History of R.I.D (SWG)

[Lexx Yovel]

The following is a brief prologue concerning the history of a guild named the Regal Imperial Defenders on the Starsider server of Sony Online Entertainment’s Massively Multiplayer Roleplaying Game, Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, released on June 26th, 2003.

As the Founder and everlasting Leader of this organization, I will recount the history of the Regal Imperial Defenders from the very beginning. Even though the story of RID has come to a close, the history is constantly evolving. Revisions may be made every now and then to expand the details of a specific story, or to improve the veracity of the entire account. This historical account is kept as accurate as possible, based upon a compiled collection of written material, recorded images, and personal testimony. The following account is not necessarily a roleplay narrative, but a literal tale of the life and origin of RID. However, this account still avoids the use of gameplay specific terms, and employs the use of some in-character verbiage and storytelling to offer a literal, yet immersive experience. One example is this account's frequent use of the word “associate.” In this account, use of that word usually implies that the "associate" is simply an alternate character of the same person in real life. As another example, this account makes mention of Lexx Yovel and Hel’mut Yovel, both of which were played by me, but were considered cousins from an in-character perspective. Also, this game was tenuously set between a three to four year period between the events of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. However, in reality, RID lived for a little over eight real life years. Therefore, this account often refers to real life years as "non-standard years." Please keep these things in mind, as the differences between real life fact and in-universe fiction can at times appear convoluted. Special thanks go to the RID member named Oraf Klega, who on September 8th, 2004, inspired me to write the background of this organization. With that said, I hope you enjoy the history of the Regal Imperial Defenders!

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR ONE

Origin of the Regal Imperial Defenders

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away I, Lexx Yovel, began my adventure as a lowly scout on the desert world of Tatooine. As a young human with little credits, I aimlessly roamed the backwater planet, first by leaving my home city of Mos Eisley and trekking west towards a small town named Anchorhead. After completing a few odd jobs for the sake of gaining credits, I headed north towards the Tatooinian Imperial capital of Bestine. By then, the twin suns had already descended below the horizon. Halfway to Bestine, I paused only to watch in awe from a distance as a small team of Imperial forces launched an attack on a large Rebel base. As was known to every galactic citizen, the galaxy was split in a seemingly endless struggle between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, in a conflict that was known as the Galactic Civil War. By then, the Rebel Alliance had already succeeded in destroying a massive Imperial battle station over the planet Yavin. In retaliation for their decisive victory, the Empire began doubling their efforts to root out the Rebellion. To me and much of the galaxy, the Rebellion was little more than a coalition of violent terrorists, mercenaries, and insurgents. To others, they were glorious freedom fighters hoping to overthrow what they saw as an oppressive government.

As I continued towards Bestine, I watched as fireworks were being launched from an Imperial fortress on top of a hill overlooking the city. After such a long journey, it was an inspirational sight to behold. I entered the city, and stopped by the local cantina. Wearied by my travels, I spent my last few credits on a Jawa beer and contemplated my future. As the days passed by, I did more side jobs for Imperials, criminals, and citizens alike. Eventually though, after a brief stint with Jabba's criminal organization, I got grievously injured by the planet's native Sand People, known as Tusken Raiders. Distraught by my lack of success, and the unforgiving climate of Tatooine, I gathered what credits I had to purchase a transport ticket to the lush, green world of Naboo. By then, I had resolved to start a career in the medical field. After receiving some training, I worked at the medical center in Theed, the majestic capital of Naboo. During my time there, I helped doctors as they tended to rooms full of injured patients. Soon, I also began accompanying Imperial soldiers on missions to destroy small Rebel camps in the countryside. Using what little skills I had, I aided these Imperials as a field medic. Occasionally, I would also bear witness to a gang of Rebels who called themselves NYC, wreaking havoc in the streets of Theed. Among them was a ruthless warrior of the lizardlike Trandoshan species, named H'bsr, who was so skilled in combat that it would take large groups of Imperials to subdue him.

After some hardship, I accumulated enough funds to purchase my own home near the Lake Retreat, a peaceful area of Naboo situated near the settlement of Varykino. The small home doubled as a private practice, open to any wounded travelers passing through the region. Unfortunately for me, virtually no one got harmed at a vacation resort, so my business pursuit went downhill. Most my time at the Lake Retreat was spent relaxing, or fishing in the nearby lake. In fact, the first fish I ever caught was from the Lake Retreat, a blackfish which I decided to keep as a pet. Things were quiet, but I enjoyed the work I was providing for the Imperial citizens of Theed. In fact, after earning enough trust, I decided to head to the recruitment desk in Theed, and fully pledge my loyalty to the Galactic Empire. I was welcomed as a lowly private, and granted a great deal of flexibility regarding where I could choose to devote my resources. For the moment, I spent most of my time on leave, as I had to worry about my own crumbling business venture.

I ultimately decided to bring my medical career on Naboo to a close, and return back to Tatooine. Although I had left Tatooine with much resentment of the world, I soon began to realize that it was my only true home. Upon my return, I heard news of an interesting location just west of the city of Mos Espa, known as the Imperial Oasis. Eager to see the place myself, I set foot towards the oasis, nestled deep within surrounding Mospic High Range. When I first gazed my eyes upon the Imperial Oasis, I was surprised to see a glistening pool of water. Next to the water there was a parked Imperial shuttle, and a small settlement. At first glance, the whole area looked like a small, yet very unique resort destination. However, it was in fact a modestly guarded military facility. While there was a civilian population, the Imperial Oasis was staffed by a fair number of Imperial stormtroopers. At the time, it was a popular hotspot for Imperial soldiers to meet up and organize attacks on surrounding Rebel encampments. Many of these soldiers used their resources to acquire powerful AT-ST Imperial Walkers, a type of mechanized attack vehicle which they not only used to defend the oasis, but to aid in their battle plans elsewhere across the planet. After witnessing the thriving Imperial Oasis for myself, I realized that this would be a much better place to start a business. I became an officially registered merchant, and purchased a deed to a medium sized home, constructed just next to the Imperial Oasis. I named the venue the "Yovel's Hovel Cantina," and staffed the building with the help of two vendors – a Wookiee chef named Chew Chew, and a Mon Calamari named Doctor Ickbar. With their help, I sold drinks and medical supplies to the local Imperial customers. I also acquired a small feline house pet, a bearded jax named Kit-Kat. While the business was not highly profitable, it was enough to make my way in the galaxy. Through my travels, I had also come to closely befriend two humans, a man named Com Cypher and a woman named Myzia Zydian. Myzia was an entertainer sympathetic to the Rebellion, but I had helped persuade her to defect to the Imperial cause. Com was a commando fiercely loyal to the Rebellion, but our grudging respect for one another allowed us to ignore our political differences and embark on hunting adventures with Myzia and I.

However, Myzia was not a strong fighter, and Com was certainly not willing to aid in my larger ambition to quell the Rebel Alliance. Eager to fulfill this goal, I decided to single handedly exercise my duty as an Imperial recruit. At the time, most skirmishes on Tatooine were taking place between the large Imperial capital of Bestine, and the small Rebel Alliance safe haven named Anchorhead. I frequently travelled to Bestine to aid the Empire in these conflicts. At one point, Rebel forces occupied the capitol building and held its occupants hostage. Among these Rebel forces were a number of various cells and insurgents, including Iboa Culhain of the West Anchorhead Community, Tiphini Leison of COA, and multiple rabble-rousers from CD, among others. Alongside my fellow Imperials, we cleared out the capitol building and rescued its occupants. After securing Bestine, we retaliated with a strike against Anchorhead. These battles continued day after day with no sign of stopping. However, out of the chaos there emerged a force which hoped to bring peace to the region once and for all – Fatalis. The Galactic Empire was an expansive entity with a multitude of sub-divisions. One of these was Fatalis, also known as FATAL, led by a man named Havok. By then, Fatalis was gaining recognition as a prestigious Imperial contingent. They were an institution notorious for their efficient use of combat medics who used biological weapons against the Rebels. While their overzealous use of chemical weapons was controversial, it was seen as a means to an end to force the Rebel sympathizers in Anchorhead into submission. Further contributing to their infamy was their construction of a large Imperial base under the command of an equally infamous and powerful Imperial Fatalis member, a human named Avatar-. Based upon my own personal recollection and other limited records, the Imperial base was a large Tactical Center with its own banking kiosks, cantina, and medical bay. At the bottom-most level was a large auditorium hall with rows and rows of seats. This impressive Imperial base, later dubbed Fort Fatal, was constructed on a hilltop overlooking Anchorhead, where it provided safe haven for both Fatalis and their other Imperial allies. Using this facility as a base of operations and the Imperial Walkers obtained from the Imperial Oasis much farther north, the Galactic Empire started winning more and more battles against the Rebel Alliance in Anchorhead. Due greatly in part to Fatalis' precision, Anchorhead soon became little more than an occupied foothold of the Empire.

In desperation, the Rebellion began organizing frequent attacks on Fort Fatal, intending to destroy it completely. When I learned of this, I became more heavily involved in working with Fatalis to defend their base. I became so involved in fact, that Rebels would on occasion mistake me as a member of Fatalis. Their misinterpretation was not too far off, as I had indeed planned to eventually enlist with Fatalis, and actively aid them in their crusade against the treacherous Rebels. However, my aspirations of joining up with perhaps the most powerful war-machine of the Galactic Empire on Tatooine were shattered. One day, when returning to the region, I saw that Fort Fatal was wiped out of existence. Eager to learn what had happened, I discovered a lone Imperial soldier roaming around the nearby desert. He turned out to be a member of Fatalis who fought to defend the base during the successful Rebel attack. After he recounted to me the details of the ruthless battle, I lamented the fact that I was not there to aid in their defense. In the end, it took a unified hoard of Rebels to finally overwhelm the smaller team of powerful Fatalis troops, and destroy the base completely. After their success, supporters of the Rebellion celebrated in Anchorhead with a burst of fireworks and enthusiasm.

With Fort Fatal destroyed, Fatalis never quite regained its stature, and soon faded away as a relevant contingent of the Galactic Empire. Skirmishes between Bestine and Anchorhead continued, but with the loss of Fatalis, morale amongst the Imperial soldiers was not as strong. Avatar-, the man who was in charge of Fatalis' base, was now focusing on training an associate of his, a Zabrak named Elvander Valheru, with learning the ways of the "Force," believed by many to be some sort of mystical power. I later spotted Elvander at the Trader's Outpost, a city west of Anchorhead, recklessly wielding a purple-bladed lightsaber in front of an astonished crowd. It was the first time I had ever witnessed such a weapon being used. He later went on to cause mayhem for Rebels across the numerous worlds of the galaxy. In this way, the powerful legacy of Avatar- and Fatalis would live on.

As for me, all I had to tend to was my business. Yet the fall of Fatalis inspired me to organize an Imperial contingent of my own. I was now more determined than ever to destroy the Rebels who would dare slight the Empire. However, I soon realized that I did not have the means to become a leading member of the Empire's armed forces. I bided my time by aiding the Empire in battle, and quickly rising through the ranks. Yet the Rebellion would not cease to push me over the edge. On an ordinary day, I returned to the Imperial Oasis with Myzia to tend to my shop, but something was amiss. The outpost was extremely deserted, with multiple land mines scattered around the area. The entire Imperial Oasis was a ghost town, save for about two other occupants. We noticed the two of them were arguing, so Myzia and I took refuge in a nearby structure to eavesdrop on their conversation. One of the persons was in a small, predominantly female Rebel organization known as the CATS, short for the Counter Armor Tactical Squad, while the other was an Imperial sympathizer. Throughout the argument, the Imperial lamented the fact that the once thriving hub of Imperial activity had been turned desolate due to the CATS "slaughtering" its residents. I soon learned that the CATS were the ones responsible for planting explosives throughout the area, killing Imperial soldiers, and destroying their All Terrain Scout Transports, in a combined operation they called Project V-Day. I had heard of the CATS before from an Imperial in Bestine warning me to be careful at the Imperial Oasis, but this was the first time I had witnessed the destructive scale of their operation. With the Imperial Oasis left deserted, I knew now that my business venture would once again be left in ruins. It was now abundantly clear to me that the Rebellion was more dangerous than I could possibly imagine. Despite my inexperience in one on one combat, I vaguely recall wielding my blaster and emerging from the building. I opened fire at the Rebel in anger, but was quickly defeated. Recovering from my injuries, my resolve to establish my very own Imperial contingent grew stronger. I would rid that Rebel scum, and bring prosperity back to the Imperial Oasis!

Even with my growing status in the Galactic Empire, little could be done without a substantial amount of credits. The most I could accumulate in savings was around 80,000 credits, hardly enough to launch an endeavor as large as organizing an association of Imperials. Desperate for credits, I at one point even resorted to selling supposedly “rare” artifacts to a museum curator on Talus for thousands of credits. However, these artifacts were in fact little more than cheaply obtained baubles. The curator eventually caught on to my scheme, and refused to purchase anymore of my “relics.” Fortunately for me, the need to resort to such unscrupulous sales practices would soon come to an end. One fateful day in Bestine, I received a mysterious wire transfer of over 11 million credits from someone I had never even heard of! This was a significant amount of credits, but why was it given to me? Was it mistakenly sent to the wrong person? Was it counterfeit? "Some questions are best left unanswered," I thought. Some days passed, and no one contacted me to claim ownership of the wealth. By then, I had little concern as to why I received the credits. All I knew was that I now had capital necessary to establish a headquarters, and begin recruiting, equipping, and training my own Imperial contingent. I remained convinced that my vision of rooting out Rebel insurgents on Tatooine could now come to fruition. After purchasing a few personal luxuries, including my own dewback named Jub-Jub, I purchased a guild hall deed from a humble merchant. I commissioned the construction of this hall next to the now desolate Imperial Oasis. I realized what I was getting myself into. I knew that building up and leading this organization would require a substantial amount of time and resources. Nonetheless, I remained committed to my original mission. I pondered a multitude of issues, including what internal rules the organization should have, to more simple (yet essential) issues, such as a name. My ideas for a name varied. My first idea was to have the organization be named the Royal Empire Defenders, or RED for short. Myzia also helped to suggest a number of names, including the Tatooinian Dune Troopers. With Myzia's input, I ultimately decided that the name of our Imperial association would be the Royal Imperial Defenders, or RID for short.

I decided that RID would be divided into multiple so-called divisions, including a Guard Division, Infantry Division, Imperial Security Division, Medical Division, Berserker Division, Entertainment Division, and Crafting Division. These divisions would essentially be specialized groups of Imperials serving within RID. All the while, RID would serve as an integral contingent within the all-encompassing Galactic Empire, just like Fatalis. Each division was to be based upon professional skills, as well as alien segregation. For example, only humans or near-humans would gain membership to the higher-end divisions, whereas lesser class species, such as the furry Wookiees and fishlike Mon Calamari would only be granted membership to lesser divisions. This was due in part to the Galactic Empire’s view of alien species, and its other xenophobic policies. However, non-human segregation would eventually come to an end within RID, so long as the alien species proved their overall worth to the Galactic Empire at large. In regard to the rules, our first established set of internal rules was a very rudimentary set of requirements known as the Ten Commands. The first rule commanded all members to show honor to fellow comrades. In other words, to treat the brothers and sisters of RID with dignity and respect. The second rule commanded those in RID to make an effort to wear professional, Imperial attire while on duty. The third rule commanded to never surrender or retreat in the face of Rebel resistance. The fourth rule commanded to avoid attacking non-combatants, such as merchants or entertainers, unless acting in self-defense. The fifth command, inspired by Fatalis’ controversial use of chemical weapons, was to avoid the use of poisons in warfare. The sixth ruled commanded to refrain from opening fire in medical or entertainment facilities. The seventh command ordered members of RID to kill Rebels to death in battle. However, the eighth command did offer an exception to this. RID members were instructed not to kill a Rebel who laid down their arms and surrendered. The ninth command instructed RID to respect non-human species, but to recognize the Humanocentric policies of the Galactic Empire. The tenth and final command stated, “Thou shall believe and know that no matter what, the Empire will prevail!”

