Captain Kendal Ozzel had been boasting of the majesty of the Reprisal, his personal Star Destroyer, for what seemed like several hours.
If he was speaking to anyone else, Moff Froul would have assumed he was claiming his own Star Destroyer, the Hellfire, was inadequate.
But he knew well enough. Boasting about anything and everything he thought he owned was simply what Kendal Ozzel did.
Froul didn’t enjoy reminding himself that men like Ozzel were presently ruling the New Order but he imagined that it would only be a matter of time before those of truly noticeable incompetence would be removed.
One way or another.
Such was the Empire’s way.
As they and several senior officers of the Umbara Pacification Campaign stood on the stately bridge of the Hellfire, Froul took a moment to observe, in the distance, the arrival of the first men and women returning. It brought a smile to his face.
He’d received word that the Insurgency had been crushed bare moments ago. His soldiers worked fast and sure. They had surely done the Empire proud this day.
His commlink started blinking. Fiddling with the receptor, he handed it to one of his more technologically-learned lieutenants who successfully booted it into the main communications system on the bridge.
Parisian Froul, fresh from battle, saluted his grandfather and spoke proudly, like a school-child volunteering to read a speech.
“Your Excellency, officers of the Empire, I bring word of the deserved demise of the treasonous Rootai Guulmoth Deechi at the hands of our platoon and its commanding officer, Lieutenant Sloane.”
“Good.” Xamuel Lennox said flatly “Our first catch of the day.”
“Well done, my boy, well done indeed.” Moff Glandon Froul beamed at the young corporal “I hope you found your first taste of battle enlightening.”
“Oh yes, sir.”
“Good. Are you in the process of leaving the planet?”
“We’re just this minute getting on the shuttle, sir.”
“Excellent. We shall speak more on your return. At this moment, I should like to speak with the Lieutenant.”
“Righto, sir.”
The commlink flickered and the Moff found himself looking upon Lieutenant Rae Sloane, her armour pitted with slight blast-marks and ash but looking as fit and ready as ever.
“Excellent work, Miss Sloane.” Moff Froul began “I see I was right to rely on you. We are presently being recalled to the Oversector Command Post. We will be entertaining very important figures so...” he chuckled “Wear a suit.”
“Thank you, sir-Just one thing, sir.” Rae Sloane interjected before the communication ended “Feel necessary to inform you that shortly after carrying out our mission, my platoon encountered a...unknown life-form.”
Glandon Froul’s brow rose.
“Dangerous?”
“Not as far as we know, sir.”
“Is it some form of local wildlife or a civilian?”
Sloane thought a moment.
“Something between those lines, sir. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before.”
“Sentient?”
“It’s capable of speech and understanding that of others, sir. I’d say so.”
“But it doesn’t appear on any available databank?”
“Well, my scanner didn’t find anything. I’ll have better resources on the Hellfire or at the Command Post.”
The Moff looked concerned.
“You’re bringing it with you?”
“Sir, I assure you, the subject is my responsibility and I shall take any and all repercussions for its suitable containment.” Sloane promised, a hand over her chest-plate.
Froul tapped his foot, his hands behind his back in thought.
“Very well, Lieutenant. Just make sure whatever this creature is does not cause any inconvenience. I shall await you in Hanger Bay Six”
*
Rae Sloane sighed as the commlink deactivated before glancing at the small animal perched on her lap with a patient but curious smile.
She gave him a puzzled look.
What was she going to do with this thing?
Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t dangerous. It had seemed pretty obliging, so far.
As they breached the atmosphere, the shuttle joined a caravan of rendezvous ships heading for the Hellfire, the animal spoke for the first time since they left Umbara.
“Are we in outer space?”
Sloane raised her eyebrow.
The animal had some idea of galactic travel.
Perhaps his species was more advanced than simple wildlife.
“Well...we’re in space. 'Outer', I suppose, depends on your point of view.”
“So...we’re really out...where the stars are?”
“Uh...I guess you could say that.”
“Wow!” the animal gave an awed whistle “I bet Luna could tell me all about them.”
“Luna?”
“Of course. Don’t you know her?”
“Is she...like you?”
“Oh no, no,” the little creature gave a chuckle “She’s much, much bigger than me and has way different colours.”
“Um...okay...” Sloane decided to push for answers of her own. This was growing too awkward for words.
“Do you have a name?”
