Author - "Peace, through power... Kane lives in death"
I stood alone in my private office, the door locked, the lights dimmed to a soft amber glow that barely reached the corners of the room, the city outside the viewport had changed in the last two months.
Havenridge was no longer the smoking ruin I remembered from that day, the streets had been cleared of rubble and buildings have been patched up with the starport landing pads being lit again, shuttles coming and going in steady rhythm. Fires long extinguished.
Life continued on.
That night after the battle a system notification rang out. I had almost forgotten about it its mostly just for holding information an helping with governmental work and some small boosts that I am not sure if they actually work.
Milestone Achieved: First Blood
Description: Win your first major battle.
Reward: +10% to all training efficiency for one month.
Status: Complete. (Reward already used up)
I look at it from time to time.
First Blood, it sounded something straight out of Call of Duty. God, last call of duty I played was Black ops 7 and by god was it absolute dogshit.
I sighed and picked up a datapad, and scrolled through the logs, the reports, the numbers my personal archive sort of a work diary.
Reconstruction had progressed faster than I ever expected, The palace walls were repaired first since they were the least damaged though the walls are now sporting new heavy repeater blaster and rocket emplacements along with anti air and we are trying to get a better grade shield installed.
The starport was fully operational again within next week, with landing pads cleared, control towers rebuilt, traffic resuming under strict security also now sporting a hidden bunker for guards to hide in case of another attack, and wouldn't you know it, more anti air, more heavy repeater blasters there as well.
The streets were clear of debris, native work crews had labored day, paid in credits and food while the pirates did work day and night, some actually died under 'mysterious circumstances' when out of sight of any cameras, though I got to hand it to the clans they had sent a ton of supplies, warriors, healers and workers, though few elders were grumbling that in fact too many people are leaving the clan grounds.
The runs to Black Sun territory had been steady, we make a run every few days on rotation since we have quite a few more small craft to move about, it also helps bring in more supplies, first we sold excess pirate loot we did not need or things that were only fixed up and polished to make it pass as usable, things such as disruptors, armour scraps and weapons along with expired supplies and fuel because there is always someone bound to be desperate enough to buy it.
We bought what we needed most: medical supplies at first (medpacs, bacta tanks, kolto reserves, kolto-infused bandages), food rations to feed the growing population since some of the farms were damaged so we need to supplant the food unless we go into our reserves, some spare parts for the captured ships and new fighters.
Profits skimmed quietly enough to keep the treasury growing without drawing attention, not like the local Moff is of any use when he got news we were attacked and I requested some relief supplies and maybe additional forces, the fat bald fucker said no.
Like, he has an entire sector, hundreds of planets and he cant even spare an extra small cruiser or supplies? He did not even send any stormtrooper replenishments, told me I have "loyal native population, they should be happy enough to be indoctrinated into the imperial stormtrooper core." The gall on that man to then tell me I still have to send the monthly tax anyway. If I could I'd Vader choke him through the holo call.
The moment I get a chance to kill him I am taking it, even if I have to hire Cad Bane for millions.
In other, much happier news.
We bought new starfighters and bombers 12 old X-wings, some 8 Y-wings, and a squad of 4 Z-95 Headhunters, nothing fancy but it beats TIEs, god damn jet pack mandalorian could 1v1 a TIE in space.
Though I am happy we got some headhunters, those flying triangles are surprisingly tough and fast, but their shielding and armaments. Whenever I remember TIE pilots trying to learn how to fly those it makes me chuckle, one pilot accelerated too fast and made a scratch on the hull of the Gozanti, safe to say Reza was not happy.
As for recruitment it had surged with militia being up to 2,000 strong now, mostly those seeking vengence against pirates or those that lost too much during the fighting as well as clan warriors, who are lethal in their own right, they are still being drilled by a combination of old militia units, and stromtroopers.
Varn and Torv brough me some happy news regarding the stormtrooper core, there were a lot of promising militias that have been inducted as trainees and are being drilled daily. Varn and Karlach are running the program, while mandalorians continued training everyone.
All the mandalorian warriors have turned into instructors, while Atii mostly deals with my personal training, the less said about how its going the better.
I wince as I feel the bruise on my ribs, she came around 6am to drag me to the training,
She as always didn't knock, she never does, ever. Just the sudden sound of a door sliding open before I could even open my eyes properly she stands in front of my bed in her gear. That familiar wide grin already on her face like she knew exactly how much I was dreading this.