After having finalized an outline for RID, the time came to officially register our organization via a computer terminal in the newly constructed headquarters. When entering in the information, I was forced to name the organization the Regal Imperial Defenders, rather than Royal Imperial Defenders, since the word “Royal” was for some reason not permitted during the registration process. Regardless of this minor setback, the registration was properly submitted, and the Regal Imperial Defenders became an officially recognized organization within the Galactic Empire. With the somewhat anti-climactic bureaucratic necessities accomplished, I emerged from the headquarters and surveyed the desolate Imperial Oasis around me. Quietly, I said to myself, "So it begins..." [Founded November 23rd, 2003]

Fort Oasis

I sat down on a black leather couch inside the sparsely decorated headquarters. Flanked on each side of the couch were two small statues of banthas, one of Tatooine's native creatures. I muttered to myself, "No one realizes what will happen. Those pitiful Rebels will fail!" I felt inspired by what the future might hold for my enemies, but in truth, it was a sad sight to behold. The Regal Imperial Defenders were "born," at least officially, but it was not yet truly alive. In truth, RID was little more than myself, the headquarters, and the two pathetic statues of banthas to my left and to my right. To maintain RID's integrity, I would need to amass an army of loyal followers. In fact, according to my recollection, RID’s status as an Imperial association was revoked perhaps two or three times over the course of the next few days. At least four other individuals would need to join RID before our organization could gain permanent recognition. With that in mind, I soon began travelling city to city to look for loyal Imperials to enlist. I remained mostly on Tatooine, delivering frenzied speeches to crowds of people in the various cities about the recent Rebel attacks on the Imperial Oasis, and how the newly born forces of RID would promise to bring order back to the region.

The whole affair was demoralizing, however. Most Imperials were already involved with much larger, and more established organizations. Even those Imperials who were open for consideration were not overly eager to join a newly minted institution. There were many, far more powerful Imperial organizations, such as Sturmgrenadier and the Alpha Team Shock Troops. The Imperial Order, a Nabooian-based organization led by Lord Cai Thalnax, was quickly becoming a preeminent leader in Imperial manpower. My friend, Myzia Zydian, helped to advise me on ways to build up this newfound organization, but she was unable to join RID on any official capacity. She had already enlisted with another Imperial organization known as The Honored Maidens, providing mostly non-combat services in the form of musical entertainment and fashion design. Founded by Head Mistress Aadilya Mihal, THM was a predominantly female-run organization designed to "maximize beauty with talent," and to protect the Empire through support and defense roles. The Honored Guard, a sub-division within THM initially led by Captain Trofanson Aad'Shado, was their specially trained contingent of male soldiers, never to exceed ten to twenty percent of their entire member base. Through a joint effort between an architect of theirs name Wildfire, and another individual named Le'i, THM established their headquarters south of Naboo's capital of Theed. Eventually, a woman known as Doctor Avalucia Versailles succeeded Aadilya as Head Mistress, and moved THM's base of operations to a newly founded city on the desolate world of Lok named Tal Kyrte, meaning "Free People."

Despite Myzia's own ambitions, I nonetheless succeeded in recruiting about four other individuals into RID. With this basic core of members, our organizational status would not be revoked. Due to a lack of records on RID's early membership roster, the names of all of the founding members are unknown. However, our earliest recorded member was a human named Fikke Flyingsun, and he very well may have been among the original four founding members to ever join RID. Fikke was quite helpful to RID during its formative days, and would often accompany me on various adventures. One day he invited me to the world of Talus to hunt sludge panthers in the lost village of Durbin. With his help, we organized teams of Imperials to fight alongside us in attacks on various Rebel encampments on Tatooine. Several of these Imperials ended up joining us officially, adding to the ranks of RID's early roster. The names of some of these Imperials were Kasan Soran, Kaarstag Columinus, and Cosaik. Like Fikke, most of these individuals were humans loyal to the Imperial cause. Early on, I led these Imperials on successful raids on Anchorhead. Soon, other Imperial citizens began to take notice of RID and expressed an interest in joining. Among these were individuals such as Megaw, Rhed Drahken, Sigobe Vengrath, Chupa Capone, Shive Katal, Eslan, Radossk, Euluro Granit, Jelakk Torgon, and a Rodian named Mnyak Erglip. Other influential members who eventually joined were a Trandoshan creature handler named Totzo, his Zabrak friend Telemchus Argus, an aspiring Mon Calamari doctor named Kuiloo Patlin, a foolish Rodian named Waucod Meesman, and a battle hardened human named Zetagala Skylos. Due in part to Zetagala's leadership skills, he was quickly entrusted with a commanding position in RID alongside the likes of Fikke. Slowly but surely, our ranks were growing to reach above twenty Imperial members. While things did seem to look more promising, RID was still by no means as powerful or well staffed as many of the other associations spread throughout the galaxy. In fact, at one point, a leader of another Imperial organization approached me, proposing a merger between RID and his organization. Because no record of the merger proposal exists, I cannot even recall the name of the leader, or even the full name of his organization. However, I do believe the abbreviated name was KIO, and they were based on the agrarian world of Dantooine. I was very hesitant to consider merging RID with this other organization, but I had serious doubts if RID could ever survive on their own. While I was assured that RID would somewhat continue to exist in quasi form as a sub-division, I was still afraid of losing our identity, and my ability to make leadership decisions. Nevertheless, I did actually gather what RID members we had, and transported them from Tatooine to Dantooine to officially merge our two organizations. However, during our trek to the KIO headquarters, I suddenly had second thoughts, and decided to call off the merger altogether. Most of RID was happy to see me change my mind, as they too were reluctant to follow through with this decision. Even though this footnote in history only exists as a vague memory in my mind, it was in fact a decision which forever altered our destiny.

One day, I was presented with a question; “Why not run a city?” While it was a tempting proposition, I had no real interest in running a city at the time. Giving up even more time, credits, and energy to become an all-out politician did not seem like something I was determined enough to do. Still, I contemplated the idea for a time, and even visited some of the cities on Tatooine which were being run by much larger organizations. Mayor Duntro of the Blood Eagles oversaw the city of Mos Adler, the first of a newly constructed batch of cities on Tatooine. South of Bestine there was another newly constructed city managed by an Imperial organization named Dim-Side, at the time led by Bah-Hei Sonn. I remember standing in front of the city hall and surveying the vastness of their territory. I looked upon the organized rows of homes, shops and other buildings as if I were the mayor. While I was impressed by the possibilities that our own city could bring to RID, I questioned our ability to execute such a plan. The amount of discipline on an organizational-wide level seemed remarkably high. Yet when I looked around the Imperial Oasis, reminded by what the Rebels had done to it; that was when I made my decision. I wanted to bring prosperity to this oasis once again. Not just to run a mere business, but to help make the Empire what it once was!

Unfortunately for us, many obstacles interfered with our ambitions. The planetary authorities could not allow the construction of a new city on Tatooine. Many other cities were already under construction elsewhere on Tatooine, so we could not be granted the permission to build a community of our own. While this was discouraging, we remained hopeful that another city would collapse due to a lack of funding; giving us the window of opportunity we needed to build RID’s capital city. One day, just that very thing happened. Another city on Tatooine collapsed, either due to a lack of funding or support from its citizens.

We immediately made use of our purchased deed for a city hall, and attempted to gather a handful of our members to establish their homes near an open area of land just east of the Imperial Oasis. Our goal was to establish the city as close as possible to the Imperial Oasis. Construction of our city began just twenty-four days after RID was founded [December 17th, 2003]. After four, logistically challenging days, construction of the core city was finally completed [December 21st, 2003]! Though I refer to this establishment as a city, a better term for it would be an outpost. Indeed, it was not sizable enough to be recognized as a technical city by the planetary authorities. In any case, upon the outpost’s completion, we were presented with some basic questions. For example, what would we name it? Several ideas included calling our outpost Alpha Base, or simply RID Outpost. Ultimately, after additional input from my friend Myzia, I decided to name it Fort Oasis. This name was in many ways appropriate. Fatalis had named their base "Fort Fatal," so turning our own outpost into an Imperial fortress seemed like a noble tribute. From that point on, Fort Oasis was recognized as the official capital of the Regal Imperial Defenders. RID and Fort Oasis was, at least in my eyes, inseparable. With Fort Oasis under our command, we now had a significant and growing influence over the Imperial Oasis, and the surrounding Mospic High Range region.

Funding the outpost however, was no easy feat. Because the construction of Fort Oasis was inefficiently planned, I estimate that well over 2 to 3 million credits were spent on its construction. There was also very little planning in regards to its layout. With no construction codes, domiciles and other structures were randomly strewn about the area. At the moment, the arrangement of our outpost did not do justice to a true Imperial fortress. Nonetheless, I reflected back to the birth of RID just under a month ago. I was so sure we would never run own establishment, yet here we were today. In fact, even now, I still had no desire to expand Fort Oasis any further. I was content with it being a small outpost. How wrong was I to believe that the power and expansion of RID should stop there!

Battle of Crystal Hollow

In the weeks following the construction of Fort Oasis, most of our efforts were spent on simply expanding RID. While passing through the spaceport of Bestine, I encountered an Imperial stormtrooper by the name of Bookani overseeing a speederbike race on the spaceport’s landing pad. Intrigued, I spoke with Bookani, and he expressed his interest in joining RID. I brought him back to the RID Headquarters at the Imperial Oasis to recruit him, however it did not take long for me to be somewhat taken aback by his behavior. He quickly insisted that he serve as RID’s co-leader, and while I did reluctantly issue him this title, it quickly became apparent to me that this was a poor decision. Almost as quickly as I had recruited him, I dismissed Bookani from RID for his erratic personality. Clearly, during these early days of RID, I still had some learning to do when it came to screening potential recruits. In the days following this brief incident, RID held the first of many organizational meetings in the Fort Oasis city hall. The hall was fashioned with a throne placed before rows and rows of seats, intended for such meetings. I hoped that gathering my fellow RID members in one location, to speak to them directly about our goals would help to instill a greater sense of unity. While the first meeting was not largely attended; only myself, Jelakk Torgon, Mnyak Erglip, and Rhed Drahken were recorded to have attended, it set the precedent for the much larger RID meetings to follow. Meanwhile, RID also embarked on a series of hunting expeditions, including to a cave on Tatooine inhabited by a violent bipedal species known as squills. Megaw, a Trandoshan named Conosk, and at least two others accompanied me on this expedition. In the days that followed, RID also launched another expedition to Fort Tusken to eliminate many of the violent Sand People dwelling within its confines. Sigobe, Rhed, Chupa, a Wookiee named Eslan, and several others from outside of RID were among those fighting alongside me in the haunting confines of Fort Tusken. RID even later travelled to the forest moon of Endor to both explore the world, and hunt its native wildlife, including the frighteningly large spiderlike species of arachne. Jelakk, Eslan, Shive, Euluro, Kasan, Radossk and a member of The Imperial Order named Sigismund embarked on this adventure.

Meanwhile, it remained absolutely clear to me that the construction of Fort Oasis had done little to deter incursions from the Counter Armor Tactical Squad. Despite their successful completion of Project V-Day, elements from the CATS could still be spotted roaming the area around the Imperial Oasis. In fact, while passing through the region, a member of the CATS had attacked me and destroyed my speederbike. It was unsettling to me that the CATS could continue to roam our territory with impunity. With this in mind, we worked tirelessly for the Empire in order to obtain an Imperial base to be used in our first retaliatory strike against the CATS. Upon gaining enough factional prestige, we became eligible for the deed of an Imperial Forward Outpost. This particular base was very small in comparison to the giant complex Fatalis had, yet its purpose would serve equally well. During the time of Project V-Day, the CATS had resided in an area near the Imperial Oasis. We originally planned to strike back at them in our very own home, but we soon gained intelligence that the CATS had moved their headquarters away from Tatooine to a city named Crystal Hollow on Dantooine, south of an abandoned Rebel base. Despite the fact that they were now on a remote world, we remained determined to enact our revenge. After all, the CATS continued to have a very active presence on Tatooine. We had our base, and we had their location. All we had to do was strike! Unfortunately for us, I was rather uninformed about the Rebel’s strength in that city. I was certain this would be a clear and decisive victory for RID. On the planet Naboo, there was a city named Rauha governed by Swarriorx Irow. Among the citizens was renowned reporter, Laeren Misha of the Starsider News Network and Aes Sedai Industries. I was so confident of our success, that I requested he act as our newscaster for the operation.

On the day of the attack, we amassed a strike team of only three RIDs, plus an unaffiliated Imperial named Troci whom we were eyeing as a potential recruit. We organized in a cantina within the city of Castoria, which neighbored Crystal Hollow. Our strike team consisted of me, Troci, a small, furry Bothan who went by the name of Darkdreamer, and our Mon Calamari medic named Kuiloo Patlin. I also had a personal security guard under my command. Frankly however, Troci, Darkdreamer, and I were not the best of fighters. To make matters worse, Kuiloo was not yet even formally enlisted with the Galactic Empire, and would not be able to fight at all. Nevertheless, we were not deterred. Laeren the newscaster met us in the cantina and interviewed our team before we embarked on our operation. While wearing my official Imperial uniform, I sat with Kuiloo and Laeren around a small glass table in Castoria’s local cantina. Laeren asked me how the operation would proceed. I informed Laeren that I had hoped more RID members would arrive to supplement our forces, yet this never occurred. Laeren then turned his attention towards Kuiloo and asked, “So Kuiloo, is this your first big operation?” As Kuiloo leaned back in his blue sofa chair, he replied, “Yes it is sir!” Kuiloo then went on to express his excitement for the planned operation. When it became apparent that no extra forces from RID would arrive, I turned to my group and said, “Follow me, this place is dangerous.” Castoria was by no means a city friendly to the Empire, and I deemed it prudent to make further preparations elsewhere. After setting foot towards Crystal Hollow to the west, we set up a camp in the middle of a Dantooinian hillside. During our brief respite in the camp, Laeren asked our team a few other questions. Kuiloo expressed that the operation was beginning to “stress him out.” Laeren then turned to me and asked, “Why are you doing this to Crystal Hollow?” I told Laeren that it was a “long story,” but that the basic reason for our operation was to suppress the Rebels of the Counter Armor Tactical Squad. “Do you foresee reaction from [the] CATS?” Laeren asked. “And if so, what do you think they will do?” Despite our dismal task force, I answered with confidence, “Well, they can only do very little. They have a small army, and I think resistance would be futile.” Nevertheless, I knew the CATS were devious. “My guess would be they would attempt to retaliate,” I said. I did admit that the CATS “were quite skilled,” and would probably attack us, but that their small numbers would prevent them from doing much harm.

After our brief stay at the camp, we continued by foot towards Crystal Hollow. However, the mission plan was unclear to RID, and because of my repeated and very public threats towards their city, the Rebels knew that we were coming. Nonetheless, we pushed forward. Eventually, we reached Crystal Hollow by nightfall, and began the hasty process of constructing our Forward Outpost. Despite some initial difficulty in finding a suitable plot of land, our construction efforts were not interrupted by Rebel adversaries.