“Of course.” He placed a hoof on his chest and smiled “I’m Pipsqueak. But my friends all call me Pip.”
“Huh...Interesting” Sloane couldn’t resist a chuckle at the thought of it. It seemed kind of cruel to call a child a name like ‘Pipsqueak’. Still, this was clearly a largely unknown alien race with ways different to their own. Perhaps ‘Pipsqueak’ lost something in translation.
“And...where, exactly are you from? I take it you’re not local to Umbara?”
“You mean, that red, shadow place?” Pipsqueak asked “No, no. I’m from Ponyville...Well, technically, I come from Trottingham, but Ponyville’s where I spend a lot of my time. Most of my friends are there, the colts and fillies at Miss Cheerilee’s.”
“Wait...did I hear you right...Ponyville?” Another name that seemed hard to believe.
“Yeah. Pony town, where the Bearers of the Elements live. Don’t you know Ponyville?”
“You mean to tell me...” Rae interrupted “You’re...a pony?”
“That’s right. We’re all ponies in Ponyville. Well, except for Cranky and Matilda, they’re donkeys. Oh, and Zecora, she’s a zebra, but she lives just outside the town in the forest...And I suppose you have to count Spike as well.”
“Okay, hold on, kid! One thing at a time, here.” Rae was struggling to keep track.
She knew of such things as ponies and horses in the galaxy. They were found on Endor, though the locals called them by different names, and sold or bred by some of the noble families in the Core Worlds. Each world had a different name for them and they were only really kept for the fact they were easy to take care of as opposed to some of the more notorious wildlife of the galaxy.
But no-one, to her knowledge, had ever heard ponies talk.
“Should I try a reading with this?” Parisian held up some appliance in his hand “Perhaps the force is at hand.”
Rae glanced at it and groaned.
“Tell me that’s not a...”
“Midichlorian-Scanner, yes.”
With a roll of her eyes, Rae took it off the corporal and threw it under her seat.
“Are they still making those?” she sighed “They do know it’s all bogus, right?”
“What...Midichlorians?” Parisian looked puzzled.
“A theory.” Rae explained, waving her hands around in recollection “A school of thought. ‘Force in the blood’. Some of the more controversial Jedi Masters came up with it, like Syfo-Dyas and Qui-Gon-Jinn. But it’s just a theory, nothing was ever proven. These scanners only seem to detect for what they call ‘Disturbances in the Force’, whatever those are. There’s no statistics to it. You can’t put a ‘Power Level’ on the Force! It doesn’t work that way! These days the whole thing is considered debunked. I reckon they just came up with it to give them something to do.” Her voice grew grim “Namely, get away with stealing so-called ‘force-sensitive’ children from their beds and indoctrinating them into their ways.”
She was starting to talk in a language Parisian evidently understood as he nodded vehemently.
“What’s all this about?” Pipsqueak spoke up.
Rae turned back to him. She was taking a while to fully get used to this.
Part of her was still wondering whether or not she was lost in some kind of dream.
Though for something quite this weird, she’d have probably had to have started smoking hard death sticks. And that was something she did not, to her knowledge, take part in.
“Uh...nothing you need to worry about, kid.” Rae placed a hand on what must have been the little colt’s shoulder.
“Look, little guy...We’re heading to a large shuttle where...I guess you could say it’s a temporary residence. The ones in charge will want to examine who you are, what you are and where you came from. I’ll make sure they don’t do anything that could hurt you, okay?”
“Oh...um...okay, thank you.” Twinges of nervousness played at Pipsqueak’s face but he seemed fair with the circumstances.
Rae only hoped this would be ended smoothly.
The kid was her responsibility.
And one didn’t find many friendly faces in these times.
*
With a jet of vapour and a low wheeze, the LAAT levitated into one of the hanger bays of the Hellfire.
The Stormtroopers disembarked in a march, two-by-two, Denwarren in front and Parjai bringing up the rear.
Glandon Froul approached in his stately manner, Ozzel, Needa and Lennox beside him. Ars Dango, it seemed, had shuffled off elsewhere.
Taking a deep breath, Rae Sloane left her seat and knelt down to Pipsqueak’s level, giving him a smile and a slight ruffle of his mane.
“Okay, kid. Just stick by me at all times and I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you. I won’t leave you with anyone I don’t trust and I’ll do all I can to get you home safe. I promise.”
“Th-thank you.” He’d stammered. He seemed very touched.
