Liquidator: Subject Zero/Prologue

Prologue

Dominus system, Outer Rim Territories ''8 months before the Battle of Yavin

For all of his genius and cunning, the Emperor still seemed to make mistakes and accidents.

Suppose a certain servant of the Emperor went behind his back and recruited a Jedi to serve him, as his apprentice. Suppose that the servant had the intention of overthrowing the Emperor and claiming the throne, using this powerful apprentice. Suppose the Emperor knew this all along, and was monitoring it from a distance, wanting to see how it plays out. And suppose that now was the time to act, the endgame. This was why Selwyn Marhanen was out here, in some remote, uncharted star system in the Outer Rim. Serving the will of the Emperor, making sure that this does not get out of control. As Marhanen was among the red robed elites of Emperor Palpatine. An Imperial Royal Guard. And it was his duty to ensure the Emperor was protected.

Not that this incident was threatening to him in a serious way. However, it amused His Imperial Majesty, who found it funny that one of his planetary governors thought he could attempt to pull something like this without the Emperor finding out. Selwyn was one of the Royal Guard field operatives, those assigned to carry out specific missions for the Emperor. Though he trained frequently and travelled with his master to many locations, Selwyn was still a bit nervous. This was his first independent operation. However, the Emperor also told him to keep the incident as quiet as possible. There was a Star Destroyer at the sector capital, ready to respond to a call from Selwyn, but his master told him not to call it in unless absolutely necessary. He assumed that the Emperor did not want word getting out that the Empire was starting to rot from the inside out.

No, I will not let this happen, thought the guardsman. I cannot let the New Order fall and let chaos prevail.

Looking at the briefings compiled for him by the Imperial Security Bureau, Governor Asclepiades was an average Imperial bureaucrat. Served his local government with competence, and began rising as the Galactic Empire was founded from the ashes of the Republic. He became the local head of state, and thus the Emperor appointed him as the Imperial governor of the planet. But as Selwyn found out, the man was more than what he appeared to be. For some reason, he collected Sith artifacts and ancient texts, despite not being a Force-sensitive himself. So it was not surprising that according to Imperial Intelligence, the governor took a Force-sensitive into his regime, and began teaching him usage of the dark side. If that was the case, than Selwyn may actually have a challenge in facing and eliminating the rogue governor. He was Force-sensitive as well, but not that much. Flying aboard a Lambda-class shuttle, he was to board the governor's space station and destroy it.

Here we go!

Colonel Melak Krayk was not one to take unnecessary risks. Which is why he doubled the station's security forces, all either Imperial Army troops loyal to the governor, or planetary militiamen from one of the nearby systems. So naturally, when he was informed that a shuttle was approaching the station, which was, as he was told a mere couple of hours ago, unknown to anyone but the governor's conspirators, he grew worried. Governor Asclepiades never told him he expected anyone. But he did tell him that no one other than those loyal to him knew of the station's location. One of his officers snapped him back to reality.

"Sir, an unidentified shuttle is approaching!" he announced. Then, a few seconds later, "The shuttle is attempting to hail us!"

Krayk nodded. "Put them through."

"Space station control, this is the shuttle Endeavor. I am Captain Drelfin, of the governor's forces. We are here with dignitaries who the governor is expecting."

The colonel did not recall Governor Asclepiades telling him about any dignitaries. But declining them could lead to consequences if he was serious.

"Very well, shuttle Endeavor. You are cleared for landing at docking bay two."

After he said that, Colonel Krayk turned to one of his men.

"Lieutenant Vandron, make sure our guests get a proper greeting," he said.

So basically kill them if they are hostile and take them to the governor if they are not, is what he pretty much told the lieutenant.

"Understood, sir."

"Very well, shuttle Endeavor. You are cleared for landing at docking bay two."

And with that, he was in. Though of course Selwyn did not believe for a second that they did not suspect him. The long pause indicated that they were discussing what to do. They probably had a team prepared to face him in the docking bay. As the shuttle proceeded to land in the space station's hangar, Selwyn looked over his armor and gear. He was wearing mobile Royal Guard combat armor, a red, modified version of stormtrooper armor. Along with that, he carried an Imperial repeater rifle, several grenades of various types, a heavy blaster pistol, and a vibroblade. An assassin's tool box. As he looked through the shuttle's canopy, he saw a grey-uniformed officer with a lieutenant's insignia approaching, with a squad of ten army troopers coming up behind him, in two neat columns of five men each.