With the Forward Outpost established, we marveled at what we had just accomplished. RID had established their first military foothold in the galaxy, just near the CATS' home! Perhaps now they would feel the same way as the Imperials who could no longer go to the Imperial Oasis safely. After the base was constructed, a contingent of stormtroopers and other Imperial officers emerged to defend the installation. “The civilians [of this city] must be free from these terrorists,” I proclaimed. I further announced that we would search Crystal Hollow for any hiding Rebels, after securing our base’s defenses. “It looks like the base is up and operational after all,” Laeren said to viewers of his broadcast. “Lots of hard work, and as the sun sets on Dantooine, so does it set for any number of Rebels this band of Imperial soldiers plan to root out.” Laeren the newscaster then asked, “So, Lexx – now that you have [the base] up, are you planning on fortifying it? What kind of defenses would enemy Rebels face when coming here?” I told Laeren, “Well, right now only simple defenses, [including] mines and a covert scanner.” I told Laeren that this was only the beginning of RID, and that we were all “very excited.” Kuiloo, our loyal medic, then turned to me and asked, “Can I place the mines, sir?” Unfortunately, our long term plans of fortifying the Forward Outpost with landmines and other defenses would not come to fruition. Minutes later, an enemy Rebel appeared in the distance, then at least four more! We could not believe what we were seeing. Crystal Hollow was not just a humble city harboring a few Rebels; it was a full-fledged Rebel stronghold! As more and more Rebels poured into the area, we knew we were doomed, but I sent the order to our few inexperienced troops to engage the incoming Rebels.

As the fighting ignited, Laeren excitedly reported, “Viewers! Not five minutes after the base went up, Rebel forces moved in and attacked it. Looks like a combined effort of CATS and BSD.” Laeren’s observation was correct. The group of Rebels consisted of a joint effort between the Counter Armor Tactical Squad and two other organizations we never even heard of, BSD and SBR, short for Black Sword Division and Saberwing respectively. We managed to cause significant harm to Warja Locla of BSD, but we were still severely outnumbered. Other members of BSD came to the Rebel’s aid, including Drodth Issco and Yaanos Ryler. Nisdain Vesrial of SBR was also fighting against us. Most of the damage we could inflict was weak potshots at random targets. Even the base's personal defense force of at least ten stormtroopers and one AT-ST stood no chance. My own command security guard also fell at the end of a Rebel's weapon. In the midst of the battle, Laeren asked, “Kuiloo… can I get your perspective on this?” Kuiloo simply replied, “We are in a very bad situation here!” Realizing that he was a mere medic who was unable to aid in combat, Kuiloo burst into tears as he shouted, “And I can’t help!”

During the speedy conflict, Leiko of the CATS approached Laeren. She asked, “You one of them?” Laeren replied with, “No, I am an SSN reporter… Can you tell me your feelings on this base and its significance to Crystal Hollow?” She answered, “It has no significance aside from a very minor diversion. The first part of the breakdown has been completed and the rest will be done shortly.” As she ran off, she said, “This base will fall shortly.” That particular statement was quite demoralizing. All the work RID had exerted to succeed in this expensive, yet ill prepared operation was all but a minor nuisance for these Rebels. Sure enough, the infiltration of the base was completed very quickly. I stood back, realizing that all hope was lost. We would be forced to watch our expensive installation be disintegrated into bits and pieces. Rambo, an Imperial outside of RID, considered coming to our aid, and a first responder named Nikojiju Gin from the Shadow Assault Squadron entered the scene, but the decisive stages of the battle had already been fought and lost. Militiawoman Casia of the CATS, acting on behalf of Mayor Caitiri, officially banned me from ever using public services in Crystal Hollow again. Surrendering, I told Casia, “You won.” She responded with a simple nod. By sunrise, Laeren took a final image of the base being destroyed in full view of the Rebels. Laeren then concluded his newscast with, “This has been SSN Special Live Coverage of the RID invasion of Crystal Hollow. We now return you to your previous broadcast.”

Exiled from Crystal Hollow, we journeyed back to our homeworld of Tatooine. Greatly demoralized by our failure, we gave up any hope of launching another invasion of Crystal Hollow, at least for the foreseeable future. We were overpowered by a ragtag band of Rebels, and worst of all, the event was announced publicly by Laeren Misha’s broadcast. Of course, this small battle was nothing more than a minor footnote in the grand scheme of the Galactic Civil War. We healed our wounds, and I thought to myself, “Time to get a new base.”

Slow and Steady

Following our recent debacle in Crystal Hollow, RID sought to redirect its attention to other matters. In the past, RID had done well on the hunting excursions in the squill cave and Fort Tusken on Tatooine. Likewise, minor military operations against Rebels hiding in the town of Anchorhead proved to be a success. With this in mind, RID took a break from the more major operations to focus again on these sorts of activities. Through these minor combat operations, RID learned more about combat, and became a more cohesive group of people in the process. By now, we had adjusted to our loss, and were content with providing services to the Empire through support roles.

In fact, for the first time since its founding, RID participated in a major joint combat operation with other Imperial organizations. We did not know it at the time, but we were witnessing the early makings of a more cohesive Empire. RID, alongside other organizations such as Dim-Side, SAS, -IGS- and SIEGE amassed to quell Rebel resistance near the city of Mos Vegas, Tatooine. In addition to these organizations was another contingent of Imperials known as REIGN, which was now widely recognized for having some of the best soldiers in the entire Empire.

Participation in these sorts of activities increased RID's exposure. As a result, more Imperials decided to pledge there support to RID and join us. With this new influx of support, we now had enough citizens to allow for the growth of Fort Oasis. Fort Oasis soon qualified for expansion, and grew from a mere outpost to a slightly larger village. In the process, we established banking kiosks to allow citizens to easily deposit or withdraw credits, and a garage which could be used to service damaged vehicles. I also decided to officially close the Yovel's Hovel Cantina near the Imperial Oasis, and move my official residency to a manor within the boundaries of our growing fortress. Additionally, RID's official headquarters, which was still located near the oasis itself, was rebuilt closer to the Fort Oasis city hall. This made signing up new Imperials to our organization much easier. However, because Fort Oasis was now recognized as a village by the planetary authorities, its maintenance costs went up. This made running our fortress somewhat more difficult, as we had to build up our treasury by increasing taxes. Also, because we had trouble maintaining our citizen requirements, Fort Oasis even dropped back down to outpost status for a brief period of time. Although running Fort Oasis was considerably more challenging than we had previously anticipated, it was still on the path to a much brighter future.

The Europa Network

Prior to RID's founding, an Imperial organization known as the Black Star Guard was established under the leadership of Commanding Officer Gort. Under Gort's orders, his brother founded the city of Tiberius on the desolate world of Lok near the planet's Sulfur Lake Valley and local Imperial Outpost. With the assistance of another, mysterious Imperial organization known as The Order (not to be confused with the larger, Nabooian-based organization known as The Imperial Order), Tiberius grew with BSG serving as the city's backbone. Not long afterwards, a small hunting organization named Smooth Yet Rugged, under the leadership of a woman named Neemo Oeped, moved into the northern district of Tiberius after their own city was met with an early demise. A man named Vall Ion, an influential figure within BSG, later ended up marrying Neemo. Meanwhile, Vall's brother, named Valion Ion, served as a senior officer within BSG and as the head of Tiberius' militia. After Tiberius' founding, the Shadow Assault Squadron, under the command of an individual named Skorr, founded a sister city nearby named Valens. In doing so, SAS strengthened their alliance with BSG, and secured a strong Imperial presence on Lok in the process.

However, BSG collapsed after over forty-two days of heavy fighting in the Great Lokian Wars. The massive planetary conflict largely began with the Battles of Tiberius, when the Rebel units CDC and GALIB (fully known as the Galactic Liberators) established cities south of BSG's and began launching a series of attacks on the Tiberius Military Complex, comprising of at least one dozen Imperial Forward Outposts. Fighting quickly spread throughout the rest of Lok, and erupted to include a multitude of other Imperial and Rebel organizations arriving from other star systems across the galaxy. The Imperial Order, Alpha Team Shock Troops, Sturmgrenadier, The Honored Maidens, and many other organizations came to BSG's aid. Likewise, CDC and GALIB found the backing of a large number of Rebel organizations, including NYC, The Revenant Guard of Alderaan, the Mabari Eternal Knights, and even the Counter Armor Tactical Squad.

As the massive Lokian conflict intensified, GALIB and their city of Ziost, located southeast of Tiberius, fell under the constant retaliation of Imperial forces in isolated conflicts known as the Battles of Ziost. With Aries Denali leading GALIB, and Sairnath Denali governing Ziost, the Rebels attempted round-the-clock defense of their many military installations. However, the Imperials were relentless, and the constant attacks caused the increasingly wearied and demoralized Rebels to lose the will to defend their city completely. Ultimately, it was not the Imperials who destroyed their military installations, but reportedly the Rebels themselves. Under the Denali's orders, the Galactic Liberators surrendered and decommissioned their bases altogether, rendering Ziost little more than an impotent shell of its former self.

NYC, the small Rebel cell known to contain some of the fiercest resistance fighters, also operated a large city on Lok, codenamed NYC Base Complex. According to Vall himself, this Base Complex comprised of over fifty bases in a single valley, all of which were destroyed by the Empire after two weeks of violent fighting. Whether these reports are exaggerated is hard to say, but NYC and their massive Base Complex were ultimately eliminated. Finally, after constant fighting in the other random valleys, bluffs and cities across Lok, including Nym's Stronghold, Kussak Valley and Tal Kyrte, the Great Lokian Wars came to end. However, the conflict took a toll on the beleaguered Black Star Guard. In the end, BSG collapsed when its commanding officers Gort and Zions left Tiberius to be never seen again. Although records indicate an individual named Gort later enlisted with RID for a brief period of time, it is uncertain if this was the same person. Nonetheless, with BSG fallen, Vall Ion took the reins to form the successor organization named Black Star Legion. To secure their city, a woman named Tanda Trollop eventually assumed political control of Tiberius, becoming its longest standing mayor in the process. Under Vall's leadership, BSL and their weakened allies in SYR and SAS made an attempt to rebuild the Tiberius Military Complex. Eventually, two major command organizations related to the Black Star Legion settled in Tiberius. These organizations were known as the Black Star Alliance and the True Lokian Command. Other minor command organizations, including the Black Star's IV Corp and the XIII Black Order Division eventually followed suit.

Most of these events took place in the time prior to, or shortly after RID's founding. In other words, these distant, yet pivotal events had virtually no effect on any of us. Nevertheless, the end of the Great Lokian Wars paved the way for the rise of an institution known as the Europa Network, which threatened to once again plunge the world of Lok back into chaos. Yet this time, RID would not escape inclusion in the historical events that followed.

One day, out of pure chance, I encountered a strange, sinister looking Twi’lek by the name of Makai’Zade. After chatting with him for a little bit, I learned that he happened to be mayor of a newly formed city somewhere in the eastern regions of Lok. While I can no longer recall the name of the city, I recruited Makai'Zade into RID, and thus the city technically became RID’s first secondary foothold. Yet it did not remain a RID establishment for long.

Makai'Zade had only spent a relatively short time in RID before making the decision to leave. Out of curiosity, I stopped by his city and noticed that the city name was changed to have “Europa” fitted into it. Perplexed, I contacted Makai'Zade, and asked him what Europa was. He told me that Europa was a collection of guilds and cities which sought to unite Lok under the Europa Network’s banner. These guilds and cities, he said, could choose to be neutral, loyal to the Galactic Empire, or even sympathetic to the Rebellion and other criminal elements. He told me of Weifert Lionheart, a man who hailed from the city of Restuss on Naboo’s moon of Rori. For all intents and purposes, Weifert was the leader of the Europa. Curiosity got the best of me, so I contacted Weifert, hoping to gain more information on his Network. This decision would prove to haunt me and RID for a long time to come. For now though, Weifert was amicable. He enlightened me with an overview of Europa, which all sounded quite interesting. He chuckled at my belief that he was the leader of the Network, insisting that he was merely an overseer.

While I was not pleased that the Network harbored individuals loyal to the Rebellion, I did feel RID needed more people to affiliate with. Up until that time, we had no close allies. Weifert recognized my interest, and invited me to his city on Lok, quite simply named “Europa Network.” It was a large, thriving metropolis, far larger than Fort Oasis. It was in fact the capital city of the Europa Network, located just west of the planet's large Mount Chaolt volcano. When I arrived at the city, Weifert, who was in a Europa sub-organization named GoV, gave me a guided tour of the immense metropolis, pointing out certain venues and other points of interest. Towards the end of the tour, there was an odd encounter. An apparently disgruntled citizen approached Weifert and began arguing with him. From what I can remember, he accused Weifert of being an incompetent leader, and a maker of false promises. I vaguely recall the citizen urging me not to listen to him, yet Weifert nervously diffused the situation and insisted that I keep following him. I sided with Weifert, and continued with the tour of the metropolis. Looking back however, I probably should have listened to that citizen.

After concluding the final part of the tour, I was brought into Weifert’s office in the city hall. I noticed that it was beautifully decorated. He offered me a seat in his office, and told me more about the intricate workings of the Europa Network. In short, as Makai'Zade said, it was a coalition of guilds and cities, and served more as an economic alliance than anything else. It would serve as a pool to accumulate resources, and distribute them cheaply amongst Network members. After some amount of small talk, Weifert got to the point. Weifert told me of his vision to expand the Europa Network. At one point, he told me, “People like to be shocked. The more ‘Europas’ they see, the more they will want to be a part of it.” He extended an invitation for Fort Oasis and RID to join this growing Europa Network. Seeing this as an honor, I readily accepted his invitation. Pleased by my enthusiasm, he made many promises to us. He pledged to help both RID and its home grow, assuring me that Fort Oasis would quickly become a fortified metropolis under the Europa banner. He promised that our citizens and members would be supplied with equipment, manpower, and other necessities. After all was said and done, we concluded the meeting, and I returned back to Fort Oasis on Tatooine. In order to pledge our allegiance to the Europa Network, Fort Oasis was renamed to Europa Fort Oasis. However, it did not take long for me to realize that Europa was only offering empty promises. Neither RID nor Europa Fort Oasis received any direct assistance from the Europa Network. Nonetheless, this did not bother me greatly, as there was still no harm in being a part of the Network anyways. I figured that the Network was so vast that they had to first focus on their larger cities before focusing their attention to a small village-sized fortress such as our own. Also, Fort Oasis was based on Tatooine; Europa was more of a Lokian-based operation.

Sadly for us, things got worse. I began to hear stories. One day, I went into the Bestine cantina and spoke with someone by the name of Terlo. I approached him because I had recognized him before as a member of Europa, yet now it appeared he was a lone drifter. I asked him why he was no longer serving Europa, at which point he told me the dark truth about Weifert and his Network. According to him, Europa was a corrupt and ruthless organization. He told me of an anecdote where Weifert ordered Terlo to recruit citizens for him, but then later purged Terlo from Europa under the suspicion of being a traitor. According to him, Weifert and his other close followers even ransacked his home. To make matters worse, Terlo told me about Europa’s direct plan to take over the entire planet of Lok through hostile force, and not only that, against other Imperials!

It was then that I finally decided to review the news on the galactic HoloNet. The ordeal was much was larger than I had expected. According to what I was seeing, people were on the brink of full-scale war against Europa. Under Vall's command, the Black Star Legion and their allies were particularly embroiled in a menacing cold war with the Europa Network. Seen as a threat to Weifert and his growing Network, Europa made very public and ruthless threats against Vall, his Imperial followers, and the cities they called home. There was little doubt, at least in my mind, that Weifert had the desire to see the citizens of Tiberius and Valens kneel before him and carry the Europa banner. In a show of defiance and solidarity, Vall’s cities were renamed to Imperia Tiberius and Imperia Valens. With both cities carrying the "Imperia" banner, BSL and their allies had essentially drawn lines in the sands of Lok, and created a new city network of their own in direct opposition to Europa's. This of course did not sit well with Weifert, who stepped up his rhetoric against them.