Truthfully, Rae was very impressed at how chirpy he seemed about the whole endeavour. Though it was more than likely the circumstances simply hadn’t sunk in yet.
“By the way...” he murmured “I’m sorry...I haven’t got your name, yet. I heard one of you say...Sloane?”
“That’s right, kid. Rae Sloane, Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy. Call me Rae, in private anyway.” He patted his back “Just stick by me. I’ll see if I can do the talking.”
Stepping off the gunship, Rae Sloane, Parisian Froul and the Dusk Trooper departed.
It took but a moment for the full confusion to set into the officers present.
Moff Glandon Froul stared at the little colt completely perplexed. Beside him, Ozzel opened and closed his mouth in shock, lost for words.
Trying to brush off the awkwardness, Rae saluted.
“Your Excellency, honoured officers, we have returned. Victory on Umbara has been achieved and...as I mentioned...I have brought the life-form.”
“So I see, Lieutenant.” Moff Froul said at last, taking in the sight of the colt who stared up at him, then the troopers, then the shuttle hanger, then outside, his eyes wide with wonder.
“Cor! This is amazing! Look at all this! This place is huge! And look outside! Just...look at all those stars...and there must be...planets and supernovas and-and-and all the things Luna told me about...Oh, I wish she was here, I could find out so much.”
“It can TALK?!” Ozzel exclaimed at length.
“A great many things can talk, Captain.” Froul said knowingly “It’s simply a matter of understanding them.”
Clearing his throat, he craned his neck down and spoke in a calm, straightforward, somewhat-fatherly manner.
“Ahem...Young one, can you understand me?”
Pipsqueak turned to him and nodded.
“Oh yes, sir. Perfectly.” Clearing his own throat, he put his little hooves together and bowed his head in what must have been some gesture of politeness.
“Good afternoon, sir. How are you today?”
“It’s late evening.” Parisian whispered to Rae who shushed him.
Glandon Froul seemed slightly surprised, pleasantly so at least, by the colt’s manners.
“I’m in very good health, thank you.” he chuckled “Well, whatever it is, it’s certainly been raised well.”
Ozzel curled his lips in distaste and interjected.
“All the same, your Excellency, I find this creature...disturbing.”
“Well, I am sure all disturbances will be cleared up once we’ve finished our examination.” Froul said sagely “Lieutenant. I believe we can consider this a need-to-know matter. I should think it would save some time if you conducted the examinations yourself, if you would be so kind. You shall be permitted to use the laboratories on your corridor. I’ll have the equipment prepared. Would you be available to carry out the procedures.”
“Absolutely, sir. Thank you.”
“Very good. Now, I should like to speak with my grandson...And you.” He pointed to the Dusk Trooper “Later on.”
The Dusk Trooper nodded and departed silently to the armoury. Glandon and Parisian went off together as the aged general and young corporal spoke privately. Rae could just make it out.
“Is it true, grandfather? Are Imperial High Command really going to pay us a visit?”
“Certainly certain elements of it. Yularen and Veers are already here.”
“Golly!” Parisian sounded giddy without excitement “Do you think he’ll sign my holocron?”
“Well, thus far, General Veers has spent most of his time in the boxing ring but try to catch him in a good mood, perhaps when he’s won. Now, when Grand Moff Tarkin gets here, you must on no account...”
The voices droned into silence as Rae Sloane took Pipsqueak off to the living quarters.
“This is incredible! I-I-I’m actually in space!” the little colt was still taking in the sights about him “So where are we going now?”
“Uh...” Rae chuckled awkwardly “The vets.”
*
The scanners and databanks made all manner of bleeps, whistles and drones as Pipsqueak sat patiently on the large white table in the large white laboratory. His huge eyes marvelled at all the gadgets and gizmos spinning round him, though every time the scanners actually went to work on him, trailing their visors up and down, he stood stock-still.
Rae meanwhile tapped at the datalogs.
“So...you mentioned a...Equestria, was it?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, that doesn’t show up anywhere on the databanks. And these things are state-of-the-art. The Moff insists. I can’t find this Planet Equestria at all.”
“Oh, it’s not a planet, it’s a continent.”
“Ah...Right, okay.” Rae continued tapping “...No, no sign of continents either. What’s the actual planet called?”
“Oh...the planet...uh...” Pipsqueak mumbled “I don’t actually think we have a name for it. It’s just called ‘The World’, or ‘The Known World’.”
