasion!" the kommadore responded.

Mere moments later, hundreds of landing craft made their way toward Wayland's surface, where a furious Mandalorian garrison awaited them. From the bridge of his Venator-class Star Destroyer, Kommadore Dietrich observed as the landing craft, and their Z-95 Headhunter escorts, battled their way through Mandalorian fighters and defense platforms that were attempting to stop them.

Much like the Sinyans, the Mandalorians had decided to take advantage of the sudden void left after the disappearance of the Reborn True Sith Empire, and had conquered a number of their neighbors. However, the Sinyans, an ancient enemy of the Mandalorians, dating back to the days of the extinct Taung species, decided to halt the Mandalorian advance. Both factions had already clashed in several border skirmishes, but this was the first major assault by either side.

The last few Mandalorian cruisers began to crumble as the combined firepower of Sinyan Venators and Dreadnaughts, aided by Y-Wing bombers, ripped through their hulls. The landing craft suffered only minor losses as they reached the atmosphere, while the Z-95s continued to clear out fighter resistance, before moving in on the anti-air defenses on the planet below. Dietrich smiled as the progress reports rapidly arrived. Despite these early successes, the veteran Sinyan officer knew the Mandalorians would be much tougher on the ground, so he tried to curb his excitement.

"It's up to the army boys now." he thought to himself, as the last enemy space forces were obliterated, "But as tough as the Mandos are, we are just as much. We'll win."

"Casualty reports are fairly light sir." one of the bridge officers said, interrupting Dietrich's thoughts, "But we're getting reports of much stiffer resistance planetside."

"Okay, have the fighters return and refuel for potential air-support missions once their current objectives are complete. Have the fleet form a blockade around the planet; we don't want any of those Mando scum to escape!"

"Right away sir!"

"Sinya's rise to glory has begun." Dietrich declared to no one in particular, "This day shall be long remembered."


 * NAR SHADDAA***

The man looked back at the team of a dozen or so mercenaries assembled behind him. They all seemed as eager to begin their mission as the man commanding them. The job was simple; break up a slave auction and capture the main slave driver. There was likely to be some resistance, but the thugs that accompanied the slavers were usually poor shots, so the mercs hoped losses would be at a minimal. The commanding mercenary, a tall, muscular human with a black eye-patch covering the void where he left eye had once been, gripped his shotgun tightly as he turned to the armored Zabrak crouched beside him.

"Just remember, Rowan is mine." he hissed softly, refering to the head slaver.

"Don't worry about a thing." the Zabrak replied, "I'll make sure you get your chance to take him."

"Well, let's go break some skulls." the one-eyed man said with a slight smile before looking over the rest of the mercenaries, "Okay, get ready!"

As the Zabrak placed a breech charge on the door in front of them, all the mercs readied their weapons. The charge detonated and the door flew open. The mercs rushed into the room, opening fire on the unsuspecting occupants. Several armed thugs fell dead to blaster fire immediately, while other dived for cover. The one-eyed man took a moment to survey the room. Several thugs had taken cover around the perimeter, while the center of the room was a mix of various slaves, crimelords, shady businessmen, and various other low-lifes. A podium was positioned at one end of the room, elevated slightly so all could see. The auctioneer was still frozen in shock, his had clutching a gavel that he used to signal sales and get the attention of the crowd. A pair of young, female Twi'lek slaves stood beside him, obviously the objects that had been up for bit before the interruption. The one-eyed man then spotted his target: A grey-haired Chiss making a break for the back door.

"Rowan!" the one-eyed man bellowed, "Stop now!"

The Chiss ignored him and dashed out the door, a pair of human thugs taking up position to cover his exit. The one-eyed man pushed his way through the now-panicked mass of criminals and slaves in the room, emerging near the door and the thugs. Before they could aim their weapons to fire, a pair of shotgun blasts in rapid-succession took them both down. The man then went through the door after the Chiss. As he made his way through the halls, he raised his commlink to his mouth.

"Deek! Rowan's making a run for it! He'll probably try to escape though a back door! Get ready!" he barked into the small device.

"Okay, we're ready for him!" a voice replied.

The one-eyed man continued his pursuit, killing a few thugs who got in his way. As he turned a corner, he spied Rowan entering a room half-way down the hall. The one-eyed man followed into the room, which turned out to be little more than a storage room, filled with crates, tools and other objects. He scanned the room but Rowan wasn't there.

"Alright Wurak, come out of hiding you little rodent." the mercenary drawled softly, "You know there is no escape."

Silence. The one-eyed man began searching the room, looking around for any place the Chiss could have hid. After a few moments, he found a trap door, hidden behind a crate.