However, Europa's treachery did not end with their attempted subversion of Vall's "Imperia Network." Mayor Bob'o of the largely neutral Lokian city of New Mos Verto declined to join the Europa Network, and as a result, Weifert publicized an image of the mayor which shed him in a horrible light. However, his attempts to use the image as a propaganda tool to encourage citizens to abandon New Mos Verto and its mayor soon backfired. A loyal citizen named Warryyr quickly revealed evidence that the image was doctored by the Europa Network. This only fueled further resentment against Weifert and his many followers. In an attempt to boost their public relations, Weifert oversaw the production of a propaganda video staged in Europa's capital. Despite some positive feedback, it was soundly criticized by most of Europa's enemies. Still, a number of cities on Lok and elsewhere in the galaxy continued to pledge their allegiance to the growing Europa Network. Even though I admired Weifert’s ambitious goals, his means were wholly dubious. In the end, I could not bring myself to identify with an institution that found itself in direct opposition to a large portion of the Galactic Empire.

I told Terlo that that we would assist him in the struggle against Europa, but I made it clear that we could only offer covert assistance. I reasoned that if Weifert were to ever discover that we betrayed him, he would have the Network launch a hostile takeover of Fort Oasis. By having his loyal constituents construct dwellings outside our borders, Weifert could await the inevitable expansion of Fort Oasis’ holdings. The expansion of our territory would engulf these newly constructed buildings, forcing us to recognize their owners as registered citizens of Fort Oasis. In accordance to planetary policies outside my control, they could swing an election in favor of a loyal, Europa candidate. While this event was certainly a worst case scenario, it was still a legitimate concern. Therefore, Fort Oasis remained under the name of Europa Fort Oasis, and I continued to maintain friendly ties with Weifert, while feeding Terlo intelligence on the Network. I also kept myself in the good graces of Oien LightStrider, who was a close friend of Weifert, and co-leader in many respects. While he himself was more widely respected by galactic citizens, he was still viewed as something of a puppet for Weifert. I also began acquainting myself with Gounk Sharpblaster, a Twi'lek citizen of Europa, and yet another friend of Weifert.

Eventually, just when it appeared Europa would assume large control of Lok and gain possession of multiple off-world properties, Weifert suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Under Vall's command, the Black Star Legion took advantage of the situation and managed to decisively dismantle the Europa Network. The specifics of how this was accomplished elude inclusion in this account, but it is known that Vall and BSL were adept at using a network of spies to infiltrate a number of Rebel organizations, including one such group known as the Ghosts of the Republic. Perhaps similar deceptions were used against Europa, but it is impossible to say for sure. Nonetheless, with the sudden collapse of the Europa Network, we wasted no time in renaming Europa Fort Oasis back again to Fort Oasis. Terlo and I celebrated that day by launching fireworks.

Weifert was never seen again, until one day...

Crimson Fist Marines

Little did RID know at the time prior to our attack on Crystal Hollow that the large metropolis was actually a safe haven for multiple Rebel organizations, including not only the CATS, but also the Black Sword Division and Saberwing. If it were not for these two other organizations, RID may have at the very least achieved a strategic victory in the Battle of Crystal Hollow. The CATS had far fewer numbers, a fact that we hoped to use to our advantage. After all, Leiko and Casia were the only two CATS witnessed at the battle, and Casia was not even engaged in the fighting. Our base may have remained standing, at least considerably longer than it did, were it not for the interference of specialists within BSD and SBR. Unfortunately for us, our attack on the city angered far more enemies than RID could ever hope to take on single-handedly. Nisdain Vesrial, who was in Saberwing at the time of the battle, held a particular vendetta against RID for its attempt to undermine Crystal Hollow. While it was not our intention to make new enemies, we stood by the belief that our attack on the city was justified.

By now, Nisdain was a leading figure in another Rebel organization known as the Crimson Fist Marines. For the longest time, we concluded that the Crimson Fist Marines were actually a successor organization to the Black Sword Division. However, looking back, there is little evidence to support this supposition. If anything, CFM could be viewed as an offshoot of SBR, given Nisdain's past allegiance to them. Either way, under Nisdain's influence, CFM held disdain against RID for its attack on the city. I was also later surprised to hear rumors that he and other Rebel elements may have aided the CATS during their execution of Project V-Day at the Imperial Oasis. This was a troubling possibility, but I wished to ignore it in the hopes that we could remain focused against just one group of Rebels – the CATS. However, I soon realized that CFM could not be ignored for long. While traveling through the vicinity of Mos Vegas, Tatooine on my speederbike, I was suddenly ambushed by a Rebel from CFM. As I fell to the ground incapacitated, my foe exclaimed, “That's what you get!” I cannot recall the name of assailant, but it was likely Nisdain himself.

Ever since that unexpected attack, I knew that the situation with the Crimson Fist Marines would escalate.

Battle against the CATS

Feeling as though sufficient time had passed to both recover from our loss at Crystal Hollow and build up a sufficient body of armed forces, RID once again stepped up its rhetoric against the CATS. As an organization, we hoped to finally deliver a death blow to those who wreaked havoc upon the Imperial Oasis and humiliated us at the Battle of Crystal Hollow. To achieve this, we desired nothing short of a clear and decisive victory against them on the battlefield. I discussed the prospect of launching an outright war against the CATS with a number of higher-ups in RID, including Fikke, Zetagala, and Mnyak Erglip, who was by then recognized as one of our most skilled fighters. We gave the CATS an ultimatum. Fight us on the battlefield, or admit defeat to the forces of the Empire. Malaydra Izmatuthirium, the Zabrak who was by then widely recognized as the official leader of the CATS, made herself clear. Defeat was not in their nature.

Although the CATS had long since moved their headquarters from the Imperial Oasis to Crystal Hollow on Dantooine, they still maintained a presence on Tatooine, especially around Anchorhead. We openly declared that we would engage their forces in the ruins of a destroyed Rebel base in-between Bestine and Anchorhead. We believed this would serve as a symbolic resting ground for our foes. We briefed our troops on the upcoming conflict, and established an official date to commence our war against them. Given RID's modest increase in numbers and strength, I was optimistic about a final victory against the much smaller CATS, almost to the point of self-delusion. Mnyak, our seasoned Rodian warrior, was more cynical about our prospects, but did his best to prepare RID in the days leading up to the conflict. We instructed all of RID to stock up on weapons and supplies, and to continue to train for battle in every way possible. Despite my confident attitude, I by no means wished to underestimate the CATS. I was surprised to learn that the CATS' leader, Malaydra, was in fact a Force-sensitive who made skilled use of a lightsaber. In order to give us even more of an edge on the battlefield, I made an attempt to step up the recruitment of Imperial soldiers into RID.

Finally, the day of reckoning had arrived. We ordered RID to assemble at the hill fort in Bestine, and prepare for what we hoped would be the second and final combat operation against the Counter Armor Tactical Squad. Officially, RID denied any intentions to call upon the aid of other Imperial organizations, but we did make feeble petitions to The Honored Maidens to send some additional soldiers to augment our forces. Seeing as how my friend, Myzia, was in THM, I deemed it prudent to strengthen a combat alliance with them. However, their decision makers did not believe that getting involved in this conflict was in their best interests. This battle was largely viewed an isolated conflict that should be handled by RID, and RID alone. We understood and respected their decision, but it was the first of many setbacks which began to whittle away at my originally optimistic outlook. Several of our fellow Defenders ran late, and we were gaining additional intelligence reports that the numbers and strength of the CATS were actually considerably higher than we had originally anticipated. Not only did we have Malaydra to contend with, but we also learned that the CATS had a second Force-sensitive amongst their ranks. Furthermore, the CATS, which were originally seen as something of a small commune, had by now expanded to include some of the strongest men and women of the Rebel Alliance. This was indeed troubling news, for our battle strategy heavily relied on overwhelming the enemy through sheer numbers alone. Yet now it appeared that the number of combat ready troops would be virtually equal on both sides. Although equal in numbers, we were not equal in strength. Amongst myself, Mnyak, and Kuiloo, were at least five other RIDs. However, many of our soldiers were donning obsolete equipment and weaponry. The reality of our situation was becoming abundantly clear. One of our members (most likely Mnyak), stated that this would be an "embarrassment." I was beginning to believe he was right, but it was far too late to turn back now.

While preparing in Bestine, we were sighted by two individuals loyal to the Rebellion, one of which went by the name "Kitten." Neither were officially recognized members of the CATS, yet when the two of them sighted us, they opened fire. RID had not yet finished preparing for battle. Completely taken by surprise, chaos erupted as we shouted at our troops to return fire at the two insurgents. Yet the two Rebels were quick on their feet, and skilled at combat. As we fought, we looked on in disbelief as Kitten and her Rebel friend tore through several of our soldiers. Eventually, the fighting ceased when the two insurgents melted away amongst the other citizens of Bestine. With peace restored, we evaluated our situation. The battle had not yet even started, yet these two Rebels had already succeeded in significantly harming our forces. "They were sent by the CATS to disrupt and divide our ranks," many thought. With one of the Rebels going by the alias "Kitten," it seemed possible that the CATS had sent operatives to impede our plans, yet there was little evidence to support this. It was more likely that the two Rebels were merely random rabble-rousers quietly roaming the streets of the Imperial capital, inciting chaos whenever the opportunity presented itself. Nonetheless, the actions of these two Rebels put us behind schedule, as we were forced to provide medical attention to our injured troops, and prepare them for battle once more. This delay only allowed the CATS more time to prepare their forces.

Finally, we once again organized our forces at the Bestine hill fort. As soon as we were ready, the command was issued to march our demoralized forces down the hill and towards the remains of the fallen Rebel base in-between Bestine and Anchorhead. Our commanding officers attempted to maintain order amongst our inexperienced soldiers. Amid the confusion, some soldiers lagged behind, prompting several of us to shout at one another to stick together. Despite this, we finally managed to mobilize all of our forces to the ruined Rebel base. We surveyed the horizon. There was nothing. No noise. No movement. Finally, we saw them. Silence was broken as I shouted to RID that the CATS were spotted to the south. Orders were shouted amongst ourselves for our ranged combat troops to kneel down and prepare their rifles. As the CATS moved in, we held our position. As soon as we were within firing range, a blinding blur of laser bolts emerged from our weapons towards the incoming Rebel adversaries. However, our enemies were not deterred. They closed in for close quarters combat, putting our ranged troops at a severe disadvantage. Amid the heat of the battle, we could hardly keep tabs of what we were up against. According to our battle reports, and a single recorded image taken from the battle, we concluded that we were up against seven skilled members of the Counter Armor Tactical Squad, including their two lightsaber wielding Force-sensitives. Amid the blinding blaster fire and the swinging beams of two lightsabers, our forces fell one after the other. We stood our ground as the fighting quickly devolved to brutal hand-to-hand combat. It was a form of fighting the CATS knew all too well. One of the CATS, possibly a person known as Zuu Lin, knocked down our troops with the blunt end of a power hammer, while others did so with their own fists. Ultimately, the battle ended almost as quickly as it had begun. A brisk forty-five seconds.

The CATS cheered in celebration while we regrouped what troops we had within the conference room of the Bestine hotel. The terrible defeat had left an impression on all of us. As we stood within the safe confines of the hotel, arguments and bickering broke out amongst our ranks. Mnyak, who was pessimistic about our chances from the start, was especially argumentative. He believed that RID should have known better than to single-handedly wage war against one of the most dangerous Rebel organizations in the galaxy. Although I had grown weary of Mnyak's defeatist attitude, he was right. The CATS were a force to be reckoned with. Even premier Imperial combat organizations such as REIGN struggled to inflict significant harm against the CATS. The CATS were skilled, and they were relentless. They had the will to take on mighty Imperial organizations, such as AE and LOTD. In fact, they had defeated the latter once, much in the same way as they had just defeated us – within the ruins of the fallen Rebel base in-between Bestine and Anchorhead. And remember Elvander Valheru? The Force-sensitive incarnate trained at the behest of one of Fatalis' leading members, Avatar-? Despite the CATS' comparatively small size, they one day managed to inspire hoards of Rebel insurgents to roam the cities and countryside of the planet Naboo, quelling soldiers of the much larger Galactic Empire in a unified resistance. In the process, the CATS and their fellow Rebels sighted Elvander, who was by then the prominent ringleader of an Imperial organization named Bane, in a small Nabooian neighborhood. Elvander was powerful, but he was no match for combined lynch mob of over thirty incoming Rebels. Attempting to flee for his life, the Rebels surrounded him, and battered the infamous Imperial warrior until he collapsed to the ground. With Elvander's body pathetically slumped next to the side of a large residential building, the CATS and their fellow comrades paraded over and defiled the broken body by cheering over and spitting on it. The jubilant Rebels were excited to have defeated one of the most power agents of the Empire.

This was the sort of violence that the CATS were capable of inciting, not only on their own, but with the support of the entire Rebel Alliance. Ultimately, I assumed responsibility for our failure. I thanked all of RID for loyally following me into battle, even in the face of certain defeat. In the end, orchestrating this entire campaign against the CATS was my own fault. We were simply not ready.

A Loyal Comrade

To distract RID from their recent defeat, we began focusing on our home front in Fort Oasis. We had recently recruited a skilled architect into RID, a human named Kurke Aumea. Prior to the Battle against the CATS, we devised plans to build a shopping center in the central area of our fortress. The shopping center would employ numerous vendors to sell wares to not only our fellow RID members, but to the other citizens of Tatooine passing through the streets of Fort Oasis. We saw this as a crucial initiative to help boost RID's commercial sector. The influx of credits would build up the economic wellbeing of our members, allowing us all to invest in more powerful weapons and equipment. With this in mind, I appointed Kurke to lead RID's commerce activities. Under Kurke's direction, we finally began constructing the Fort Oasis shopping center. The shopping center was originally under Telemchus' ownership, before being transferred over to Kurke. After moving in furniture and ensuring that the interior looked aesthetically pleasing to potential customers, our merchants began hiring vendors to operate out of the shopping center. The shopping center still needed some additional products, but it proved to be a great success.

In addition to Kurke, we also recruited a Twi'lek entertainer named Zrinity into our organization. Zrinity was an energetic spirit who had always done a good job raising morale amongst our ranks. Accordingly, I decided to place her in charge of our combat support activities, overseeing the entertainers and medics within our organization. Among RID was another skilled entertainer, a Twi'lek named Oktowo Hidi. Because Zrinity was at the time unable to do so, Oktowo agreed to assume ownership of a newly constructed cantina in Fort Oasis. The construction of this cantina was crucial to boosting RID's morale. Finally, we had a place for our fellow comrades to sit down, relax, have a drink, and talk to one another in a social setting. In many ways, RID as a living, organic entity began with the opening of the Fort Oasis cantina. In order to distract RID from the harsh, daily trials of day to day activities, we organized what would be the first of many successful parties in the cantina. However, it was not enough for us to focus purely on commerce and entertainment. The day would inevitably come in which we would need to raise our weapons against the Rebellion once more. To prepare for that day, we looked towards another one of our newer recruits, a human named Cell.