“Well...” Rae sighed, massaging her temples “That’s gonna’ make things a little confusing.”
“What’s the problem?” It was probably the closest Pipsqueak had ever sounded to worried.
“Well, I can’t very easily find out where you live if I don’t know what planet you live on.”
“Oh...um...Well, I know it has a lot of blue...and green...and yellow and grey and white and...”
“Yeah, that’s great, kid.” Rae failed to hide her sarcasm. She was losing patience.
There was a whistle as the door opened and Parisian almost bounded in, his face lit up with glee.
“Lieutenant! Lieutenant! It’s incredible! High Command is coming and guess who’s leading it!”
Rae rolled her eyes. Corporal Parisian Froul had a habit of what was in some circles known as ‘Fanboying’ over leading, experienced officials of the Empire. It got slightly grating, particularly as anyone who really knew such officials knew they had better things to do than pander to adoring military enthusiasts who were frequently neither leading nor experienced.
But she allowed it in private. It wouldn’t do him any harm, to her knowledge.
“Hazard a guess...Wilhuff Tarkin?”
“The Grand Moff himself!” Parisian hopped about wildly “Apparently he’s taking lunch with several senators to organise a peaceful transfer of power”
Rae’s lip twisted in distaste.
“Senators? We don’t need their scum!”
“Well, no. Exactly. That’s what the Grand Moff’s going to tell them. Anyway, grandfather asked me to tell you that, owing to your recent success, you’ve been asked to join them for lunch.”
The lieutenant sighed. She’d thought such trivialities had died with the old republic.
She’d never liked it; the sycophancy of a government relying on self-interested proprietors half a galaxy away to get anything done, talking and blustering in the tedious halls of government for days on end. The never-ending practice of sweetening senators, buttering bureaucrats and caramelising corporations had been thought to have been abolished long ago as a new order rose that would instead take what it needed, what it deserved.
But if Tarkin had requested it, one would have to indulge him. Tarkin was a man who never went unindulged.
“All right. But I’m not wearing a dress.”
“Righto. Grandfather said you may take the animal as long as it behaves and preferably does not speak.”
“Oh...sorry...” Pip looked downcast “Did I say something wrong back there?”
“No, no, Pip, it’s okay.” Rae ruffled his mane “It’s just...General rule of thumb here, you shouldn’t attract the wrong sort of attention in the Empire...Especially not when Senators are around.”
She turned to Parisian.
“So who’ll be there?”
The corporal pulled out a databank that served as something of an invitation and scrolled down the names.
“Well, Tarkin will be joined by grandfather, of course; Admiral Yularen, Admiral Thrawn, General Veers, Moff Delian Mors, they’re already here on the Hellfire.” He gave another excited squeak at the thought of meeting them “Oh and Captain Daala will be joining Tarkin, as usual. As to the Senators, we have Orn Free Taa of Ryloth, Dar Wac of Rodia, Ask Aak, Ainlee Teem and Baskol Yeesrim of Malastare, Zo Howler, Gorothin Vagger, Eeusu Estornii, Yeb Yeb Adem’thorn...golly, alien names are a mouthful...oh, and the Grand Moff’s niece, Shayla Paige-Tarkin of Eriadu. You’ll be sitting between her and Daala, I believe. The ladies of war.” He gave a chuckle that dried up in his throat at the sight of the lieutenant’s humourless expression.
“I’ve never heard of the Paiges.” Rae said after a moment’s silence.
“You wouldn’t. These days, it pays to call yourself a Tarkin.”
“I can imagine...” the young woman sighed “Ten senators in one room, we’ll be lucky if we don’t all lose our minds.”
“Well, I’d say Orn Free Taa makes it twelve and a half.” This time, Rae actually joined in with his laugh. He counted it an achievement. Pacing over to the computer, Parisian glanced over the databanks.
“Any luck with the pony?”
“None, I’m afraid.”
“So, there’s no real way to tell where it came from.”
“He.”
“Pardon?”
“He, Corporal, not it. He! And he has a name.” Rae gave him a withering stare.
Parisian nodded frantically.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
“Don’t apologise to me, Corporal.” She gestured to Pip who sat watching the argument with a look of concern.
He watched as the young man in the clean grey suit removed his cap, showing a face of pale skin, brown hair growing just below his ears and large pensive-looking grey eyes.
