Star Wars Fanon
Register
Advertisement

If the Empire were to not exist, then no one in the galaxy would have any need for someone like me. Therefore, I must fight.
—General Stromark

Denis Stromark was an Imperial General who fought during the Galactic Civil War and was notable for leading a number of campaigns against the New Republic following the Battle of Endor. A veteran of the Clone Wars, Stromark had become an officer in the Grand Army of the Republic and proved to be a capable soldier. He continued to serve in the Imperial Army after the war and rose through the ranks, becoming a general a few years before the Battle of Yavin. Other than taking part in the Battle of Hoth, the general spent most of the war in locations where there was no action.

However, after the deaths of Emperor Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader at Endor, Stromark began a series of campaigns against the New Republic. While claiming to be loyal to Grand Vizier Mas Amedda's regime on Coruscant, the general independently carried out attacks on the Republic and ceased territory for himself. He was ultimately defeated, but not before giving the New Republic army considerable casualties and raising the morale of remaining Imperial loyalists.

Biography[]

Rise to prominence[]

A Human male, Stromark hailed from the world of Anantapar, in the Anoat sector of the Outer Rim Territories. He was born a couple of decades before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. When the conflict began, Stromark joined the Grand Army of the Republic. Not out of any feelings of loyalty to the Galactic Republic, but because he viewed it as the best way to get ahead. During that time, the man found that he had a talent for military tactics and strategy, leading the Republic to victory over the Confederacy of Independent Systems in several battles. It was because of that, as well as his physical strength and habit of leading troops into battle personally, that he got the respect of clone troopers under his command. Stromark reached the rank of major by the time the conflict ended.

During the Age of the Empire, Stromark served Emperor Sheev Palpatine's New Order as an officer of the Imperial Army. The new system fit his personality better, making it easier for him to pursue glory and increase his own power. Seeing action in multiple campaigns against Separatist holdouts, the man was promoted to the rank of colonel by the time of Berch Teller's insurgency. By that point, he had come to the attention of Imperial Command, which promoted him to general and gave him the ask of subjugating rebellious Outer Rim worlds. Stromark succeeded in this, and had a number of stints before the Battle of Yavin, including serving as a staff officer on Coruscant.

However, much to his dismay, General Stromark was given the role of Coruscant Subsector Defense Commandant in the the three years following the destruction of the Death Star at Yavin. It was considered to be a prestigious role, overseeing the defense of the Imperial capital, but the general viewed it as a quiet, boring post that prevent him from garnering more battlefield accolades. However, the general was later given a role in the decisive Battle of Hoth, where he commanded an AT-AT under General Maximilian Veers. Veers considered Stromark to be a primitive brute, but admitted after the battle that the man had more skills than he had originally thought. His AT-AT overran several Rebel outposts and took out a number of snowspeeders.

Following the events on Hoth, Stromark commanded a sector force in the Outer Rim, which was where he was when news of the Emperor's death at the Battle of Endor reached him. Surprised and unsure of what to do, General Stromark initially did not go rogue and did nothing other than suppress pro-Rebel uprisings in his territory. However, as the New Republic gained more ground and many of his fellow officers carved out their own fiefdoms, the general decided to go on the offensive.

Post-Endor[]

Unlike many of his comrades, General Stromark did not declare himself a warlord or the new Emperor, instead paying lip service to Grand Vizier Mas Amedda on Coruscant. He used this to gain more resources and troops from the mainstream Imperial Military, informing the central government on Coruscant that he was going on a large offensive. After four months of building up his forces, the general began an invasion of the Seswenna sector, which had been taken over by the New Republic not too long ago. The Imperial forces, with the vanguard being the 501st Legion, overwhelmed the surprised Republic defenders and reclaimed the planet for the Empire. The victory was propagandized by the regime, which was in a dire situation as insurgents had taken over large parts of Coruscant.

However, the New Republic counterattacked, and besieged Eriadu. Fierce fighting raged on for three months, with the Imperial and Republic forces engaging each other all over the planet. Although the Republic ultimately succeeded, Stromark managed to drag out the siege and made the Republic pay a bloody price for the planet.

Serving the Shadow Council[]

Personality and traits[]

Seems that the bastard was saved by his own arrogance.
Han Solo

Driven by a desire for glory, power, and wealth, Stromark had the traits that were common among many Imperial warlords. The man did not care at all about the Old Republic, viewing it as a tool of corrupt politicians, but believed that if others were using it to increase their own status, then he should do the same. That was why he joined the Grand Army, deciding that it was the quickest way to improve his position. When the Empire was formed, Stromark viewed it as an improvement, as the Imperial system was designed in a way that encouraged officials and officers to compete for influence and power. Although he outwardly gave the appearance of a loyal subject of the Emperor, in reality, the general had no loyalty to anyone but himself.

Arrogance, ambition, and heartlessness were also traits that General Stromark possessed. He was willing to remove anyone out of the way of his advancement and ready to sacrifice the troops he commanded if he believed it would improve his position. Stromark discovered that he was a natural military officer, possessing both a strong build and a talent for military strategy. Despite his own corrupt ways, the general detested the politicians and "desk generals" who hid behind the backs of others, and often personally led his troops at the front of the army. As a commander, Stromark demanded strict discipline, but also knew to seek out talent and reward those who were worthy of it. Because of this, most of his men gained a respect for him.

Other than being a competent strategist and tactician, Stromark was also a good marksman and hand-to-hand fighter, skills that he developed while leading his soldiers personally during the Clone Wars and Imperial Period conflicts.

Advertisement