This was about to get interesting.

As the ramp of the shuttle lowered, the Royal Guardsmen looked out into the rest of the hangar, it was small, just big enough to hold the shuttle. A control room window could be seen on the far right wall, and some crates and barrels were scattered around near the walls. A blast door was opposite of the shuttle, leading into the station. He walked down the ramp and looked up at the lieutenant, who had a look of bewilderment on his face. Seeing someone in Royal Guard armor was not the man was expecting. Before he could say anything, Selwyn decided to start the conversation.

"I am here to see the governor. It is a matter of urgent importance."

The lieutenant broke out of his shock and spoke.

"Yes? What is it?"

Time to bullshit his way through this.

"There is Rebel Alliance activity in this system, and Imperial Center is very concerned."

This argument was not convincing at all, as even if there were Rebels in this remote sector, the Emperor would not give enough of a damn about this backwater to send his Royal Guards here. To Selwyn's surprise, the lieutenant did not look surprised nor at all effected by what he said. However, the guardsman did notice a slight twitch in one of his eyes as he said the first part of his sentence.

"The governor is aware of the problem and is working on it. There was no need for a Royal Guard to come way out here."

Now it was his turn to look surprised. He just made this up out of no where, as far as the Empire knew, there was no Rebel activity in this sector. So the lieutenant was just going along with it to get Selwyn out of here without suspicions.

''Unless. . . ''

"Well, nonetheless, I cannot disappoint the Emperor. Take me to Governor Asclepiades," the Royal Guard stated.

The lieutenant paused. Selwyn just barely noticed him motion with his fingers to the troopers behind him.

"I do not think that will be possible!"

As the lieutenant was finishing the sentence, the Royal Guardsman drew his repeater and opened fire; sending a volley of blaster bolts at the governor's loyalists. Before they could react, the lieutenant and the troopers standing at the front of the two columns were on the ground, dead.

The next two in line began to pull out their E-11 blasters just as the bolts from Selwyn's repeater hit them in the chests, dropping them. The remaining six began fanning out, but Selwyn was prepared, ducking over behind a near by crate. The troopers began converging on his location as their blaster fire missed him. Popping from the side of the crate, the Royal Guardsman off more shots, killing three approaching troopers. The remaining three began running towards his position, only to be hit with a stun grenade. Dropping to the ground, unconscious, the last of the army troopers were down.

Former army troopers, he thought.

Not wanting to take any chances with these usurpers, Selwyn pulled out his blade and slit the that's of the three troopers that were knocked out by his gun grenade. No sense in leaving them alive. Though he had to admit, since these men were former Imperials, and probably did not have much of a choice in backing the rogue governor, Selwyn felt some pity for them.

He looked over the bodies one last time before slipping into the corridor.

"Lieutenant Vandron? Do you copy? Lieutenant?"

Colonel Krayk sighed. It was useless, something must have happened to the lieutenant and his men.

"Get more troops down to the hangar level, now!" yelled the colonel at an officer.

"Right away, sir!"

He then considered calling the governor, who was up in his private chambers in the uppermost level of the station. He told the colonel he was meeting with his "business partners". But no. He could still handle this situation quietly, the governor does not have to know about it.

Selwyn ran through the corridors, which were largely empty. Where he hell is the damn governor?

He then found the answer to his question. Setting his blaster for stun, Selwyn burst into the hangar control room, firing two blasts at the officers inside. As they crumpled to the ground, he began searching for the information on one of the computer databases. As Selwyn did so and found out the governor was meeting someone in his office, the Royal Guardsman got a better idea. He turned on the comms and contacted the governor's security office.

Sergeant Hasufin was extremely bored. Being posted aboard a space station was not what he had in mind when he enlisted in the Stormtrooper Corps. But then again, neither did he have in mind the idea of joining in a conspiracy to overthrow the Imperial government. So when he got a call on the comms, he was a bit excited.

"Yes? This is the security office of the governor."