Cell was actually recruited prior to RID's involvement in the Europa Network. At the time, I did not think much of him. He seemed like any other member. He was just a simple marksman who wished to serve RID and the Empire to the best of his ability. However, it did not take long for us to recognize his desire to go above and beyond the call of duty. We noticed his loyal and respectful disposition, his knowledge of combat, and his eagerness to improve our organization as a whole. After a short time in RID, he requested to serve as my personal guard. Before that time, he was merely designated as a run of the mil infantry unit. Given his excellent service to the Empire, I approved his request. Yet it did not take long for Fikke Flyingsun to also take notice of Cell. Fikke, who had served RID faithfully since its founding, was by now in command of our newly formed "Special Operations" division. Fikke requested that Cell serve under his wing, helping to lead the division. It was a request that I was more than willing to oblige.

Meanwhile, we finally managed to procure the right to build yet another Imperial Forward Outpost, just like the one we had lost at the Battle of Crystal Hollow. This time, we thought very carefully about where to build it. We could once again attempt to use it against the CATS, or we could establish it in Fort Oasis. It did not take long for us to reject the first option. We already knew the CATS were skilled at combat, and had the allies necessary to destroy such a base in short order. Ultimately, we decided it would be better to strengthen our defenses, and construct the base in Fort Oasis. Yet we still needed a member to act as the official operator of the facility. Our original plan was to allow Fikke to assume this responsibility. After all, he was a loyal veteran of the Regal Imperial Defenders. However, Fikke was unable to accept this honor. To our disappointment, Fikke later announced that he would be stepping down from his commanding position. He remained in RID, but we rarely saw him again, as he no longer had the time to devote himself to our organization. With Fikke essentially retired, we looked towards Cell to not only assume command of this new Forward Outpost, but to also take his place as one of RID's commanders. There was simply no question in our minds that Cell was the right person for this. He was seen as a loyal comrade.

We organized a meeting with Cell in the Fort Oasis cantina. He was willing to assume official ownership of the Forward Outpost, and agreed to serve RID as a commanding official. However, instead of assuming Fikke's former position, he instead wished to serve as the commander of a newly formed close ranged combat division, named the Black Sword Division. At the time, it did not occur to us that this was the name of one of the Rebel organizations which fought against us during the Battle of Crystal Hollow. In any case, we authorized Cell's request to form this brand new division. After all, it was a form of combat we could have definitely used in our last Battle against the CATS. After authorizing Cell's request, he announced his command of the Black Sword Division to the rest of RID. He introduced several RID members into the Black Swords, including two humans, a hotheaded fighter named Skaarj Zulac, and a combat doctor who went by the pseudonym "TwistedImage." These members served beneath Cell loyally. The division, which focused primarily on the use of pole arms, swords, and hand-to-hand combat, grew in popularity. Cell had things under control, offering colored uniforms based on rank, and offering combat training to his division members. Indeed, it appeared as though his division could grow to become the backbone of RID might.

The day after announcing his promotion, I met with Cell in Fort Oasis to finally establish our new Imperial Forward Outpost. With Cell serving as its official owner, we broke ground in a plot of land just southwest of the city hall, and completed construction of the base. Just like the one we had deployed at Crystal Hollow, this base was staffed by a defense force of over a dozen stormtroopers, and one to two AT-ST Imperial Walkers. This base, which at the time was no easy feat to acquire, stood as a symbol of our growing strength. With this Forward Outpost inside our territory, Fort Oasis could finally live up to its name, literally becoming a fortified settlement. That same day, we organized a celebration in the Fort Oasis cantina. Me, Cell, and several other members, including Aleksandrov Danislavko, Rhelamos, Iseed Paggi, and an associate of TwistedImage named Ranxerok, were all in attendance. This was a momentous day, yet we quickly learned that the construction of this base would attract much unwanted attention.

Battles of Fort Oasis

Meanwhile, the two Twi'lek entertainers in RID, Zrinity and Oktowo Hidi, agreed to get married. I helped to minister the marriage ceremony on the open roof of the RID headquarters in Fort Oasis. Present at the ceremony were Jelakk Torgon, Totzo, Kurke Aumea, Iseed Paggi, a Rodian named Iwooko, and a friend outside of RID named Thepou. Following the ceremony, yet another party was held in the Fort Oasis cantina. Many others were invited to this party. Amongst the partygoers was an SAS member named Abbei Exa, a couple members from an organization called -C-, and Coreena Telios from an entertainment group called Pixie. However, there was more than one reason to celebrate. The day after the wedding, I announced to RID that due to the rising number of citizens, Fort Oasis qualified for recognition as a township. With it, the planetary authorities authorized the construction of a medical center and cloning facility. We allowed TwistedImage, who was by then a skilled doctor, the right to assume ownership of the newly constructed medical center in Fort Oasis. Additionally, we also now qualified for the right to display Fort Oasis on public navigation maps. This would increase Fort Oasis' reputation, no doubt encouraging new Imperials to flock to Fort Oasis and potentially enlist with the Regal Imperial Defenders. Yet this was a double-edged sword. Some Rebels were already beginning to take notice of our newly constructed Forward Outpost. With Fort Oasis put on the map, it would only be a short period of time before the rest of the Rebel Alliance learned about it.

Indeed, almost as quickly as it had been constructed, our base fell under attack. Almost on a daily basis, the once peaceful streets of Fort Oasis were being terrorized by Rebel forces launching hit and run strikes on our one and only military installation. Fortunately for us, most of these Rebels did not have the numbers or commitment to destroy our installation outright. Most attacks were merely focused on eliminating the bulk of Imperial stormtroopers defending our base. Nonetheless, we could not abide by our territory being incurred by enemies of Empire. Any and all threats towards our expensive Forward Outpost had to be dealt with seriously, as if every attack on our base could be its last. To safeguard our installation, RID began pooling their resources to fund various defensive measures, including the construction of armed turret systems, landmines, and scanners capable of detecting incoming enemies. However, even these barely slowed the constant Rebel attacks. The turrets for instance, were being destroyed faster than we could replace them. Impressively however, RID proved to be very coordinated in defending their homeland. Whenever an attack was detected, an alert would be quickly issued to the rest of RID. Within minutes, a small defensive patrol of only two RID soldiers would increase to a modest defense team of ten RIDs. Thanks to RID's spectacular response time, Rebel attacks were successfully deterred. Amusingly, there was one battle in which a Rebel rode in on an AV-21 landspeeder, which was considered to be an expensive, high-end vehicle. During the battle, forces of RID destroyed the speeder completely.

As successful as these defensive battles were, more needed to be done. Bizob, a Rodian member of RID who had by then been appointed to a commanding position, reported that our base was regularly falling under attack by two Rebels from the NYC organization. Assailants from MEK, short for Mabari Eternal Knights, also began attacking our installation. For all intents and purposes, MEK was an organization heavily loyal to the Rebellion, yet they self identified as a faction independent from either the Galactic Empire or Rebel Alliance. Although attacks on our installation increased dramatically, it still appeared as though no serious attempts were being made to deliberately destroy our facility in its entirety. Yet if the past had taught us anything, it was that Rebel organizations such these stood a real chance at doing so. Working with Zetagala Skylos, I announced to RID that we would begin officially recruiting for a homeland security force, comprising of those most committed to the goal of safeguarding our Forward Outpost. We also urged members of RID and the other citizens of Fort Oasis to interrogate suspicious individuals roaming about our territory. Additionally, RID began looking to other Imperial organizations to help aid in the defense of Fort Oasis. To achieve this, Zetagala and I arranged to hold a meeting with Avalucia Versailles, Head Mistress of The Honored Maidens, in their city of Tal Kyrte on Lok. We arrived to Lok by way of the spaceport in Nym's Stronghold. Because Tal Kyrte did not yet have its own transport shuttle, we had to make our way there by personal vehicle. Because Zetagala's speederbike was destroyed during a defensive battle in Fort Oasis, I let him borrow my dewback named Jub-Jub to use as a mount. He followed behind as I rode my own speederbike on the long journey across the barren, volcanic terrain of the Lokian surface.

Finally, like a mirage, Tal Kyrte emerged in the distance. We entered their city hall, introduced ourselves to Head Mistress Avalucia, and took a seat. Monitoring the meeting was another member of THM, a Zabrak named Seeva. During the meeting, we spoke about the threats against Fort Oasis, and how we would be grateful for the armed assistance of other Imperial organizations. In return, we said we would be willing to aid THM should their city ever be attacked. Avalucia was willing to consider our request, and allowed Seeva and several other members of THM, including their War Minister, Sarinn Shen, to inspect Fort Oasis. When they arrived, Bizob, Iseed and I gave them a tour of our growing fortress. We showed them our Forward Outpost, and explained that all the turret defenses had been destroyed. We told them that RID had decided to focus more on using landmines for defense, as they were cheaper and more efficient. When they asked who destroyed the turrets, we told them that NYC and MEK were primarily responsible. Yet we also took the opportunity to further express our displeasure with the CATS, and how we were toying with the possibility of infiltrating their ranks. However, I made clear that the CATS had left the region, and had not been sighted attacking our Forward Outpost. After showing them our medical center and shopping center, we closed the tour at the Imperial Oasis, just to the west of our city, where we simply engaged in idle chitchat. The primary topic at this point was how it was possible to fish in the pond of water at the oasis; an amusing prospect, given that we were on a desert planet. All in all, I felt as though the meeting and tour had gone well. Seemingly impressed by what they saw, Avalucia provided us with a list of contacts. We believed that this list could be relied upon in the event of any Rebel attacks.

However, THM was actually hesitant to provide assistance. Myzia clued me in on a private conversation held between the THM members Seeva, Mira Mar, and Sarinn Shen. According to Sarinn, she felt as though we were under the false impression that THM had outright agreed to come to our aid whenever we were attacked by Rebels. Sarinn clarified to Mira that no definitive answer had been given to us. Furthermore, Seeva voiced her hesitation about coming to our aid. According to her, RID had one day called on THM to help "intimidate" two suspected Rebel agents lurking around Fort Oasis. She did not feel as though this was a significant enough threat to warrant sending over additional assistance. She furthermore suggested that they carefully evaluate their relationship with RID, and ensure that when we call for assistance, it should only be when we genuinely need it. At the time, I was not very pleased to hear about their candid concerns. I felt as though THM had misunderstood our intentions, and misrepresented some key facts. In retrospect however, they may have had some valid concerns. To safeguard Myzia's reputation in THM, I did not make it known to anyone else that I knew the private details of THM's conversation.

On the other hand, our talks with another Imperial organization called DE proved to be more fruitful. One day, a leading member of MEK named Tuco launched a daring surprise attack against the stormtrooper's defending our installation. Iwooko, Aleksandrov, Iseed, Chalic, Oktowo and I quickly reported to Fort Oasis to put an end to the threat. However, Tuco was a skilled rifleman, and he spent much time arming and preparing himself for an offensive strike. We in RID were pulled from our peaceable activities with little time to fully arm and prepare for a defensive battle. Therefore, even though he was alone, Tuco proved to be a formidable foe, inflicting considerable harm against our forces. To put an end to his life, we attempted to lure him within the firing range of one of our All Terrain Scout Transports. Unfortunately for us, the unwieldy AT-ST got jammed within the structural elements of RID's headquarters! Yet within ten minutes of being notified, at least one ally from DE came to our aid, putting an end to Tuco's reign of terror. While this was considered a victory on our part, the fact that a single Rebel was able to cause such a disturbance against not only our base's innate defense force, but also an additional six RID combatants did not do us any favors in the eyes of public perception. Although Tuco had been successfully excised from Fort Oasis with the help of DE, he quickly returned news of the battle back to his comrades in MEK, including their leader, Cannar Corlin. Stories of his "brave" struggle against the overwhelming numbers of RID, their AT-ST walkers, and their fellow Imperial allies ultimately inspired the rest of MEK to unite together in more ambitious attacks. Meanwhile, even the CATS caught wind of this propagandistic anecdote, and publicly mocked RID for their inability to efficiently quell a lone rifleman inciting chaos within the streets of Fort Oasis.

Indeed, the emboldened forces of MEK did not relent in their attacks on our Forward Outpost. One follow-up attack comprised of a somewhat larger attack group of three to four MEK assailants, including Tuco, and a Wookiee named Mehter, who had expressed interest in "torching some RID guys" with his flamethrower. MEK even expanded their combat operations elsewhere across the planet Tatooine, with the assistance of the CATS, SoA, and other Rebel groups. In fact, MEK considered establishing their own base of operations on Tatooine. They considered a number of possible locations, including near the small town of Wayfar, Anchorhead, or even Fort Oasis itself! They also looked towards an up and coming city on Tatooine named Fort Alliance. Located west of Fort Tusken, near the ruins of another fallen city named Last Hope, Fort Alliance was a growing city with apparent loyalties to the Rebel Alliance. In addition, MEK considered launching a direct combat campaign against the forces of RID itself. Despite MEK's growing aggression towards RID, we shared something of a mutual respect for each other's organizations. Despite Tuco's skill, both of our organizations were somewhat on par in strength. We did not hold the same level of animosity against MEK as we did with the CATS. In fact, individuals within both our organizations shared similar qualities. Had MEK pledged full loyalty to the Empire, we may have actually been the closest allies the galaxy had ever seen.

Yet so long as MEK continued to threaten our territory and work in tandem with the Rebel Alliance, we could not let emotion soften our judgment. RID would take whatever action needed to defend itself and its territory against hostile attackers. Although the "Battles of Fort Oasis" were dangerous, and not devoid of considerable casualties on our side, we could rest assured about one thing – at the end of day, our base stood strong. Our base was a symbol of everything RID had worked for, and we would not allow it to be destroyed so easily.

RID Civil War

Although the regular attacks on our city were the most pressing concern, there were also other incidents happening around this time. For example, Oktowo Hidi, the owner of Fort Oasis' cantina and the husband of Zrinity, went missing. With Oktowo gone, we looked to Zrinity to take over as owner of the cantina. Meanwhile, Rakuda Hidi, a Bothan related in name to Oktowo, ended up joining RID. Rakuda formed something of a mafia within RID, comprising of several other members, but officially served under Cell in the Black Sword Division. All in all, while there were other minor issues to contend with, RID was operating relatively smoothly. I was soon required to leave on a short, two day excursion. I entrusted the commanding officers, including Kurke, Bizob, Cell, and several others, with overseeing administrative duties and the defense of Fort Oasis in my absence. I honestly believed RID would do just fine, but I did tease everyone before I left. "I wouldn't want to come back only to find my base in flames, city in ruins, and have all of RID rioting," I joked. Kurke, no doubt a competent leader, gave his assurances that they would hold down the fort. Meanwhile, Bizob had plans to lead RID on some combat missions.

However, in an ironic twist, my joke would become something of a reality. In my absence, chaos erupted; not because of Rebels, or another external threat, but because of the ill-conceived actions of what we thought was one of our most loyal members. When I returned, I was shocked to learn that Cell betrayed RID, and internally brought upon the destruction of the Forward Outpost we had allowed him to control! Along with the base, over 100,000 credits worth of maintenance funds and landmines were destroyed. We could not believe that our base, which we had devoted so much time and resources not only obtaining, but also defending for nearly three weeks, was not brought down by the likes of MEK, NYC, or some other Rebel organization, but through the actions of one of our most respected commanders. This betrayal left an impression on me and many others in RID, including one of our up and coming members, a fanatically loyal Imperial named Ty'e X'lor. Yet what was it that drove Cell to do such a thing? According to testimony from several RID witnesses, and later by Cell's own admission, an argument with TwistedImage served as a catalyst. The specifics of this argument, if it even actually occurred, are unclear. However, it is safe to say that Cell's loathing of TwistedImage and his close associate named Ranxerok, caused him to "snap." It was later learned that Skaarj Zulac, who was by then considered a close friend of Cell, may have also helped fuel the argument. Not only that, in the midst of the chaos, Iseed Paggi made the decision to leave RID.

