Imperial Navy Headquaters and Notice Board (RP)

[Groddil]

"Mother of..."
Grizzle shielded his eyes from what was left of the ship, patching into communications with Graw.
"This is Captain Grizzle, sir. Gravity wells were temporarily online while we got out of range of the cruiser. They must have come back online right as the Rebel ship was about to jump into hyperspace. I don't know how, but it completely vaporized them. We should be able to keep the Interdiction Field online for the remainder of the battle now, so long as no more Rebel ships manage to get past the rest of the fleet."
Another Marauder fired a missile towards a nearby Imperial Frigate, but the Interdictor's missile jamming sent it whizzing away from the group of ships and slammed into one of the crude Rebel structures carved into an asteroid.

[Hickory]

The Subjugator finished off the corvette it was attacked and maneuvered around to engage the cruiser that was chasing the Interdictor. "Captain, after we finish off these main ships we'll leave the fight to our corvettes and focus on the space station. When we do that deactivate the gravity well and join the fight. We'll want those jamming fields to protect our ships also."

[Groddil]

The Interdictor suddenly swung around.
"Copy that, Admiral. Grizzle out. Peterson, take us towards the cruiser. Take us right over the top of it."
The navigator complied as the Interdictor began flying towards the Rebel cruiser. As it started to pull up and clear the bridge, the gunnery chief fired several of the ship's ion cannons and turbolasers, causing the cruiser's shields to fizzle out.
"Grizzle to Subjugator. The Rebel cruiser has lost shield power. I repeat, they're vulnerable."
Sensing what was to come, Peterson steered the Interdictor away from the cruiser towards the main battle as the Gravity Wells began to switch off.

[Hickory]

The cruiser was overpowered and decimated by the weapons systems on the Subjugator. Heavily battered by the Imperial fleet, the Rebellion space station's shields flickered and failed. The heavy weapondry tore through the metal hull as Rebel personnel were thrown out into space.

After the destruction of the space stations, the fleet swept the remains. "Captains, set course for Coruscant," ordered the Admiral. "We've got a special mission."

[Groddil]

"Copy that, Admiral."
Grizzle wondered why they were taking the Interdictor and not stopped over to pick up the Danticore, but orders were orders. Peterson set a hyperspace jump to the core worlds, and the Interdictor left the system just after the rest of the fleet.

<{|X|}>

Some hours later, the Interdictor and the rest of the Imperial fleet jumped out of hyperspace with a loud "pop." Grizzle stared out the bridge windows at the sprawling, and rather disgusting, city planet the was Coruscant. Officer Bardan had just patched communications in with the rest of the fleet. After the rest of the Captains had identified themselves, Grizzle pushed a button and spoke into the equipment.
"Captain Grizzle reporting, Admiral. Orders?"

[Hickory]

"Listen to the flight control channel. Oh, and I'd tune into the Holonet if I were you."

"... Earlier today the Seventh Support Fleet crushed a Rebellion stronghold over Pous. The Emperor has declared the victory an important moment for the Empire. He will be holding a ceremony tonight to award certain captains in the fleet."

After switching to the flight command a calm female voice filled the bridge. "All ships, report to Port 645 to dry dock. Report to your rooms at the port and wait for further instructions."

[Groddil]

Peterson tapped at several documents that had been sent to the Interdictor's computer systems from Flight Control. After mentally mapping out the directions to Port 645, the navigator eased the ship downwards, into the maze of sprawling buildings and ships that filled every inch of Coruscant's surface. He tapped on a few buttons, highlighting the location of the dry dock. After swinging the Interdictor to the right and cutting the engine, the ship hung silently in one of the many docks at Port 645. A shuttle quickly docked with the ship, ferrying Grizzle and the three other crewmen from the Danticore off the ship. There was a large barracks nearby, guarded by a few stormtroopers, where they met up with the rest of the Captains. Peterson, Bardan, and Karstal ended up sharing a room, while Grizzle sat in one of the common rooms with the Captain of one of the other Acclamators, a younger officer fresh from the Corulag Training Academy. The two men ended up talking about the battle and what was to come as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

[Hickory]

Soon after, a young female officer in a black uniform, marked with a special forces Captain rank badge, knocked and entered. "Captains, sirs, the ceremony sip begin in thirty minutes. I'm to take you to the location and tell you about the awards."

After entering an enclosed airspeeder all the captains and the woman sped off around Coruscant. "Many of you will be receiving awards for various actions. Also, promotions will be awarded to certain people," she said, eyeing Grizzle. "And naturally there will be some announcements from the Emperor himself. And we're here."

Stepping down off the speeder, she waited for the other captains. "I'm Juno Eclipse, by the way. After the ceremony, find me and I'll take you to the briefing room."

She walked off towards the main building.

[Groddil]

Grizzle stepped out of the airspeeder and followed Juno, the younger Captain hot on his heels. Soon enough, they were in some sort of waiting room that led into the larger chamber where the awards would most likely be presented.
"Okay, Eclipse, it looks like we're all here. What next?"

[Hickory]

As he spoke, a thunderous round of applause and cheering resounded outside. The Emperor had just come out into the balcony. "They'll announce you any second now..."

Graw walked out, the announcer saying something that the Captains could barely hear. "Go!" said Juno, tapping Grizzle on the shoulder.