"Hello, this is Commander Drelfin," came the voice over the comm. "A team of enemy assassins has broken aboard the station and is heading towards the governor's office. We cannot hold them back, so we prepared a transport at hangar two for the governor's evacuation. Get him down here immediately! And do not contact the bridge or speak on the other comms. Much of the station is under their control."

Hasufin's face grew pale under his stormtrooper helmet. Not only was the governor caught, but so was he. If the governor was captured or killed by the Empire, then he would be punished for siding with him. But then again, if there was something happening, why was he not contacted? Why has he not heard anything? Hasufin then gulped. Because everyone must be dead. He could not allow the governor to be taken!

"Corporal, get the squad together and have them go up to the governor. Tell him there is an emergency and we have his ship ready for evac," he told the trooper.

"Right away!" exclaimed the corporal unquestioningly.

Governor Asclepiades was in the middle of the negotiations when his stormtroopers entered his office. His colleagues he was negotiating with looked shocked at first. But the troopers did not go for them.

"Sirs,vie must get you out of here. We were told a team of assassins boarded the station and killed much of the crew. We need to get you out of here, a shuttle is awaiting in docking bay two."

The governor looked surprised. "Why has Colonel Krayk not informed me?"

"As far as we know, he is dead. Another officer told us that the bridge is under their control."

Asclepiades pondered this. Well, he did hear some faint sounds earlier that sounded a bit like blaster fire. Better safe than dead.

"Very well, let us evacuate."

Selwyn crouched behind a crate near the blast door of the hangar entrance. He had waited almost twenty minutes now. The Guardsman was growing worried, and was beginning to wonder that they did not fall for it and figured out what was really happening.

"Damn it . . . " he muttered to himself.

However, just then, the blast doors opened up, to reveal several stormtroopers marching in. Finally!

And behind the stormtroopers came the governor, along with his. ..

Rebel contacts!?!

The four stormtroopers in the front led the way to the shuttle, followed by Governor Asclepiades and a group of three Rebel officers. Behind them came four more stormtroopers.

As expected, they boarded the shuttle he left in the hangar. At least the twenty minutes they were gone gave him time to remove the dead bodies and clean up the signs of the earlier firefight that occurred.

The group of traitors boarded the shuttle. Unknown to them, Selwyn had a little surprise for them aboard. As the ramp of the shuttle closed, the Royal Guard stood up and casually walked over to the blast doors. He could see the stormtroopers in the pilots and copilot seats looking at him, probably realizing their mistake.

The Emperor's Royal Guard walked into the corridor, pushing down on button of the detonator.

Colonel Krayk was sent stumbling forward as a large explosion shook the station. Regaining his composure, he looked around at the controllers.

"What the hell was that?!?!"

"Checking now, colonel!" came a reply.

"Sir, it appears there was an explosion in hangar bay two!"

"Colonel, we received reports from army troopers standing guard on the hangar level that the governor and his contacts boarded a shuttle, and it just exploded after he did so."

After that last report, the bridge fell silent. In about ten seconds, one brave officer decided to speak up.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

"Well, the governor told me, in the event of such a situation, to commence the self destruct of the space station. There is too much evidence here, and information contained in the files of the computers. It must be destroyed," he said sadly. "Commence the detonation sequence, and get the hell out of here!"

As the officers scrambled to carry out their last command, Colonel Krayk left into the corridor, pulled out a blaster, and shot himself.

Selwyn was running down to hangar bay four to get into another craft to escape the station when an alarm went off. He quickly hid in a side closet as he heard running footsteps. As they passed, he could hear them speaking.

"The bridge just ordered a general evacuation. The governor has been killed. As per his orders, the station will be destroyed."

The trooper continued running, their footsteps fading in the distance. Selwyn stepped out from the closet. Well, appears as though they are doing my work for me!

After a minute, Selwyn was in the hangar bay. Pulling out his pistol and quickly shooting a couple of mechanics, he got aboard a TIE landing craft nearby. Thirty seconds later, he was flying out of the space station. A bit after that, he noticed a glow coming from behind. Looking back, Selwyn saw the space station go up into flames.

Smiling to himself, the Royal Guardsman flew back to the sector capitol.