However, Cell did not stop at simply destroying our Forward Outpost and deserting RID. He also defected to the Rebel Alliance, and made contact with the Rebel organization that would soon become enemy number one – CFM. As you may recall, the Crimson Fist Marines, comprising of Nisdain, loathed RID for their actions in Crystal Hollow. Cell wished to join CFM, but there were rumors that in order to be initiated, he would have to either kill me, or at least one other RID member. In an attempt to negotiate with Cell, and to show him the error of his ways, we requested that he meet with us in Fort Oasis. I gathered an entourage of other RID members, including Zetagala, Mnyak, Iwooko, Rakuda, Ranxerok, and a Mon Calamari medic named Kewan Turner. When Cell arrived, the seven of us encircled him, so that I could begin speaking with him. Although he had not yet joined CFM, he was wearing their distinctive red and silver composite armor. It was clear that CFM had already been working very closely with Cell. In any case, I still believed there was a chance to put an end to what we saw as Cell's foolish behavior. We already knew about his aversion to TwistedImage and Ranxerok, but I asked Cell what was truly motivating him to launch this crusade against RID and the Empire. According to Cell, he defected because of me. After hearing the "Rebel side" of the story involving RID's attack on Crystal Hollow (which occurred months before he even joined RID), Cell came to the conclusion that RID's actions were "unjustified." Additionally, Cell considered RID to be "weak."

I attempted to convince Cell that his actions were wrong, but he was completely unfazed. CFM had already made a completely different person out of Cell. He accused the Empire of being the true terrorists, and that we were the "evil" ones. Ranxerok, lacking the same diplomatic tact and sporting the same level of impulsive behavior as TwistedImage, mockingly replied with, "Woo! Evil!" Rakuda promptly derided Ranxerok, but the situation was already starting to deteriorate. My attempts to talk to Cell seemed useless, and Ranxerok, who was still hanging further back, made a disparaging comment about Cell. Rakuda once again derided Ranxerok for his lack of diplomacy, but the damage had already been done. Cell heard the comment, and slowly walked up to Ranxerok. Feeling threatened, Ranxerok panicked and began taking pot shots at Cell with his light lightning cannon. We were all in for it now. Realizing that any prospect of redeeming Cell was hopeless, I wielded my DXR-6 disruptor rifle and shouted, "The Empire will prevail!" Using his skill in close ranged combat, Cell began punching and kicking at me. My entourage quickly closed in to subdue Cell. Mnyak began using his skill in hand-to-hand combat, while Zetagala pulled out his FWG-5 pistol. Rakuda, who had served under Cell in the Black Sword Division, began using a sword of his own against his former commander. As we began fighting Cell, Rakuda and I shouted at him, calling him "scum" and "traitor" respectively. Amidst the fighting, Kewan stood back to provide critical first aid in the form of stimpaks, a type of medical device which ensured we would not get seriously injured against the heavily armored Cell. Despite Cell's skill, he was no match for the combined might of seven RID members. We subdued him, and I took the liberty of delivering the final blow.

However, Cell recovered from his injuries, and ultimately escaped to regroup with his new friends in CFM. He sent me a message which threatened that "things were only beginning." Cell had failed to kill any one of us in Fort Oasis, yet we learned that CFM had finally welcomed him officially. It is unclear whether the rumors of CFM's "rite of passage" were simply false, or if Cell had managed to kill another member of RID elsewhere. Meanwhile, I made a unilateral decision to expel TwistedImage and Ranxerok for what I perceived to be their part in instigating this crisis. To ensure that I had RID's backing, I retroactively held a rare democratic vote on the issue. Ultimately, the majority of RID agreed that not only TwistedImage and Ranxerok should have been dismissed from RID, but also Skaarj. After all, Skaarj often exhibited juvenile behavior, and he had developed something of a close friendship with Cell. However, Mnyak disagreed with the decision to remove TwistedImage and Ranxerok from RID, feeling as though he was not properly consulted about the impromptu democratic vote. Ultimately, I felt as though the decision to remove not only TwistedImage and Ranxerok, but also Skaarj, may have been a bit hasty on our part. After at least a day or two, I made the decision to reaccept them back into RID.

Meanwhile, Cell and CFM began making repeated threats against RID and sowing rumors amongst our ranks. We heard whispers of there being at least three other traitors amongst RID, possibly high ranking members willing to defect to the Rebellion. We also heard rumors of a supposed renegade partisan group comprising of citizens of Fort Oasis, planning to overthrow RID's control of the city. I heard that their main motivation was to install a new mayor in my place who would be better suited at safeguarding Fort Oasis. After having lost one of our most loyal members to the Rebellion, myself, Ty'e, and many other RID members believed these rumors, or at the very least treated them seriously. To defend Fort Oasis from a possible insurrection, I revoked administrative powers amongst those belonging to the militia, including a member of ours named Chalic. I declared to RID that a Civil War was amongst us. I commenced an open dialogue with RID, where we laid all the cards in the table. In the process, I wished to closely examine the loyalties of all our members. However, in the process of doing so, the loyalties of otherwise devoted members were being questioned. Looking back, this did not help to instill morale in an already delicate situation. For example, I looked at Aleksandrov, Mnyak and several others with some amount of suspicion for either being too quiet, being too vocal, or exhibiting some other form of questionable behavior. It was unfortunate for us, but the rumors spread by CFM had instilled an atmosphere of paranoia. I worked closely with Ty'e in scrutinizing the loyalties of our members. He was quite adamant that the rumors were true, and that other spies and insurgents were lurking before our very eyes.

However, most of RID affirmed their loyalty to me and to the Empire. Mnyak admitted to being flippant and impulsive, and although he questioned my decisions from time to time, he made clear that he had no plans to defect. Chalic further pledged his "complete loyalty to RID," and pointed out that he had helped to defend Fort Oasis before even joining RID. Even though he himself was a member of the Fort Oasis militia, he defended my controversial decision to revoke the militia's power to safeguard the city from potential uprisings. Zrinity further pledged her loyalty, claiming that I had her "full support." Rakuda declared, "Lexx, as always, my sword is at your command." Ty'e, who I had already viewed as a very loyal Imperial, assured me further by saying, "Don't worry sir, I won't betray you like that... I am an extremely loyal friend and soldier, and I could never come to betray such a great commander. I myself am not so easily swayed by Rebel propaganda." Several others vowed loyalty, and leading officials such as Kurke and Bizob attempted to put a positive spin on the recent events. They claimed that the crisis would allow us the opportunity to "weed out the unfaithful," and that the loss of the base would "give us time to breath." RID could focus on gaining further strength and resources before devoting its energy to defending an Imperial installation. Aleksandrov Danislavko, who I had eyed with some amount of suspicion, declared, "I shall stand by your side Lexx, and to all those who are still loyal to RID. I am a loyal servant of the Empire. Do not dare to question my loyalty again." Touched by his pledge of complete loyalty, and feeling a tinge of guilt for having questioned it in the first place, I approved Aleksandrov’s promotion to my personal guard division.

Aleksandrov later requested that I meet with him in the Fort Oasis cantina. If memory serves me correctly, Ty'e and at least one other RID member may have also been in attendance. During the meeting, Aleksandrov courageously voiced his opinion that the ongoing disputes in RID were being mishandled. He believed that many other innocent members were being suspected of treason, and that just because there were rumors of further uprisings and betrayals did not mean that they were true. He insisted that CFM was using psychological warfare against us, spreading rumors to sow dissension and mistrust amongst our ranks. He felt as though we were playing right into the enemy's hands. All the paranoia, disputes, and animosity amongst members had been fueled by the mere words of Cell, Nisdain, and other belligerents in CFM.

I thanked Aleksandrov for his candid input and thought about what he said. Aleksandrov's meeting started to make me think twice about the whole situation. Perhaps the entire ordeal was less severe than we had initially believed. However, Ty'e continued to share a different viewpoint. He was convinced that RID’s security was compromised by potential insurrectionists, and that we were justified in seeking out those who would dare to conspire against us. Ty'e was at least right about one thing. It would have been foolish to believe that RID was not hit hard by a serious act of treason, and that further acts of treason were impossible. We would have to remain vigilant, so that the legitimacy of our positions and the security of RID would not be compromised. Fortunately for us, we had a chance to channel our energy towards an external threat. We wanted nothing short of revenge against CFM. War was the answer, and this time we were unified!

The CFM War

I myself was motivated by a desire to refocus RID's attention away from the ongoing internal disputes and redirect it towards a common, external enemy. After all, CFM was the source of our recent troubles. However, in the rush boost morale and instill a sense of unified purpose, RID had not yet developed the strength necessary to launch another focused combat operation against a singular Rebel unit. Our relatively recent loss against the CATS was proof of this. However, the Crimson Fist Marines continued to harass us as they roamed the region surrounding our city. Bizob fell under attack by three Rebels in CFM, first in Fort Oasis, and then again further north around Fort Tusken. Ultimately, I announced our intentions to battle CFM in our homeland. We openly declared war against them, and assembled what RID members we could at the Imperial Oasis. Zetagala, Kuiloo, Iwooko and Rakuda were among us. Telemchus helped fight alongside us later on, and even Zrinity, who was by no means skilled in combat, aided us in battle that day.

At the Imperial Oasis, our forces equipped and prepared for battle. Alongside us was a newly obtained AT-ST walker under my personal command. It was an asset which I hoped would grant us an extra edge on the battlefield. CFM was in the area and they knew we were planning an attack. In the meantime, we simply waited within the safe confines of the Imperial Oasis. In addition to our RID forces, our AT-ST, and other command units, there was also the local patrol of Imperial stormtroopers in the region. Nestled within a mountainous valley, we hoped to use our understanding of the nearby terrain to our advantage. Eventually, as we waited, we noticed an enemy emerging from the distance. It happened to be Nisdain, and he was all by himself. He engaged our forces from a distance, and some of us returned fire. In the chaotic exchange of fire, the AT-ST under my command became extremely damaged. I ordered RID not to chase Nisdain, and to instead retreat back into the Imperial Oasis. It did not take an expert tactician to realize that he was attempting to lure us into a trap.

We waited for a while longer, but there was only silence. The Rebels had still not advanced towards the Imperial Oasis. We finally decided to cautiously advance eastwards toward Fort Oasis. This proved to be a fatal mistake. Just as we were heading towards our city, soldiers from CFM charged down the steep mountainside right towards us! Our forces engaged the enemies in battle just between Fort Oasis and the Imperial Oasis. Our AT-ST was sent to attack, but was swiftly destroyed by the Crimson Fist Marine's superior weaponry. We continued to suffer losses, and fell back into the Imperial Oasis. However, we were ultimately defeated by CFM, and regrouped our forces in the city of Mos Espa, east of Fort Oasis. After preparing our forces once more, we headed westward. We actually spotted Cell on his own, and in our desire to enact vengeance against him, we pursued him. This was yet another blunder. In the process of chasing Cell, two other warriors from CFM emerged to flank us. Together, the trio of CFM Rebels defeated us, forcing us to regroup in Mos Espa once more. Meanwhile, CFM withdrew further west, occupying the unprotected streets of Fort Oasis. In a feeble attempt to reclaim our territory, we once again advanced westward and established a camp east of our city. While in our camp, we continued to prepare for combat, and attempted to track the location of our enemies. In the process of doing so, Cell and his other friends in CFM somehow learned of our location, and launched a surprise attack on our camp. For the third time, we regrouped our forces in Mos Espa. We knew we needed more help, so we called in one of our most valuable assets – Naghaz.

Naghaz Sathrak was a Trandoshan Force-sensitive trained in the art of lightsaber combat. If our loss against the CATS taught us anything, it was that an individual such as Naghaz could turn the tide in battle. A recent addition to RID, Naghaz agreed to quickly travel to Mos Espa to aid us in our fight against CFM. When he arrived, he insisted that he scout Fort Oasis for targets. We strongly urged him not to do so, as we had to stick together if we ever hoped to win. Unfortunately for us, there was no convincing him. In his stubbornness, he trekked straight towards Fort Oasis to scout for enemy forces. Shortly thereafter, we heard reports that CFM defeated him. Naghaz, our last chance at overpowering CFM, would no longer be able to help us.

After having already secured the region surrounding the Imperial Oasis and Fort Oasis, the Crimson Fist Marines advanced further east, meeting our forces in Mos Espa. We knew by then that all hope was lost. Weary and demoralized, CFM surrounded our forces in Mos Espa. We laid down our weapons and asked for a ceasefire. However, they demanded unconditional surrender, something we were not willing to accept. "You will have to kill us first, terrorists," I declared. Nisdain, leading the small group of Crimson Fist Marines in the city, comprising of Cell, a Twi'lek named Tegras Dyne, and one other unidentified Rebel, said in response, "I am a terrorist." They then promptly began violently beating down our forces. In the midst of these violent scuffles, CFM tried to encourage RID to desert me. "I feel so sorry for you, for following Lexx's idiocy," one of them said. In response, Iwooko, one of our loyal soldiers said, "Lexx is no idiot. I would follow his leadership always." Zrinity, our entertainer, bravely stood up to one of the members of CFM, Tegras Dyne, and said, "I am an unarmed dancer, and if you kill me, you are weaker than we are." Unfazed, Tegras mockingly kissed her, and then fought her until she fell to the ground. Eventually, the forces of CFM met with me in the Mos Espa cantina, where they continued to demand unconditional surrender. When I refused, I was thrown to the ground in defeat.

In the end, myself and the rest of RID managed to escape the violence of Mos Espa back to the safe confines of Fort Oasis. Back at our home without any CFM in sight, we declared an official ceasefire, but refused to acknowledge an unconditional surrender. CFM ultimately left the region, allowing us to heal our wounds and collect our thoughts. The forces of RID had fought bravely and loyally by my side, but it was not enough to achieve victory. Just like the Battle against the CATS, this was another complete disaster.

Aftermath of the War

Following the war, I called RID into the Fort Oasis city hall for a meeting. Zetagala stood beside me as the rest of RID filled in the seats before us. During my address to RID, I assumed responsibility for our failure, and apologized for once again sending inexperienced troops into battle against well trained combatants. After the Battle against the CATS, I promised RID that we would not engage in direct combat operations against individual Rebel organizations until we were certain we would stand a chance. Yet in my desire to unify RID against a common enemy, I failed to keep this promise. During our meeting, I reaffirmed my desire to keep training RID, and promised again to never engage our forces in unilateral combat against Rebel units until we were brought up to par. Instead, we would devote ourselves to building up Fort Oasis, training our forces, building alliances with other Imperial organizations, and boosting morale amongst our members. After all, despite having been unified against CFM for the duration of the war, there was still the ever lingering suspicion of spies and traitors hiding amongst us. Although the meeting with Aleksandrov diffused many concerns, we still had to be cautious.

Indeed, a week after the war, evidence emerged of another potential insurrectionist. Thaesus Andromeda, a member of RID, was spotted in Fort Oasis talking to Cell. She was recorded to have said, "I am this close from leaving the guild and going Rebel." Rakuda, Ty'e, Onslaught- Nefarious, and Aemagibeia Opaeg were all witnesses to her proclamation. Rakuda, offended by both Thaesus' treasonous remarks and Cell's incitation, had heated words for the two of them. Cell eventually left, but we still had Thaesus to deal with. When evidence of her misconduct was brought to my attention, Ty'e and I interrogated her. She openly admitted to being friends with the CATS, and even creating propaganda symbols for their organization. When we asked what she knew about them, she deflected the question and coyly declared that she was "always more loyal to RID." She then told us that they had several Force-sensitives, which was of course no surprise. After all, we had witnessed several of them in action during our Battle against the CATS. When asked what she thought about CFM and Cell, she remarked something along the lines of, "Oh Cell, he is a pretty nice person." Thaesus had also been witnessed inspecting resident's homes throughout Fort Oasis. When queried, she simply told us that she was "looking for some decorating ideas." Furthermore, Thaesus had still refused to fully enlist with the Galactic Empire. She was still designated as a civilian, something we were willing to overlook as she was merely a dancer. All in all, her actions and remarks were all a cause for concern between Ty'e and I. Ty'e especially viewed her as an aggressive spy seeking to undermine RID. On the other hand, I viewed her more as a bumbling nuisance, being led astray by the likes of Cell. While interrogating her, I attempted to understand her side of the story. However, she eventually grew weary of the questioning, and wished for it to stop. Still, I was willing to give her some benefit of the doubt. I hesitated removing her from RID right away and instructed my fellow members to monitor her for any other suspicious behavior. In retrospect, we had every cause to dismiss her immediately, and it probably would have been wiser for me to do so.