[Groddil]

Grizzle stepped out of the room to raucous cheers just as Graw stepped past him.
"Your turn, Captain." the Admiral said, but Grizzle couldn't hear over the cheering and applause.
He stepped up onto a podium and looked around nervously. What now?

[Hickory]

The presenter snuck up on Grizzle. The glass box held by the frail man was extended to the captain as the announcers voice grew clearer: "...and for singular valor in his daring movements against a clear threat, Captain Grizzle is awarded the Corellian Star."

The glass case showed a gleaming copper star on it. By the exit, Juno was beaconing for Grizzle to accept the award and head out.

[Groddil]

Grizzle accepted the box containing the Corellian Star and, after catching Juno in the corner of his eye, gave a quick bow and headed towards the briefing room. The wild cheers were like music to his ears; the kind of thing he'd never expect to hear if he was still working with the Red Star Fleet. As he ducked back into the waiting room, the Captain followed Juno's instructions and began walking towards the briefing room.

[Hickory]

After the rest of the captains arrived, Juno pulled up a holographic display on the table. It showed a forest planet and its immense orbital fleet. A group of ships was highlighted in red. "This Rebellion fleet was captured fairly recently," she said. "And now, it's escaped. The ships in it go under the name of the Red Star Fleet, and it consists of several pre-Empire ships scavenged and rebuilt. I'll be going with you on a covert mission to recapture the ships without the public or the Rebellion knowing. To accommodate for the more powerful fleet we'll be capturing, the entire Seventh Support Fleet is to be refurbished with Victory-class cruisers.

"Now, once we reach the system they're in..."

The Admiral, who was standing next to Grizzle, leaned over. "Not to spoil anything, but I'd like to forewarn you that this mission was ordered by the Emperor. He thinks that you helped them escape. If the mission goes smoothly, then you earn his trust. If you do anything to help the fleet, then he kills you and your entire crew."

He turned back to listen to Juno's briefing.

"Gather your possessions and report to your new ships. The staging area is in the Kril'Dor system."

[Groddil]

Grizzle nodded at Graw, wondering why the Red Star Fleet had been referred to as Rebels. The new Admiral could have hired them out to the wrong buyer... As Juno concluded her briefing, Grizzle left the main building and boarded a nearby airspeeder. The Fleet had good connections, but he didn't want to be executed. He could think about it later, he thought, as the airspeeder pulled into the barracks. Grizzle stepped out and quickly tracked down his officers. Another shuttle whisked them up to a new ship, a Victory-II-class star destroyer called the Crusader. As they took their positions and bridge and made introductions to the crew, one of the engineers powered up the engines. Peterson reported to his equipment, tapping in co-ordinates for the Kril'Dor system.
"Y'know, Captain, if what you said about this fleet is true, it's a good thing they gave us these ships. Better hyperdrives, more arnaments. Those Republic cruisers are pretty old, but they still pack a punch."
"I was in command of them once. Ten years, and we never had to repair 'em once. I knew those men, so we all need to be on our guard. They're heavily trained for mercenaries, and it'll take a lot to make them surrender."
The other officers all went to their duties and the Crusader followed the rest of the fleet into hyperspace.

<{|X|}>

Some time later, the Seventh Support Fleet jumped out of hyperspace. As Grizzle re-entered the bridge, Karstal waved a communications device at him.
"Captain. Holo-message from Captain Shivan."
The face of Shivan, the younger Acclamator Captain, flashed up onscreen.
"Captain Grizzle, you there?"
"Copy that Shivan."
"My ship was sent as forward recon. The entire system is empty, but we linked up with planetary scanners. They seem to be heading for the Vanadolia system."
"Vanadlum...Why are you telling me this?"
"Admiral's orders, Grizzle. He said you should go to the Vanadolia system first and attempt negotiations. Make them come quietly."
"On it, Shivan. Grizzle out."
The Captain closed the communicator, handing it back to Karstal.
"Peterson, the fleet's already moved on. Set a course for the Vanadolia system."
Peterson nodded, already setting a hyperspace jump for the small system, where the Red Star Fleet originated from.

<{|X|}>

The Crusader left hyperspace with a large pop. The bridge windows were filled with starships, much more than Grizzle expected. Looks like the Red Star Fleet had been reinforced. Bardan opened communications with a Venator-class Star Destroyer, the symbol of the Fleet painted on the side.
"This is Captain Grizzle of the Imperial Navy to the Admiral of the Red Star Fleet. I'm ordering you to surrender, and you will not be harmed."
"Rubbish. I remember you, Grizzle. You're a traitor. You sold out to the Empire, and they captured us as a result. I'm in command now, and I want to know why we shouldn't kill you."
"If you destroy this ship, you'll have the entire Seventh Support Fleet right behind you."
"We can take them. The Rebellion pays much better than the Empire ever did. All your defection got us was prison time and a few lost ships. We've held Vanadlum for decades, and we aren't about to lose it to you."
The Venator Star Destroyer began to open fire on the Crusader. Bardan quickly cut communication, re-opening a line to the rest of the Imperial Fleet.
"This is Captain Grizzle to Admiral Graw. Negotiations were a disaster, requesting immediate back-up."