"Up, Governor. Time to get trashed again." I groaned from the bed, still half under the covers, then its me always talking something about, "not today" or "five more minutes" and it ends in two ways she either wakes me up or physically drags me to the training room.
Though after two months of daily sessions with her had changed something, nothing drastic mind you, she could still win easily blind, with only one leg, I still looked like an untrained civilian next to her but now my stance was a bit steadier and my moves more fluid, my shots…ehhhh.
My shots no longer hit meters apart.
Progress, slow, painful, bruise-coloured progress.
But hey, all that training also made me loose some of my fat, I am now slightly less skinny and have some muscle definition now if I squint hard enough.
***
After a while I stood up from my chair and looked and moved toward the mirror.
I just stood there for a long minute, staring at my reflection in the tall mirror that hung on the far wall.
The young teen looking back at me didn't feel entirely familiar, the ceremonial outfit was a new tailored made weave tunic in deep black with silver threading along the seams with my governor insignias pinned to my chest, a high collar, with a subtle mandalorian-inspired pauldrons that usually governors from north and north eastern portions of the galaxy wear that didn't quite match.
A long cape hung from my shoulders dark gray, edged in black, the kind of thing that belonged on a holodrama governor and not a 15 year old like me. My hair had also been cut shorter two days ago, neatly but not military since it would make me look like a matchstick, and the boots were polished to a mirror shine.
Topping this all of is a blaster I got from my dad that I use only in practice, its practical and comforting in its familiarity.
I adjusted the cape clasp once and let my hand drop.
Soon after a soft knock was heard at the door.
I turned and pressed the button to unlock the door.
A stormtrooper stepped inside, white pristine armour, visor down and blaster pointing down. "It's time, Governor."
I nodded once.
He stepped aside as I walked past him, after a few steps I hear a pair of footsteps following behind me.
The corridors were quiet, almost deserted. Light filtered through high windows, turning the freshly cleaned and polished marble floors gold. Guards stood at every intersection palace guards, the elite of the elite stormtroopers under my command rifles at rest but eyes sharp. They saluted crisply as I passed with me returning the gesture each time.
Me and my two shadows took the secondary lift down two levels, after a few seconds the doors opened onto a maintenance corridor bare duracrete, bright overhead strips that have replaced the half broken and dim ones, a distinct faint hum of power conduits can be heard emanating from the walls.
We continued walking, then turned left, passed a service droid trundling along with a crate of supplies.
Another turn, a short flight of stairs down and I can immediately feel the air grow pleasantly cooler, the sound of distant engines filtering through the stone now easy to notice.
I reached a wide set of double doors, another pair of guards stood guard stood they saluted and stepped aside to let the doors slide open, what greeted me was a spacious hangar bay with multitude of vehicles, mostly speeders, smaller than the main one, this one is used mostly for personal craft and quick deployments. A single sleek and black landspeeder waited in the centre engine idling as it was surrounded by palace guards mounted on speederbikes.
The driver was a young servant mainly tasked with my personal transport, he opened the door for me letting me climb in, my two guards followed right after sitting on either side of me, since there was ample space.
The speeder lifted off seamlessly and silent and slid out through a side exit tunnel followed by a squad of speederbikes.
The palace walls fell away behind us as we moved through the city.
Even the streets were quiet and empty, bar some reconstruction crews and the pirate labourers who were working around the clock for 14 hour shifts. Workers wore high-visibility tunics, and some heavy duty droids were hauling debris and moving crates of supplies, while vehicles were delivering more supplies.
A few people looked up as we passed, all tired smiles and waves while pirates just furrowed their brows not daring to stop lest a vengeful native decides that they need some encouragement in form of electro-whipping.
We turned onto a wider avenue and passed the rebuilt and reinforced starport gates, then made some more turns here and there until we reached ramp with a steady decline leading down towards underground tunnels wide and reinforced, lit by bright lights along the sides.
We passed maintenance hatches, power junctions, security checkpoints where guards saluted without a word as soon as they saw me, the speeder and the bikes eventually slowed down and stopped.
The doors were opened and I let my two guards step out first before I did.
I am such a gentleman sometimes.
I stepped out and can see a short corridor ahead, palace guards already assuming guard positions on either side of the entrance to it.