To boost morale, Kurke planned a type of game show within the confines of our RID Headquarters in Fort Oasis. The game would consist of three contestants who would answer trivia questions about important galactic figures and events. The winner would receive a cash prize. Other RID members would watch as spectators. Kurke planned for this contest by creating a game board in our headquarters, and coming up with a set of trivia questions. Myself and a couple other RID members helped Kurke run a rehearsal of the game show a few days prior to the actual event. In the meantime, Ty'e also sent me a proposal regarding how to best infiltrate the CATS' home of Crystal Hollow on Dantooine. Although we had put direct combat operations on the backburner, we were always still looking at ways to weaken our enemies. I considered Ty'e's proposals, and also began working with Kurke regarding how to best bring about the fall of their city. Meanwhile, RID held another, modestly larger organizational meeting in the Fort Oasis city hall, including the likes of Kurke, Telemchus, Zetagala, Bizob, and at least three others.

The Zerow Trial

The Civil War proved to not be entirely negative. We decided to use some aspects of it to our own advantage. Kurke envisioned the creation of an Emergency Judgment Council. There were times where I hesitated to arrive to a decision regarding the fate of a RID member. Kurke believed that a Judgment Council would at times alleviate me of the responsibility to arrive to difficult decisions on my own. If I felt unable or unwilling to arrive to a decision, I could rely on the Emergency Judgment Council to make a ruling. Trials would be held by the Council in the RID headquarters in Fort Oasis. I agreed to Kurke's proposal, and very quickly drafted procedures for Council rulings. However, the Emergency Judgment Council had not yet been put to good use, making it little more than a theoretical concept.

To change this, Kurke agreed to make the first Emergency Judgment Council trial a kind of "rehearsal," so to speak. This would allow us to test the basic procedures for a typical trial. At the same time, we hoped that this mock trial would serve an alternate purpose – allow us to infiltrate Crystal Hollow and the CATS. We determined that a member named Zerow would be an excellent candidate for this operation. We would put Zerow on trial, and “assuming” he was found guilty, he would be removed from RID. He would then attempt to infiltrate Crystal Hollow, using the fact that he was banished by RID as an excuse to join and assist them. While the idea seemed to work on paper, it was never really thought out in detail. RID simply did not have the resources to pull off a coup in Crystal Hollow in our current situation.

Nonetheless, we decided to go through with the trial. Of course we had to put him on trial for something, so we told Zerow to act like a dissident. He was told to wander around Fort Oasis and state things such as, “RID and Fort Oasis will crumble.” This would also test the loyalty of any RIDs who should see him spouting treasonous remarks. We could be further assured of our members’ loyalty if they reported Zerow’s activity to the Leadership. Eventually, Zerow entered the streets of Fort Oasis. Kurke, Ty'e, Onslaught-, and a somewhat newer member by the name of Eurami Mordecino witnessed Zero as he openly remarked, "One of these days this city will burn." While Kurke and Ty'e were privy to the plot, Onslaught- and Eurami were not. Alarmed by his remarks, Onslaught- asked, "What was that? What did you just say?" After Zerow remarked, "None of your business," Onslaught- promptly spit at him. The altercation continued between the two for a short while longer. Immediately, Onslaught- brought the issue to RID's attention, asking that Zerow be dismissed. Eurami also quickly submitted recorded proof of Zerow's treacherous remarks. Not informing the bulk of RID regarding our secretive plot, I acknowledged the next day that Zerow would be put on trial, but I did not yet set an official date.

Before hosting the trial, we decided to first arrange for the game show that Kurke had put together. Lighthearted activities such as these were just what RID needed to forget about things like the Civil War, Cell, and our recent loss against CFM. We gathered in our headquarters to enjoy the spectacle. Kurke was the host, while I helped to tally the final scores. Bizob, Rakuda and Telemchus were the three contestants. A number of spectators were in attendance, including Aleksandrov, Aemagibeia, Oraf Klega, Roresk, Ty'e, Xanus, and Zrinity. The game show went on for quite a while, with Kurke asking many trivia questions. In the end, Bizob was declared as the final winner, with 4,300 points. Rakuda came in second with 2,400, and Telemchus third with 1,000. While we did hit some snags, due to my inability to at first correctly add the final tallies, the game was a resounding success. RID enjoyed the show, prompting us to plan for more types of activities in the future. On the day of the game show, I also released a propaganda video highlighting the events surrounded Project V-Day, and the birth of RID. Aemagibeia, Iwooko, Kurke, Rakuda, Ranxerok, Jarmes and I performed as actors. I hoped that the video would instill both a sense of pride throughout our ranks, and encourage other Imperials to enlist with our organization.

Following the successful game show and release of our propaganda video, we set an official date for the trial of Zerow. For the ruling, the Emergency Judgment Council consisted of Bizob, Kurke, and Zrinity. Backups included Chalic and Telemchus. Zerow was brought before the Council in the RID headquarters, fully aware of his fate. Behind him, the rest of RID sat in the spectator area, with most believing him to be an actual traitor. The charges of treason against RID and the Empire were brought against Zerow. With evidence of Zerow's "misconduct" accounted for, the trial was quick and efficient. Zerow was found guilty with a three out of three vote by the Council, and immediately discharged from RID. Unfortunately for us, despite negligible attempts, the infiltration operation never took place. The leaders in Crystal Hollow were still cautious of internal takeovers following our attack on their city. This made it difficult for Zerow to be even granted basic citizenship in their city, let alone any kind of management position which would facilitate a successful coup. Soon, we lost further contact with Zerow. We could not be sure what had happened to him, but he seemed to have gone his own separate way. This made bringing him back to RID impossible. At the very least, the trial served to properly demonstrate the Emergency Judgment Council's effectiveness for future applications.

Renewal of Fort Oasis

Around this time, we officially announced Kurke's initiative to reorganize the layout of Fort Oasis. The birth of our fortress was overwhelmed with numerous financial and logistical issues. In a rush to simply cram as many registered citizens within our territory as possible, the layout of Fort Oasis was such that domiciles were strewn randomly around the city center. We wanted Fort Oasis to be the wonder of Imperial might on Tatooine. We did not want it to be seen as a shantytown of poorly organized leaders. And the longer we waited to address this issue, the harder it would be to solve. With more members constructing dwellings within our fortress' boundaries, it would inevitably become more and more challenging to reconstruct everything in a more organized fashion. With this in mind, Kurke drew up a number of different diagrams showing proposed residential layouts. Ultimately however, Kurke's ambitious vision for what Fort Oasis ought to look like could not be completely realized. The area in which Fort Oasis was constructed consisted of rugged terrain, with deep trenches, rocky hills, and steep mountains to the north and west. This was the price we paid for our desire to build as close as possible to the Imperial Oasis, which itself was nestled within a deep valley of the Mospic High Range. Still, a professionally constructed Fort Oasis was still a completely achievable and worthy goal.

We soon went to work, ordering our citizens to pack up their belongings, so that we could raze a large number of structures and rebuild them in more cohesive rows. It was bound to be a slow process, but by starting then, we were sure to enjoy the fruits of our labor in the months to come. As an aside, it was around this time that one of our long time members, Zetagala Skylos, announced his retirement. He would not be leaving RID, but he was unable to devote time to RID in even a limited capacity. However, he did offer some assurances that he may return to serve RID again in the future.

Uniting the Empire

Despite the lack of integrity witnessed under Weifert’s now defunct Europa Network, I was honestly inspired by what he had created. I envisioned applying some of the same principles of the Europa Network to create a more cohesive Galactic Empire. I envisioned bringing multiple Imperial organizations and cities together in greater harmony, to better engage the Rebel Alliance in the Galactic Civil War. Although it was an ambitious concept, I believed it was an attainable goal. In the midst of RID's Civil War, prior to our war with CFM, I had actually organized a conference with a number of Imperials in the Bestine capitol building. Xalya Shadowalker, a Twi'lek soldier, and leading official of THM was in attendance. So were Randolf Hawkins, Eliv, and Ms. Elena of an Imperial organization known as WoE. Atro of Delta, and several other unaffiliated Imperials, including Firy Vorru, Tivoha Mosme, Albonex, a businessman named Phagen Stilgarth, and a Twi'lek named Oyvo Ota were also present.

Unfortunately, little progress was made during this meeting. Discussions were mired in skepticism that such a system was feasible or necessary within the Galactic Empire. Other attendees, particularly Oyvo Ota, simply attempted to position themselves for controlling positions within this proposed network, should it ever get off the ground. Ultimately, the meeting ended with little more than superficial assurances that all members of the Empire ought to work together in the struggle against the Rebellion. However, the meeting did present another, smaller opportunity. Prior to organizing the conference, Ranxerok and I had met with an Imperial named Xanus Kreigor during a visit to Theed. Xanus was a member of DE, the organization which had dutifully defended Fort Oasis in the past. Through our discussions, Xanus expressed interest in leaving DE and transferring over to RID.

After joining RID, Xanus suggested that he could serve as my Royal Advisor. I did not think much of this, and agreed to appoint him to the position. Xanus seemed like the type of person who knew the inner workings of Imperial leadership. Perhaps he could help me to better run RID, I thought. However, appointing him to this position so soon after joining RID may have been a mistake. While I believed Xanus to be a decent person, my decision to make this appointment set the stage for yet another conflict within RID, this time concerning how I managed our organization.

The tenuous peace that RID had enjoyed as of late would soon plummet back into turmoil.

The RID Separatists

Around this time, Rakuda Hidi and Skaarj Zulac were engaged in a number of squabbles. After much bickering between the two, Rakuda finally had enough and resigned from RID. By then, Rakuda was a somewhat popular member, which made it difficult for many members to see him go. We contacted him, and asked him to return to RID. He accepted our welcome, after I gave my assurances that Skaarj would leave him alone. With the dilemma seemingly resolved, we moved on. Later, Rakuda requested that he own a home in Fort Oasis. He wanted the home next to Skaarj's house. I authorized his request and allowed the construction of his home in a designated plot of land. However, matters were frustrated when Skaarj got upset with Rakuda, claiming that it was “his land” that the house was built on. Rakuda once again became irritated with Skaarj, and left RID. While we viewed Skaarj's objections as idiotic at best, and believed Rakuda had good grounds to be angry, we were at the same time growing weary with Rakuda leaving RID as a tool to gain sympathy. Still, we had to accept that Skaarj was more trouble than he was worth. We removed him from RID for good, feeling as though it would finally bring an end to the internal strife that had been plaguing our organization for quite some time. After hearing news of Skaarj's dismissal, Rakuda once again accepted our invitation to rejoin RID.

Meanwhile, despite Xanus having settled into RID, and even offering Kurke input on how to restructure Fort Oasis, several others were cynical. Rakuda Hidi, the Mordecino family, and several others were critical of Xanus and my hasty decision to appoint him to the newly created Royal Advisor position. Jealousy most certainly played a role in this, as many members were vying for positions of superiority within RID. Although Eurami Mordecino was also relatively new to RID, he frequently came to me with suggestions on how RID should be directed. Rakuda had been around a while longer, and even though he had already been entrusted with leadership positions, he did not take kindly to the organizational charts showing the newly recruited Xanus above him. While I realized it may have been an error to offer this newly created position to a new member so fast, Rakuda had just one way to deal with the situation. Instead of speaking about the issue with higher officials, he chose to once again leave RID. At this point, any popularity Rakuda may have had in RID was wearing thin. I and many others considered barring Rakuda from ever joining RID again. Still, we gave him another chance, but only after sternly warning him that this kind of conduct could not continue. Next time, we would not be so generous.

Although Rakuda had returned once again, the fundamental issue had not yet been fully addressed. Discontent with Xanus continued with the likes of Eurami, and a few others in RID. Eurami however, at least spoke to me personally to express his concerns. I tried to understand why this situation mattered so much to him, and why it was worth the internal strife. He simply explained that members who had been in RID for a longer period of time were not receiving the recognition they deserved. He believed that Xanus should be demoted out of principle. I told him that would probably not happen, at least not any time soon. I did assure him that I would require Xanus to address all of RID to allay people’s concerns. While Xanus reluctantly agreed to do so, it did not solve any problems. I finally considered demoting Xanus, out of hopes that it would appease the member-base. While contemplating this, I received news that Onslaught- Nefarious left RID. It turned out, at least according to what I heard, that he was unhappy with the decision to readmit Rakuda for a third time. Reportedly, TwistedImage managed to convince Onslaught- to return to RID, under the condition that Rakuda receive some type of disciplinary action. We agreed to issue out a suspension to Rakuda. As his popularity diminished, some pushed for him to actually be demoted. However, I never deemed it prudent to either demote him or Xanus. I felt that both had something to offer to RID, and that any animosity between the two could be alleviated.

However, it did not take long for Rakuda to address RID one final time. Apparently distraught over the series of events that had unfolded, he decided it would be best to leave RID, this time for good. He, as well as Eurami and his family, left RID to create their own organization called The Imperial Enclave, or TIE for short. According to Eurami, TIE would not tolerate bickering or power struggles of any kind. They also went about founding their own outpost on the planet Dantooine, southeast of the planet's Mining Outpost. Managed by Rakuda, the newly constructed outpost was simply named the Enclave, after the organization which resided there. Approximately ten RID members left our organization during this time of unrest, however not all had joined up with TIE. Obviously realizing that the situation was dire, I encouraged all of RID to stay unified during these hard times. I stressed to RID that if they had any concerns, they should bring it up with the Leadership promptly, before just giving up all hope and abandoning RID. My address to RID did little to nil, as more members continued to leave. Even Zrinity, who was still in command of our combat support activities, decided to leave and join The Imperial Enclave. Two others soon followed, although not all who left decided to join TIE. Nevertheless, a total of roughly thirteen members left RID by the time the ordeal ended, weakening our ranks considerably.

Accidental Battle

For now, there was silence. No more fighting or bickering was going on amongst the members of our organization, at least for the moment. However, the losses were huge; because Zrinity had left us, we lost the Fort Oasis cantina, as she was its owner. Despite this loss, and a number of others, we decided to once again move on piece by piece. I spoke to Eurami, telling him that he should not think running his own organization and city would be easy. I assured him that there would be squabbles in his newly founded Enclave one way or another, and that he would just have to prepare to deal with them. In the end though, both Rakuda and Eurami received the positions they desired. They now led their very own Imperial organization and city.

I personally wanted to put TIE behind us, but Eurami wished to forge a closer alliance with RID. He shared status updates concerning TIE and their outpost with the rest of RID, but I could not shake the perception that these were veiled, passive aggressive attempts to show off their superiority. And although we still had some sympathy for Eurami, closely allying with a group of people who had chosen to abandon us during hard times was not easy to overlook. However, we did consider his proposal. We did not have a vested interest in Dantooine, but the CATS did still reside there, so perhaps TIE could continue to assist us in the fight against the Rebellion on that world. However, a problem remained. Rakuda made it clear that he would be against TIE working with RID so long as Xanus retained his position within RID. It baffled me as to why Rakuda, now in an independent organization, was concerned with the internal hierarchy of RID. In fact, I almost felt the need for Xanus to maintain his position out of principle.