"Damn! He has a secret exit!" the man cursed as he lowered himself into the tunnel beneath the door.

The tunnel was pitch black, so the merc pulled out a small glow-lamp to light the way. As he proceeded, he brought up his commlink so he could communicate with his allies outside.

"Deek, Rowan has a secret exit, have your men spread out."

"Okay, Ty."

Finally, after having to crawl part of the way, the one-eyed man reached what appeared to be the tunnel exit. He emerged into a hangar bay, just as a small transport was taking off. The mercenary pulled out a homing beacon and tossed it at the ship, but the craft was already too high in the air. As the beacon fell uselessly onto the hangar floor, the one-eyed man watched the ship escape into the night sky and whispered to himself.

"I'll get you yet Wurak Rowan."

The one-eyed man froze at the sound of a lightsaber blade being activated. He clutched a lightsaber attached to his belt but dared not turn around.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked.

"Turn around if you want to live." A woman's voice replied.

Keeping his hand on the lightsaber, the mercenary complied and slowly rotated to face the person behind him. A woman stood before him, dressed in a simple robe and hood, wielding a saber-pike with a red blade.

"Good choice. Now put all of your weapons on the ground and kick them over to me." She ordered.

The man removed the lightsaber from his belt and ignited the violet blade, his face showed no emotion as he spoke. "You don't know who you're dealing with, do you Jedi?"

"I'm no Jedi." The woman said as she ignited another blade at the opposite end of her staff. She charged the man, who parried the first attack with his blade, before leaping aside and drawing his cortosis short sword from its sheath on his back.

Could she be an assassin sent by the Gatekeeper? he thought to himself. The woman rolled and came up underneath the man's guard. She ripped the short sword out of his hands and punched the man in the chest. He doubled over wheezing for air, and the woman hit him again on the head, knocking him to the ground. As he fell, the one-eyed man lunged forward and into the women's legs, knocking them out from under her.

"Tell me who sent you!" The man coughed as the two scrambled to recover their footing.

"You'd love to know that wouldn't you?" The woman lunged at the man and pulled a small knife out of her belt. She slashed at the man and successfully planted it deep in his side, causing him to stagger backwards. Seeing her chance, the woman charged the mercenary and tackled him. As the two fell to the ground, the mercenary pulled the knife out of his side and attempted to stab the woman, who was now on top of him. However, she knocked the knife away and attempted to punch him in the face. The one-eyed man gripped her arm before the blow could land, and then attempted to grab her face with his free hand. She likewise grabbed his arm, and for a moment the two struggled to gain an advantage over the other. Finally, the mercenary's brute strength prevailed, and he was able flip over and on top of the woman and pinning her arms down.

"Who are you? And why are you trying to kill me?" He growled, anger burning in his good eye.

"Syren, and it's nothing personal, just a job." She kicked the man in the stomach, and rolled out from under him. The one-eyed man scrambled to his feet and Syren did likewise. However, before Syren could do anything further, the mercenary drew his blaster pistol and trained it at her face.

"Shame. You are certainly a talented assassin if I ever did see one." he said, a victorious smile on his face. Before the man could fire, however, the door into the hangar burst open, and a dozen thugs charged into the room.

"There! Blast them!" their leader shouted.

The woman grabbed her staff and ignited both blades. She then killed several thugs and was charging another when she saw a particularly large thug coming through the door. He lunged forward and grabbed Syren, then tossed her across the hangar. She regained her footing and pulled her DC-17m from her back. The woman shot the thug in the stomach, and as he bent over in pain she took two small knives from her belt. Jumping onto the thug's shoulders, she plunged both knives into his neck, killing him. Meanwhile, the mercenary had shot several thugs while backing towards a rear door in hopes of escaping. More thugs continued to pour into the room, and the blaster fire grew more intense. The merc decided to make a break for it, so he turned around to rush towards the door, and ran right into the hands of several waiting thugs. There was a brief struggle, but the goons were able to overpower the wounded man. As Syren got to her feet, she was surrounded by a half-dozen thugs, who trained their blaster rifles on her. Before she could think of a way to escape, one of the thugs fired a stun round, knocking her out.

"Hmm, I'm sure da boss will take interest in dis one!" one of thugs commented as he helped a companion pick up Syren's limp body. The thugs then dragged the both of them out of the hangar and back into the building adjacent to it. The lead thug pointed to a small room and the other goons threw the two prisoners inside. One of the thugs tossed a small medpack at the one-eyed man before closing and locking the door.