I made it to the doors at the far end, the guards in front of me pushing the way stepped back behind me, I scanned my identificator through the scanner and let the doors at slide open.
As I stepped out in to the bright light noise hit me first, overwhelmingly loud from all around me as thousands of voices roar around me it fell like the sea.
The stadium opened before me as the guards filed out behind me in a line weapons at the ready.
I look all around me to take in the sights of tens of thousands of people packing the stands, I can see militia walk up and down between the civilians both native and not, down below the stands are stormtroopers looking up and around searching for any hidden threat, a slight flick with my gaze upward reveals squads of mandalorians hidden in the rafters with snipers and jetpacks.
Multitude of bright banners hung from the railings all around us. The biggest being not the imperial flag but the local Elyrian system flag, followed by a few Imperial ones and then the rest of the space was covered by the multitude of various clan flags and symbols. A pair of mandalorian style sigils can be seen hanging from the rafters.
I can feel the excitement and anticipation in the air.
The moment they saw me, the roar grew louder as I started to walk to the middle all I could process was the unbelievably loud noise and bright lights around.
The roar of the stadium crashed over me like a physical force.
It wasn't just sound, it was pressure. It pressed against my chest, my ears, my skull, the bright lights from the overhead banks blinded me for a second; I blinked hard, raised one hand in a slow, deliberate gesture, and the noise began to drop.
Not all at once but in layers as one person went quiet then so did others, like a tide pulling back.
I walked forward onto the raised platform in the centre, the guards filed out behind me in a precise line, rifles at port arms, visors locked forward.
The platform was simple, black, elevated three meters, ringed with a low energy barrier that shimmered faintly. A single podium stood at the front.
The crowd quieted enough that I could hear my own boots on the metal. I stopped at the podium, placed both hands on its edge and looked out.
The anticipation was electric, now I know how people feel making live broadcasts on TV and why they seemed to sweat so much.
I took a slow steadying breath and spoke.
The stadium's acoustics and speakers carrying my voice to every corner.
"Two months ago," I began, "this city burned."
Silence fell completely, even the banners stopped their quiet rustling.
"Pirates came, and they came in force, they came to take. To kill, and steal."I paused. Let the memory settle over them.
"They killed our people, they killed us as they they burned our homes and tried to take our children. They thought we would break, they thought we would run. They thought we were weak."
A low murmur rose from the crowd anger, grief, agreement.
I raised one hand to silence them and the murmur died."
But we did not break. "I looked across the stands. "We held, we fought. We bled and sacrificed so much. And we won. " A roar answered short, fierce, then silenced again when I spoke.
"Today we remember the cost. "I gestured to the side of the platform. A line of prisoners was led out bound, heads bowed, escorted by stormtroopers.
The crowd hissed and exclaimed in anger with a small minority just simply stared blankly."These are the worst of the scum who came to our world." I pointed to the first."Brask Molk a Weequay. Lieutenant of the 3rd strike group. He personally executed thirty-seven civilians in the outer districts. Men, women and children. He mutilated bodies to send messages. He laughed while he did it. His reasoning? He thought the fighting was boring and there was not enough screaming." The crowd's hiss grew louder.
I point to the next one."Thuat Eerontt a Rodian, heavy gunner. He manned the repeater that cut down an entire militia squad at the starport barricade resulting in 30 dead and even deliberately switched fire in middle of a fight to target a fleeing group of civilians wiping out 2 families and injuring 13, he was also found torturing a stormtrooper lieutenant leaving him legless, half blind and deaf."
I can hear a stormtrooper somewhere in front of me make a low, angry sound.
"Pons Cinscrim, Siniteen tank commander. His cannon shells killed one hundred and twelve civilians in the residential quarter when he opened fire on fleeing families, not counting the countless militia and stormtroopers he wounded or killed, he even killed his own driver and gunner because they would not get out fast enough out of the burning tank."
A woman in the stands screamed a name, probably a dead familiy I guessed shea had to be restrained by militia so she did not jump over the railing.
"Zethra Korr, Twi'lek skiff pilot, she strafed lines of civilians in the city and in the campground of Red Sun clan, she killed 19, injured 40 more and caused countless destructions of buildings, she took pleasure in it."
"Garrik Thorne, Chagrain Lieutenant but overall second in command of this entire population, he led the fight after the pirate admiral prefered to blow himself up rather than be taken prisoner. His actual personal kill number cannot be tracked but what we do know its not small in number it was his planning and his forces that attacked the planet."