The young man cleared his throat and gave the colt a smile.
“Apologies...erm...Pip, is it?” He asked to which the colt nodded “We’re finding this all quite a bit to take in but, I assure you, you have nothing to fear from us.”
“That’s alright.” Pip gave him a smile “Um...I didn’t get your name either though.”
“Ah...well then.” Parisian gave him a salute “Corporal Parisian Froul of the Cyrillian Froul family, son of the late Captain Menken Froul and grandson of Moff Glandon Froul. I’m serving under the Lieutenant here. First few months in the navy. Nothing’s killed me yet.”
“I must be doing something right.” Rae chuckled “I suppose I’ll have to introduce you to everyone around once we get the opportunity...Provided, of course...”
“You know, I’m just wondering, begging your pardon sir.” Parisian suggested holding up the damned Midichlorian Scanner again.
Rae tutted.
“I think we’d know if this is a Jedi trick, Corporal.”
“Look, let’s just give it a shot. You never know.”
Rae looked to the scanner, then to the curious Pipsqueak, then to the scanner again and sighed.
“Well, nothing else has worked.” She took the scanner and turned to the colt.
“Okay, Pip. Um...I’m gonna need you to be brave here. I need a small blood sample." She retrieved a small disk-like object slotted in the front of the scanner and held it up to him.
Pipsqueak’s face fell.
“You mean like an injection?”
“Yeah. It’ll only hurt for a bit and it won’t be for long.”
The colt was quiet a moment then took a deep breath, his little chest rising and falling.
“Okay...” he closed his eyes as Rae placed the disk flat on his shoulder and pressed her thumb on its base.
A small, arrowhead-like shard shot out of the middle of the disk and back in again in a second. Pip gave a small cry of pain and tears appeared in the corner of his eyes.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, kid. That’s all there is.” Rae found herself placing a gentle hand on his little cheek and giving him a warm smile that was almost motherly. With her free hand, she inserted the disk into the scanner and handed it to Parisian.
“You okay, Pip?” she said, trying to sound soothing.
“Y-y-yeah...I-I think so.” Pip mumbled as Rae pulled out a drawer from under the table and placed a small, sponge-like band-aid over the the cut.
“You were very brave, Pip.” The woman assured him “I seem to recall Parisian wasn’t nearly as quiet when he had to get his shot taken.”
Parisian gave a small, slightly-sarcastic laugh before the results of the blood-test came through. His eyes grew wide and one eyebrow rose higher than the other as his mouth opened wide dumbfoundedly.
“Sir?” He held up the scanner.
Normally the scanner readings would show up in a wave of blue sphere-like readings as the blood cells were analysed.
Not quite so in this case.
Rae couldn’t tell if she was half-asleep or delirious.
To her eyes, and seemingly those of Parisian, the spheres were multi-coloured. Like a perfect rainbow.
“What...the...hell?”
“I’ve checked. It’s not a fault in the scanner.” Parisian said “Now, to the Empire’s knowledge, there’s only ever been one other event similar to this.” He explained flatly, as if rehearsed “An unidentified object of organic but inactive matter found in the Ferroan Sector by Chiss Ascendry Authorities and transferred to the office of the Emperor. Witnesses claim that the reading was incomprehensible, completely scrambled, but that the spheres were a dark grey in colour, unlike any reading ever taken in this galaxy. The object in question is currently still under examination but the theory is that it came not from another planet but another galaxy...perhaps even...” He trailed off.
“Well?” Rae asked impatiently “It’ll hardly be the weirdest thing today.”
Parisian sighed and continued.
“Another dimension. A universe with similar base and build as our own but with different rules of life and existence. Lieutenant...It may simply be a debunked theory but...Pipsqueak here may be from another world...between worlds.”
Slowly, the weight of the corporal’s words sinking in, Rae turned to Pipsqueak, who stared bewildered at the two.
She knelt down and spoke earnestly.
“Pip...I need to think hard. Do you remember how you got to Umbara?”