CHAPTER 3

Terran Confederation Expeditionary Fleet High Orbit of Yavin IV, Yavin System

Nearly a year has passed since the Expeditionary Fleet came to this distant galaxy through a unique Quasar Jump Point, and became involved in a massive battle to determine the fate of the known universe. Since the battle, a similar Quasar was discovered in a system the locals call Yavin, and a supply line has been established. Though relief forces will be unavailable due to the continuing war with the Kilrathi Empire, the Expedition Fleet is no longer cut off from their own Galaxy.

Walking through the corridors of the TCS Excalibur, Lt. Cmdr. Christopher "Rattler" Johnson makes his way to the ship's lounge. Known as Pilot's Country, the lounge is a favorite hangout for pilots from both flight wings. As Alpha Wing, consisting of half the Excalibur's squadrons, were on standby for this shift or out on CAP, Pilot's Country was filled with people from Delta Wing. Getting himself a glass of fresh Orange Juice, which he was thankful came in one one of the first resupply transports, Chris sat down near the viewport and looked out at the forest covered moon of Yavin. He was thinking about that battle again. Something was bothering him about it. For one thing, that mysterious cloaked woman had disappeared without a trace. Where had she gone, and what was her role in the battle? It wasn't long before a sudden sense of foreboding came upon the Terran pilot.

"Hey Ratt man! Mags and Blaze are at it again!"

Shaking off the foreboding, Chris looked back at the pilot who called him by that nickname. Although his callsign was a reference to the Terran Rattlesnake, a few people would shorten it, making it sound more like a reference to a rodent. Lt. William "Psycho" English hiked a thumb towards the simulator in the corner, and the crowd around it. Getting up to see what was going on, although he had an idea already, he found Lts. Reanna "Mags" Wilkins and Sean "Blaze" Davis taking turns in the simulator, trying to outscore each other. And as usual, bets were being made as to who would win. Chris smiled at the sight. It was nice to see that things were somewhat back to normal since they came to this galaxy. "So you are still unsure about the intentions of this so called 'Shadow Empire' or what caused the disappearance of the the 'Sith Empire'?"

An older man sat across from Captain Sasha O'Neill. She had met him only once before, when the Excalibur had officially made First Contact with the Cornerians. Admiral Geoffery Tolwyn regarded her report with minor interest. The TCS Concordia had escorted a supply convoy, and was here to oversee the construction of an outpost to act as a resupply base for the Expeditionary Fleet.

"That's what I said sir," O'Neill replied. "At some point after the battle, the Reborn True Sith Empire completely vanished as if they never existed. So far, it appears as though the Shadow Empire is moving in on the abandoned territory."

"And this, 'Gatekeeper', has no other name?"

"Not that we're aware of sir."

"With the political situation still an unknown, many are starting to question maintaining a presence in this new Galaxy. With the Kilrathi making a push in both Vega and Enigma Sectors, there are those in the Confederation Assembly that believe we should recall the Expedition to reinforce our efforts back home and not involve ourselves in 'foreign affairs'."

Captain O'Neill narrowed her eyes at the silent implication. Admiral Tolwyn had subtly hinted that she may have exposed the Confederation to new threats, and she did not like it.

"With all due respect sir, it may have only been a matter of time before one of those governments found us anyway. If we didn't come here, and they found us, we would be totally unprepared. Now, we have an idea of what to expect should they turn hostile. Also, this is a big galaxy sir. There are bound to be other powers that may be willing to help us without dragging us into their own conflicts."

Admiral Tolwyn stood up. "I must be getting back to the Concordia. I would appreciate it of you would send me all the tactical data you have on the local superpowers. I will see to it that the data makes it safely back to Confed when we ship out."

"Yes sir." O'Neill said as she stood up, giving the Admiral a salute. Tolwyn returned the salute, and walked out of the Captain's Office. As soon as she was sure Tolwyn was out of earshot, she cursed.

"Bastard doesn't even care. We went through hell to get here, and he makes it sound like we're on vacation," she snarled as she looked out the viewport. In the distance she could see the TCS Kyushu alongside her sister ship, and Admiral Tolwyn's command ship, the TCS Concordia. Normally, the sight of two Confederation class Dreadnoughts would have made her feel a little better, but not now. Now, she agreed with pilots about the Admiralty in general, and new Captains when they showed up in the middle of a mission.

"New Brass... Pain in the Ass."


 * IN ORBIT ABOVE THE PLANET DORASHON***

"What a magnificent sight. With it, we will be unstoppable," Grand Admiral 'Legend' Patten remarked as he gazed with pride at the sprawling shipyards above Dorashon, and especially at the ship undergoing final preparations there, from the observation deck of the Leviathan.