I moved to the next group, 2 humans and 1 native in torn militia uniforms. Heads bowed and visibly shaking and not from cold.
"These are deserters abandoned their posts and ran, they left their comrades to die or caused them to. " I pointed to the first.
"Dren Sarlan, he used his own squadmate as a human shield to cover his retreat, that squadmate died leaving behind an elderly father to take care off, 11 others died or were injured following the gap he left behind."
"Korran Thalian fled his E-Web position suddenly making the line collapse as a result of lack of heavy suppresing fire, 23 dead or injured."
"Mira Youiriachi, ex-member of the Black-Thorn clan. She abandoned her choke point, making the palace guards to scramble to plug the breach she was supposed to be holding, it was a vital side entrance to the palace if the pirates got through they could have flanked behind the main gate or go through the palace to release the captured prisoners there, 6 dead 4 injured."
The crowd's anger was a living thing now, low and growling, ready to erupt any second with some already screaming various death threats, but there were still two more.
The ex-militia commander, middle-aged native, once proud, now broken. "Captain Grien Optoral, old militia commander. He was in cahoots with the pirates thanks to Durak's Hold supervisor who contacted him and told him to desert at the start of the attack on the starport leading to the defensive lines being left without effective command making the defensive line collapse it resulted in the defensive line being pushed as far as the palace."
The crowd roared with pure hate and bloodlust.
Lastly, the old supervisor/overseer from Durak's Hold. "Calen Ohnaka, supervisor of Durak's Hold for many years, long before I was here, turns out he was in a light alliance with the pirates, took bribes for years and fed them intel, sold our movements and our weak points. Sold our lives, he also falsified reports, diverted resources to his own pockets and exploited people of Duraks Hold: Treason, bribery, collusion."The roar became deafening.
I raised one hand.
Silence fell, sudden and absolute. "Today justice will be made."
I turned to the prisoners, they were lined up, now kneeling, bound, heads bowed. The Chagrian lieutenant Garrik Thorne, still defiant, lekku twitching. While most others were broken, begging and weeping.
***
Off duty Militiaman – Kren Lowle (native Elyrian, 24)
I stood near the middle stands, shoulder to shoulder with my sister and two cousins. The roar of the crowd pressed in from every side, but I barely heard it. My eyes were locked on the platform.
The governor walked out to the middle and raised one hand making the noise stop. Not gone. Just… held. I felt my sister's hand tighten on my arm, she barley spok since we lost our parents in the first drop-pod strike. She just stared at the prisoners lined up behind him, the governor started speaking and I listened.
He didn't shout, didn't need to. His voice carried clear, steady, like he was talking to each of us personally." Two months ago this city burned."
My throat closed, he spoke about the dead, the homes. He spoke about us.
The prisoners were brought out. I saw theWeequay. The one who killed my neighbours. The one who laughed while he did it. The governor named him. Named his crimes and moved onto the next ones. My sister's grip turned painful. I didn't pull away, couldn't. There was also that Rodian that cut down my cousin's squad at the starport.
The governor's voice never wavered, then the deserters, I felt my hands clench just imagining how it would feel to wrap my hands around their necks and squeeze the life out of them, one of these bastards used my friend as a shield shield.
As the governor was finishing I looked at my sister, she was crying.
I looked back at the platform, the governor stood tall, he didn't look like a kid anymore.
Stormtrooper – TK-4721 "Rik" (human, 29,)
I was posted on the lower barrier, line of white armor stretching left and right, we didn't cheer when the governor walked out, we had work to do. I listened as he talked, he named the crimes and the criminals who did them. Not vague, but specific.
I felt the line shift slightly, every trooper beside me tensed when he got to the deserters, there is one thing worse than a competent enemy, it is an incompetent and craven ally. If not for that militia commander and that self important supervisor we could have held better, and lost less people. I felt my teeth grind at the thought of all those lost.
I didn't feel pity, I felt silent rage cloaked in duty.
Mandalorian – Lirra Kade (human female, 31,)
I crouched in the rafters with the sniper team, jetpack cold against my back. Rifle resting on the railing, scope trained on the stands below looking for any threats.
