Captain Pina stood as the Imperial lander dropped from the Reaver's main docking bay. He heard the pilot confirming a successful drop from the cockpit, and a sensor alert that informed him of two other landing ships, moving to flank them with their complement of stormtroopers. Through the porthole, over the admiral's shoulder, he saw the sunlight reflect off the dark panel of a TIE fighter as it turned to start its descent into the upper atmosphere.
"We'll be entering the atmosphere in five seconds," the pilot informed them over the intercom.
Pina took a deep breath. Sometimes, crossing into a planet's atmosphere could be a bumpy business. He held the strap in his right hand tighter, preparing to brace himself.
"Nervous, Captain?" Admiral Karion remarked in the dimness.
"I've never got used to battle drops," he admitted. "Ground forces should be led by the army. If Colonel Idris wasn't on leave in the Core then he would–"
"Ah, but Idris is on leave Captain! I granted it myself." Pina felt the admiral's stare. "This opportunity will be vital to you to grow into your role. I promise you that."
The lander rocked suddenly and Pina swore silently to himself as he fought to remain upright.
"The quicker the better," Karion said with enjoyment. "We are vulnerable on our approach, Captain."
"Do you think we might be attacked? These are refugees sir. Not rebel ground units."
"It always pays to hone our skills."
The lander's engines changed tone as the shuttle entered the atmosphere. A jolt reverberated through the hull. Pina staggered, and was only able to remain upright through his hold on the strap.
"Your record lacks combat experience, Captain," Karion observed. "For someone of your rank, so recently promoted to command an Imperial Star Destroyer, that worries me."
"I passed out of the academy in the top ten of my class, Admiral. And whilst I might not have seen combat close up I have been present in support capacities. I oversaw the evacuation of the Imperial garrison from Xermes Five."
"Yes. I saw that on your record. A more critical man than myself might say you let the smugglers escape."
"Xermes Five has no breathable atmosphere, sir. Had I pursued the smugglers, the garrison would have died after the criminals crippled their atmospheric generators."
"An acceptable loss, in my opinion. They were stormtroopers and technical staff. The smugglers, however, were an unknown. Who knows what might have been discovered had they been captured. It would have been a valid trade."
"Yes sir." Pina tried to keep his voice steady. He had gone over his actions many times, and he was sure he had been right.
He decided he needed to protect his reputation.
"Pilot, confirm the TIE perimeter I requested."
"They are on course, sir. Three fighters at each point."
Admiral Karion gazed out of the nearest porthole.
"You ordered perimeter fighters on top of our escort? Why?"
"The Tarkin Doctrine, Admiral. Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself. Such a show of strength will stiffen Governor Mazier's resolve as well as put pressure on the royal family to accept our demands. And Farsalt does have a heavy duty ion cannon with an armoured shell right next to the palace, albeit an old one which Imperial intelligence believes is no longer functional. Still, one hit from that, if it does work, could cause the Reaver some serious damage."
"Very commendable, Captain."
Pina felt buoyed by the compliment.
"But, in theory, entirely irrelevant. I have ordered the Reaver to retreat into an orbit that will put them beyond range of the ion cannon, and as they are on a combat footing they should still have their shields raised. Nonetheless, you are right to be wary of it. Our intelligence could very well be wrong. Only a fool would take such a risk as to position a capital ship within range of such a weapon. You have read the reports from Hoth?"
"Yes sir. The rebels incapacitated a Star Destroyer with an ion cannon and the rebel fleet was allowed to escape. It was the result of Admiral Ozzel's ambitious attempt to catch the rebels by surprise by coming out of hyperspace so close to the planet and commencing an orbital bombardment. It was a bold attempt, and unfortunate that it didn't work."
Admiral Karion gave Pina a hard look.
"Ozzel was pompous and stupid. He died before Lord Vader's Death Squadron even started their landings on Hoth."
"But Admiral Ozzel was responsible for assigning the probe droids that first discovered the rebellion on Hoth. Surely he is not entirely without merit?"
"A commander is only as successful as his last battle, Captain Pina. There is far more to history than you read. Remember that."
"Yes sir."