“Yeah...Sort of...” Pip looked back, scratching his mane in thought “I was playing in Ponyville with my friends Dinky and Tootsie...Everypony makes fun of me for playing with fillies but I don’t care. Anyway, we passed Fluttershy and Discord having a conversation. Discord didn’t look really well and he said there might be some sort of danger about that he was finding hard to control. It sounded interesting so we hid behind a corner and then these...weird circles of light and colour...Although they were kind of dark actually...They just appeared. Discord did something with his hands and voice that closed them one by one but they started pulling, invisibly...sort of. I saw one of them nearly caught Tootsie, pulling her along the ground. She was screaming. And Dinky was screaming. So I grabbed her forehoof, pulled her away but...I suppose I must have gotten sucked in instead.” Finished, he was quiet a moment as his own words sunk in, his face paling, his expression falling to dread.
“Then...the circle closed...and I ended up on that red, misty world...Fell into that crag...And that’s when you found me.”
“Okay...okay...” Rae brushed her hair with her hand in frustration “That must have been some kind of portal...Took you from wherever you live to where we live...to how we live.”
“So...can you get me back?”
It was Rae’s turn to be quiet a moment as she looked to Parisian who gave a guilty shrug.
“I...don’t know.”
Pip’s face fell as his breath quickened, his tiny hooves shaking on the table.
“Wh-wh-what do you mean you d-don’t know?!” he exclaimed “I-I-I have to get home! M-My mum! And Dinky! And Tungsten and everypony! I-I-I can’t just leave them behind I...I...I...”
“Kid, kid, calm down! Calm down!” Rae grabbed him as the colt gasped for air rapidly before slowing down, crying into the lieutenant’s shoulder as his little body wracked with sobs.
“I wanna’ go home...” he wept, each time quieter and more grief-stricken “I wanna’ go home...I wanna’ go home...”
“Shh-sh-sh-sh...It’s okay...It’s okay.”
Rae found herself hugging him, rocking the little colt back and forth in her arms as she felt what might have been tears in the corners of her eyes.
Beside her, Parisian knelt down to their level and ruffled the little pony’s mane.
“Listen...” he said “I’m sure there’s a way to get you back. If we just work on it. We have some free time between our work and...You mentioned there’s one among your kind who knows a lot about space and stars.”
“Mm-hm...” Pipsqueak mumbled, sniffing “Princess Luna...She’s a friend, she told me herself. And my favourite princess.”
“Well...I’m sure she’ll think of something.”
It was only a passing assurance. Deep down, neither Parisian nor Rae had any idea if and how this Princess Luna could find a way between her world and theirs.
But it was a hope worth keeping.
“But until then, we’ll take care of you. Okay, kid?”
Pipsqueak stared up at the two with those big, bright eyes of his.
Rae felt something warm in the middle of her chest when she saw him smile. Something she hadn’t felt for a long while.
“Okay...” Pipsqueak said, drying his tears “Thank you.”
Hugging him again, Rae patted him on the back and opened the door to the corridors of the Hellfire.
“Come on.” she said brightly “I’ll show you round the place.”
*
“Hellfire? Is that what he’s calling it now?” A low, pompous voice chuckled on the bridge of the Tartarus as the sight of the Outer Rim Oversector Command Post showed itself on the surface of the industrial cityscape of Eriadu.
Planet Tarkin as it had come to be nicknamed. The thought made the speaker grind his teeth.
“Moff Froul is all too full of himself. Always has been.” The red-robed figure of Vizier Sate Pestage craned his neck in thought, his wrinkled face creased with sardonic satisfaction.
“Tarkin’s pawns, the lot of them. I assume you won’t let them stand in your way.”
Beside him stood an imposing figure. A thick-set officer with a weathered, sunburnt face, a head of platinum-blonde hair and small, suspicious-looking eyes. His suit was black with a straps and stamps at his collar, shoulders and down his middle a bright red. He stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the bridge and smirked.
“Froul’s son gave me trouble...just a little...and lived just long enough to regret it.” he said venomously “If old man Froul or his grandson try the same, I’ll deal with the pair of them.”
Sate Pestage nodded.
“And Tarkin?” he wheezed.
“I have someone who could do the job just fine.” the Grand Moff chuckled, his eyes turning to a slim figure in a red hood and cloak and close-fitting black armour, twirling an inactive lightsaber in one hand impatiently.
From below, one of the deck officers spoke up.
“Your Excellency. Communications are open.”
“Good.” He smirked again “Tell them Grand Moff Croesus Crodd of Imperial Intelligence is docking the Tartarus for entry on the Command Post, with Vizier Sate Pestage of the Emperor’s Court.”
His smile spread across his face, tugging at every wrinkle in his saggy face as his small eyes gleamed with hunger.
“They'll know who I am.”