I felt the anger rise as he spoke, especially as he got to deserters, for mandalorians it is incomprehensible except those in the now dead death-watch to betray and desert your comrades in midst's of battle. I looked down at the platform, he would do it himself that was honourabl and more than these animals deserve.
Civilian – Mara Swift(native female, 42, shopkeeper)
I stood in the middle stands with my daughter, we had lost our shop, our home. My husband and my older son. My daughter's hand tightened on mine as he began talking.
Pons Cinscrim, Siniteen. One hundred and twelve, My husband's name was among them. Zethra Korr, Twi'lek. Forty-nine, now my son's.
I felt the tears come. I looked at my daughter, she was crying too. We both looked back at the platform. The governor stood tall as he started to make his way towards the prisoners.
***
The prisoners knelt in a single line across the platform, bound at the wrists and ankles, heads bowed under the weight of the lights and the crowd. The stadium had gone from thunderous roar to a low, seething growl thousands of voices murmuring, cursing, weeping, waiting.
The air felt thick, charged, like the moment before a lightning strike. I stepped behind them, starting first with: Brask Molk. Weequay, he kept his head up, eyes looking straight at me even in death he is defiant. I placed the muzzle of my blaster against the back of his head.
"Glory to the Empire."
The shot cracked sharp and clean.
His body slumped forward, the crowd roared with ecstatic joy.
Thuat Eerontt Rodian, he was shaking and begging in a low, gurgling whisper for his life.
"For Elyria. "Crack the body fell.
Pons Cinscrim Siniteen, his bulbous head quivered, He tried to speak something about mercy and being useful.
"Blood for Blood. "Crack
Zethra Korr Twi'lek, she didn't beg she just glared over her shoulder, lekku twitching.
"For the children. "Crack.
Garrik Thorne Chagrian, openly defiant and snarling lekku rigid eyes burning.
"For the fallen. "Crack.
Then the deserters. Dren Sarlan, he was sobbing."For your squadmate."Crack.
Korran Thalian, he seems as if he is not there, as if he thinks this is just a bad dream he will wake up from. I lean forward and whisper into his ear "This is not a dream, but where your going there will only be nightmares." His eyes widen and some clarity finally returns to him, with that I lean back. "For the line you broke." Crack.
Mira Youiriachi, She looked up at me tears streaming down her face.
"For the guards who died in your place. "Crack.
Then Captain Grien Optoral, shaking and reciting a prayer of sorts.
"For the collapse and every life you cost us." Crack.
Calen Ohnaka, my blaster feels slightly warm to the touch after such quick fire use.
"Please, I beg you I can still be useful my life is worth something, I, I know people will pay a ransom to get me out of here."
I chuckle as I step out in front of him for a couple of steps and turn back to face him after 3 seconds. "Its, funny you know? You think your life is more important, you thought that my life was not important, that the workers you exploited weren't you thought my stormtroopers were expendable, you thought that the civilians, the militia and mandalorians are unimportant and below you."
I can see him quiver more.
At least have the balls to look me in the eyes you fat fuck. I can feel a snarl forming on my face.
"You betrayed us. Calen, you betrayed Elyria."
I pause for a second, my voice rising slightly
"And for what...?" I trail off as the grip on my blaster tightens making it squeak under my hold.
There is pin drop silence throughout the stadium as the holo cameras are recording every single bit of my rageful outburst.
"Some measly fucking change! What did you think would happen after? That the pirates would leave you alone?"
I start to charge back towards him as I scream at him, every ounce of my months long suppressed rage boiled over.
"To those pirates you were so happy to sell us out to.."
I put the warm slightly smoky barrel of the blaster to his temple
"YOUR LIFE MEANS. NOTHING!"
Crack.
The last body hit the platform with a dull thud, suffocating silence gripped the stadium tens of thousands of people frozen, breaths held, eyes locked on the line of still forms and the lone figure standing over them, blaster in hand.
I moved back to the podium, blaster still griped in my hand as I spoke.
"We will not the victims deaths be in vain, they will be avenged." I looked out over the stands.
"We will strike back, we will free all the people they have taken as slaves, we will take their ships, we will take their bases. We will take their strength and with it we will have the strength to bring peace and prosperity to this system and the ones around it."
A roar began to build slowly.
"We will do it together, together we are unbreakable." The roar became thunder. I raised my hands in the air as I roared along with them, blaster held high in the air above me.
"PEACE. THROUGH. POWER"