In the six months since the battle with the alien race and the war between the Gatekeeper and Lord Darkon was interrupted, Patten supervised the colonization of a planet, Dorashon, on the perimeter of the New Republic's galaxy. The planet was now one of the New Ethoran Federation's major strongholds. Surrounded by thousands of orbital Super Magnetically Enhanced Velocity Cannon platforms and various types of star bases, Dorashon is practically untouchable. The planet now served as the hub for many fleets, including the 417th Expeditionary Fleet, under Patten's personal command.

Turning to his second-in-command, Patten remarked, "I certainly hope we won't need to test it in battle soon."

"Most certainly. That last series of battles was enough to last me for the next few years," Jackson replied.

"You know, I have the eerie feeling that we'll need to test it in battle sooner than we thought."

"It might be so. Wherever you go, it's rarely ever peaceful!"

Chuckling, Patten responded, "I suppose so. By the way, have you yet heard about what happened to the RTSE?"

"Not yet. Do you know?"

"Well, our scientists seem to think that during the rift in space and time, the RTSE along with Darkon and his cronnies were somehow sucked into an alternate universe. I almost feel bad for them there, having to put up with a new threat. But then again, we don't have to deal with him anymore."

"Very true. I wonder how'll they'll hold out against a new force?"

"Who knows? But if there is a NEF in that universe, I'm sure they'll do just fine."

Suddenly the holographic commnications console lit up and a man in a crisp uniform could be seen.

"Grand Admiral Patten, this is Recon Unit Sierra 117. We have learned of some interesting developments concerning the Shadow Empire."

"Sierra 117, this is Patten. Report," Patten replied.

"It seems as if the Gatekeeper has ordered his apprentice to wipe out the SE's governmental system. Every senator and bureacrat has been slaughtered, leaving the Gatekeeper to run the empire without opposition."

"My God, when did this happen?"

"Not too long ago, sir. Maybe a day or two."

Shaking his head, the Grand Admiral said, "Very well. Anything else to report?"

"The Gatekeeper has ordered his forces to take control of the systems that were formerly occupied by the RTSE. As they conquer each system, they set up static defensive emplacements."

"Hmm... I'm not liking the sound of all this. Report when you have more information. Patten out."



"Admiral, you're needed back in the Phalanx Galaxy." an officer said to Patten.

"What for?"

"There has been an uprising on the planet Ferlon. We need someone to put it down," replied the Prime Minister.

"I'll be on my way immediately." Turning to Jackson, he remarked "Well, it appears that I'll be able to test the new flagship sooner than I anticipated. Jackson, I'm leaving you in command here until I return. In addition, I'm turning over the Leviathan to your personal command."

"Thank you, sir."


 * 2 hours later on the edge of the Ferlon system.***

A lone ship, the likes of which has never before been seen in the Phalanx Galaxy, leaps out of hyperspace.

"Rebel forces, this is Grand Admiral Patten, commander of the Vindicator-class Dreadnought Relentless, I order you to surrender or you will be wiped out."

A murmuring can be heard inside the bridge of the rebel flagship, as everyone there instantly recognizes the name. "What is that massive thing?" one says. "We can't possibly win," says another.

"Silence! We will fight him, and we WILL win," the rebel leader snarles. "Patten, your government has oppressed our people long enough. We were never given the power we deserved after the so-called 'Glorious War.' Now, we will take it by force! We will fight!"

"So be it," Patten responds, closing the channel. "Open fire on the rebel fleet."

Thousands of laser cannon and plasma cannons instantly open fire. Dozens of EPBs and Heavy EPBs lance out from the Relentless' hull, slicing rebel starships into pieces. Thousands of missiles launch, creating what looks like a firestorm among the hostile vessels. The rebel commander looks on in complete shock as his once mighty fleet turns into molten slag.

"This... all this... done by a single vessel? How... how can it be?"

After only a few minutes, all but one ship has been destroyed, the rebel flagship, as Patten had ordered that it not be damaged.

"Well, are you now willing to surrender, commander?" Patten asks. "Surrender now and pledge your loyalty to the Federation and the rest of your men will be spared."

"I...I surrender."

"Good," Patten answers with a smile on his face.


 * The next day, back in orbit around Dorashon, in the Relentless' lounge.***

"The Relentless' performance went far beyond our expectations. The rebel commander surrendered after only a few minutes after my arrival! Makes me wonder whether he soiled his pants in that time as well..." Laughter can be heard around the table in response to Patten's remark. "This is a resounding success. Well, it appears we'll now have something significant to counter our foreign enemies with. I propose a toast: to the genius who devised our newest ship!"

Taking a sip of his beer, Patten thought to himself. I wonder how long it'll be before we will need to counter our foreign enemies... Shrugging, he downed the rest of his beer.