"Very good. But the Tarkin Doctrine: ruling through the fear of force rather than the force itself. It does depend upon that force to be used on occasion. Without such examples, the fear is seen for mere fiction. Force needs to be used to keep the fear valid."
Admiral Karion gazed at him intently.
"Perhaps you will deliver that example today Captain? It will be your first taste of true action. A true demonstration of Imperial force?"
"Perhaps so, sir. If it is needed."
"I think it will be, Captain. Farsalt has a long history of opposing the Empire. In the final days of the Republic, when chaos was rife and no system was safe, the current king's father voted against Senator Bink's motion to grant the chancellor emergency powers. If that had happened, there would have been no end to the warring. The galaxy would have splintered into thousands of factions."
"That was a long time ago, sir. Surely that is not reason enough for punishment?"
"Perhaps that isn't. But they have become a centre of protest against us in this sector, with their refugee camps and asylum systems. They have over ten million beings on the northern continent, in vast tent cities. How many of them support the rebel cause? How many of them have been smuggled off world to join them? No, Captain. Attitudes like those displayed on this planet are a direct challenge to Imperial philosophy. They represent an idea. An alternative to the Emperor's rule. That, my young friend, can be far more dangerous than a capital ship or a few fanatics wielding lightsabers."
"Sir?"
"The Jedi, Captain Pina." He shook his head. "You are too young to remember them."
"I know my history, sir. They were an extreme religious sect who tried to overthrow Chancellor Palpatine in the final days of the Clone Wars. Some historians claim they profited from the conflict by dragging it out."
"Do you believe that, Captain?"
"Certainly they had a hand in it. The Separatists were led by a former Jedi, Count Dooku. They were rooted out by Lord Vader and exterminated." Pina's confidence fell. "Some people say they had special abilities. Was that really true, sir?"
Admiral Karion hesitated before answering. Pina had never known him to do that in the three months he had been aboard the Reaver.
"That's a popular myth amongst the rebellion, put around to give them false hope. The Jedi were a militant religion. They were disciplined and skilled warriors, taught from infancy to fight. Indoctrinated to work to a secret agenda. When their treachery was uncovered, several Jedi Masters confronted the Chancellor and tried to arrest him in a coup."
"What happened?"
"The Emperor always has a contingency plan, Captain Pina. The treason had been anticipated, and he had taken precautions. The Jedi died trying to assassinate him. After that, he took steps to eradicate them across the galaxy, in a simultaneous purge. It was the only way to be sure their fanaticism was destroyed forever. You have to remember Captain, that Emperor Palpatine and I are men of our time. We remember the Clone Wars. We lived through that era and saw the devastation and chaos. You disapprove of men like Tarkin. I know that. But I know we don't have that luxury. The galaxy needs strong men and stronger governance. The alternative is far, far worse. Believe me. I have seen it."
"Yes sir. Can I ask, have you ever met the Emperor?"
"Indeed. He has a brilliant insight. His foresight is truly remarkable. If you witnessed his strategic ability, Captain, you would quickly realise that the galaxy can not do without him."
"So you think Endor is already won?"
"Endor is a foregone conclusion, Captain. Believe me."
The lander levelled out and slowed its descent. Through the porthole, a TIE fighter screamed by. The ground below rose quickly.
"We are on our final approach, Captain Pina," the pilot informed him. "We have received acknowledgement from Governor Mazier and King Garrand. They are waiting."
=================
If you enjoyed this latest instalment, then please vote for this chapter and leave a comment in the feedback section below.
This chapter to me is quite interesting as it illustrates a technique used by many regimes throughout human history: and that is the simple rewriting of events to suit the requirements of the governing party or individual. Any Star Wars fan will know the reference to Binks, and it's a slightly cheeky act on my part to have the most hated character of the prequel series now tarred in galactic memory as the being solely responsible for the rise of the Empire by passing the legislation to grant the Chancellor emergency powers. If you've seen the prequel series, it's evident that Jar-Jar is manipulated into doing this and acts in the way he thinks best - but is that so different from Admiral Karion? He seems to believe they need to be brutal to keep order, and that the alternative is worse. We all know what they say about the Road to Hell after all . . .