Meanwhile, other matters were at hand. In Tatooine’s capital of Bestine, a heated election was underway between Director of Commerce Sean Trenwell, and Officer of Defense Victor Visalis. The incumbent Sean Trenwell had already won multiple elections, motivating me to create a campaign video in support of the Imperial loyalist Victor Visalis. The campaign video called into question Sean’s dubious past, and failures to uphold campaign promises. Even my Rebel friend, Com Cypher, was featured in the video to criticize Sean. After releasing the video to the public, Victor emerged victorious, and pledged to increase the city’s stormtrooper patrols. The day I released the video, I decided to accompany a RID member by the name of Chargaro on a patrol near Anchorhead. Chargaro, a member of the furry race of Wookiees, was not a common sight in the predominantly human-dominated Galactic Empire. Nevertheless, he was as loyal as any other, and a fierce fighter. While scouting the outskirts of Anchorhead, we encountered a large Rebel installation, and attacked some of the Rebel soldiers defending it. However, we were soon caught by surprise by the mesmerizing glow of a dual-bladed lightsaber belonging to Malaydra Izmatuthirium, the presumed leader of the CATS. Malaydra was instrumental in defeating RID during our Battle against the CATS in-between Bestine and Anchorhead. Now, she made quick work in defeating both me and Chargaro, forcing us to regroup.

Later, RID member Aemagibeia and Meha Doti of the organization called MYA accompanied me on a patrol of Bestine. While in the local Cheapside Cantina, we were once against ambushed, this time by a small squad of the CATS including Malaydra, Zuu Lin, and Sheree. Despite our defeat in Bestine, I amassed a larger squad of RID members, including Aemagibeia, Xanus, Ty’e, Bizob, and Chargaro. Together, we decimated the security forces guarding a Rebel base near Anchorhead (presumably the same one I had attacked earlier alongside Chargaro). While we did not destroy the base, we succeeded in pacifying the area, and the CATS were not anywhere to be found. Despite engaging the CATS in isolated skirmishes, we were not actually in open war with them. However, that would soon change.

The next day, I went on leave for over a week, forcing RID to tend to themselves. I left certain individuals in charge, including Kurke, Telemchus, and Xanus. Unfortunately, during my absence, trouble with the CATS started to brew once again. Because I was not there to witness the events firsthand, what transpired had to be pieced together from later testimony by various RID members. In the end, the complete truth of what happened may never be known. According to reports I received upon my return, the situation ignited when Onslaught- detected at least one member of the CATS entertaining in a city's cantina. This CATS member was apparently dancing or playing music for guests, making them vulnerable to attack. Onslaught- was alleged to have opened fire on this Rebel, possibly killing them. When the CATS learned of Onslaught-'s actions, they retaliated by reinitiating war with RID. It appears that they were able to do this because our previous war with the CATS was never completely terminated. Following our latest battle against them in the ruins between Bestine and Anchorhead, we had only rendered a partial cease fire.

Because it was never our intention to start a new, all out war with the CATS, RID was caught completely by surprise. Many RID members were ambushed and killed unsuspectingly. Others had their vehicles destroyed by enemy fire. Thankfully, Telemchus and the other RID members I had left in charge quickly realized what was going on. Telemchus swiftly posted an advisory urging RID to secure their homes, avoid major cities and transportation hubs, and to keep away from soldiers of the Counter Armor Tactical Squad, should any be spotted. He also recommended that an Emergency Council vote be held in my absence, to determine whether RID should enter diplomatic talks with the CATS to engender a ceasefire. He also noticed that several members were deserting RID altogether, to avoid being attacked. He assured RID that I would end the crisis completely as soon as I returned, and to not make a regretful decision to abandon RID. Meanwhile, Xanus decided to act quickly to settle the crisis, foregoing any sort of Emergency Council vote. Xanus ended up speaking directly to one of the CATS leaders, hoping to put an end to the conflict. Unfortunately, these talks apparently broke down when reports emerged of TwistedImage heavily damaging a CATS' AV-21 landspeeder. Xanus alleged that this enraged the CATS, nullifying any hope of an immediate ceasefire. TwistedImage insisted that the CATS could not have cared less about the damaged vehicle, and that the owner even admitted that driving around such a costly vehicle in the middle of an armed conflict was ill-advised. Regardless, the conflict continued, and much of RID felt that TwistedImage was responsible for prolonging the bloodshed. Fortunately, Telemchus and Xanus ultimately succeeded in negotiating a truce with the CATS. Kurke then reminded RID not to attack any member of the Counter Armor Tactical Squad, else war would be resumed. He also reminded RID that any member found attacking a member of the CATS without provocation would be suspended.

Thanks to Telemchus' statesmanship, Xanus' decisiveness, and Kurke's vigilance, the truce took hold until I could officially end the conflict completely upon my return. Had Onslaught-'s actions been immediately known, it may have been deemed prudent to discipline him. However, knowledge of Onslaught- sparking the conflict did not surface until later. As far as RID was concerned, TwistedImage endangered the entire organization by engaging enemy property, despite being ordered not to do so. In my absence, those in charge decided to suspend TwistedImage as a result of his irresponsible actions. In the time surrounding this ruling, TwistedImage and his close associate Ranxerok deserted RID altogether. In a message to RID, TwistedImage proclaimed his irritation at the suspension, and that he would seek to join another Imperial organization. However, his story appeared to change upon my return. He later claimed that he and Ranxerok left RID to avoid being fired upon by the CATS. Regretful of the events that had transpired, he requested that we at least consider readmitting his associate, Ranxerok. While there may have been some truth to his story, I reminded him that the integrity of our entire organization depended on us being unified during difficult times. If everyone decided to desert RID to safeguard themselves against the enemy, there would barely have been a RID left for me to come back to. After discussing the issue with Kurke, and other higher-ups, I decided to decline both TwistedImage and Ranxerok from being allowed back into RID. Me, Kurke, and a rising Zabrak member of RID named Fingolfin, met with Ranxerok in Fort Oasis to formally inform him that we would deny his readmittance into RID. Following that meeting, both Ranxerok and TwistedImage ended up seeking membership in the the Lokian-based Imperial organization, the Black Star Alliance. Because TwistedImage was our primary medic, Doctor Kuiloo Patlin inherited the rights to own the Fort Oasis Medical Center following our decision to keep the two of them out of RID.

Tensions with TIE

Upon my return, I had to deal with yet another problematic issue. While I was away, Rakuda had been secretly sending recruitment messages to several of his favorite RID members, such as Kuiloo, Totzo, Aleksandrov, Oraf and numerous others. Thankfully, RID did not give in, and sent me copies of his “recruitment” e-mails. I already felt it was dubious for another Imperial organization to attempt to poach some of our members, but I was most angered by the rant-filled content of Rakuda’s e-mail. The message pointed out how “stupid” RID was, and listed a number of grievances about our organization. Rakuda expressed bafflement as to how RID could be foolish enough to spark an accidental battle with the CATS. The message also included other gratuitous disinformation, including such lies as, “RID is falling apart.” Rakuda called on our members to forget RID and join TIE, an organization that he claimed was growing and prospering each and every day with a fair leadership structure.

Aggravated by his inflammatory attempt to lure our members away from RID, I quickly responded. I told him he knew very little about the details of our latest mishap with the CATS to even dare accuse RID of foolishness in the matter. I also pointed out that he should instead recruit other Imperials, rather than stealing back the Imperials that he not only deserted, but had just now insulted. Believing that Eurami would have more sense in the matter, I kindly requested that he speak to Rakuda about his behavior. Rakuda, still holding somewhat of a grudge towards RID, made any serious alliance with TIE impossible.

The Imperial Network

Despite our failure to establish worthwhile ties with TIE, RID nevertheless attracted the attention of a growing number of other Imperial organizations. Commanding officers Bizob, Ty’e, and squad member Fingolfin all took the initiative to meet with the leaders of these other Imperial associations. By that time, well known and powerful Imperial organizations such as the Interplanetary Security Force and The Imperial Order were already successful in building a network of Imperial associations from the ground up. This network was quite simply referred to as the Imperial Network, and unlike my attempts to forge a network of my own, the Imperial Network was well devised, and firmly established. The success of the Imperial Network was due largely in part to the strong influence of ISF, TIO, and a number of other organizations. TIO in particular was still one of the largest and most popular Imperial establishments at the time. This influence helped them gain favor with other Imperial leaders, and inspire them to further unite together against the Rebel Alliance.

RID initially knew very little about the Imperial Network. However, the aforementioned members of RID, such as Bizob, Ty’e and Fingolfin, each played in a role in introducing themselves to Cairne Cantasi, a high ranking official of ISF, and one of the top coordinators of the Imperial Network. Cairne, who later ended up transferring to TIO, welcomed a number of RID members, including Ty’e, Fingolfin, Oraf and Kuiloo to a combat operation against at least one Rebel base in Fort Alliance, Tatooine. If you may recall, Fort Alliance was a relatively newly constructed city near Fort Tusken, some distance north of Fort Oasis. The city was by then widely recognized as a growing stronghold of the Rebel Alliance, and even a threat to the Regal Imperial Defenders. These four RID members fought alongside Cairne, and other members of the Imperial Network, including Zachris Coraban and Shaiton of ISF, Xalya of THM, Alephus Skeppa of FIRE, and a member of Dark Sovereignty, among others. To involve RID even further with the Imperial Network, Ty’e and Fingolfin later travelled with Cairne to a small office building in the Riverlands region of the planet Corellia, a relatively short distance northwest of the capital of Coronet. Obten Ebrator of Dark Sovereingty, or DS for short, was also present. During this meeting, Cairne explained that previous networks between Imperial organizations, which he called “treaty organizations,” failed because they were built from the “top down.” What made the Imperial Network different, he said, was that it was “built from the ground up.” Cairne also enlightened the two RID members with a brief history lesson of the Network, explaining that it had emerged from inter-organizational base raids hosted by ISF during the two months prior.

After finishing the meeting, Cairne and Obten escorted the duo of RID members a short distance away to a stunning sight of a massive Imperial military complex. “Gentlman, Imperial Firebase Corellia. Enjoy the view,” Cairne declared. Both Ty’e and Fingolfin were impressed by what they saw. Imperial Firebase Corellia, or Firebase for short, was as Cairne stated, “The first true product of the Imperial Network.” The newly constructed complex consisted of numerous Imperial Forward Outposts, reportedly seven in total, patrolled and equipped by countless stormtroopers, AT-STs, and turret defense systems. Firebase stood not only as proof to the galaxy of the Empire’s limitless resources, but also as a symbol of their unwavering will to work together towards a common goal. At that time, it was difficult for RID to even gain control of a single base. Yet, with the combined might of the Galactic Empire, Firebase stood as a conglomerate of many installations. Cairne, who was already made aware of the fact that I was the true Leader of RID, recommended to Ty’e and Fingolfin that they send me a recorded image of Firebase. Cairne then proceeded to give the two RID members a guided tour of the grounds. Cairne explained that the Imperial Network had actually gathered their contingent in Firebase before travelling to their combat mission in Fort Alliance on Tatooine. Cairne also pointed out a large association hall, constructed by ISF on behalf of the Imperial Network to be used as a storehouse for shared weaponry and combat preparation.

Following the meeting and guided tour, Fingolfin sent me recorded images and transcripts of the Firebase meeting. Fingolfin later joined me on another tour, so that I could see Firebase in person for myself. After travelling to Corellia, I was introduced to Cairne and other officials of the Imperial Network, including Zoidburg, a military commander of the StarHawk Conglomerate. The StarHawk Conglomerate, or SHC for short, was yet another modestly sized Imperial association. Their motto was, “Heart to Guild. Life to Empire.” For the sake of posterity, I include here a somewhat lengthy account of SHC’s origins, as recorded by Reggi Lonestar, a founding member of the organization. In the months prior to RID’s founding, Reggi met another man by the name of Tom Starhawk in the city of Nashal on Talus, in the courtyard between the city’s starport and cantina. Reggi noticed Tom was training his sludgepanther pet to perform a number of tricks, and approached him. When the two started talking to each other, they realized they both had the same fierce loyalty to the Galactic Empire. Eager to enlist with the Empire officially, Reggi made the arduous and dangerous trek to Talus’ heavily fortified Imperial Outpost. When he finally arrived, he promptly signed up for the Empire and headed back to Nashal to find Tom Starhawk, and follow through with their dream of establishing an Imperial association, much in the same way I did with RID.

Being something of an egocentric, Tom Starhawk felt that the name of their new organization should be the StarHawk Conglomerate. Reggi agreed, and with that, the two set off to become leaders of their newfound organization. However, their attempts were stalled by difficulty in acquiring the numerous resources required to construct their official headquarters. Fortunately for them, the two were familiar with mining operations, and were successful in establishing harvesting machines to gather the necessary construction materials. When they acquired the necessary amounts of ore, Tom relied on a contact of his, a well known architect by the name of Narr’Durzol, to begin construction work on SHC’s headquarters. Narr’Durzol even helped to train Reggi in the art of architecture, but later drifted away when he started developing an obsession with the dark magic of the Force. In his mad quest for power, Narr’Durzol attempted to learn the ways of the Jedi, but ultimately failed to do so. In the end, Empire had lost one of the galaxy’s greatest architects. Nevertheless, SHC had their name, headquarters, and ideology which would serve as a basis to bring in other loyal Imperials. With this in mind, Tom and Reggi began work on recruiting Imperials into SHC.

With their headquarters initially established on Corellia, near the river flows between the cities of Coronet and Tyrena, SHC’s saga began. However, the early days of SHC were met with conflicts in personality between the two leaders. Tom was distracted by other matters, and was paying less attention to the demanding work of governing their newfound Conglomerate. Reggi was also struggling to devote time to leading SHC, as he was still preoccupied with learning how to become a skilled architect. To make matters worse, about a week after the founding of SHC, Tom discovered that the official headquarters was somehow destroyed. The strained leadership of SHC and the mysterious destruction of SHC’s headquarters on Corellia almost led to their demise. Days later, when authorities responded to reports about the headquarters’ mysterious destruction, they granted SHC the rights to freely rebuild a new one. This time, they settled on a location where two rivers split, far north of the city of Kor Vella. However, the remote trek to the new headquarters discouraged many of their members from making the long, dangerous journey for meetings or tending to their homes. Reggi later even moved his home from that region, to a residency closer to the Imperial Outpost on Talus. Nevertheless, SHC continued to grow in size, with individuals such as Sanhu Vakra being convinced to defect from the Rebel Alliance and serve under the Emperor in SHC.

However, SHC continued to weaken. Tom was mostly focused on spending time with his wife in Anchorhead or Bestine, while Reggi was busy fulfilling architectural orders for customers. When Tom’s wife left him, he grew distraught and left on a long sabbatical. Without knowing if he would ever return, Reggi took charge to change SHC’s direction. After purging the organization down to five loyal members, including Bernie, Sanhu, Xyler and Tom, Reggi took the initiative to establish a new headquarters near Bestine on Tatooine. Reggi took a greater interest in the direction of SHC, instituting many new policies, including the Oath of SHC. He also instituted hunting excursions and appointed individuals to high level officer positions. Tom did in fact return, and he was impressed to see that Reggi revitalized their organization. With renewed vigor, Tom aided Reggi in his quest to improve SHC. In preparation to build the first city of their own, SHC began constructing dwellings around their new headquarters near Bestine. After a great deal of persuasion, an individual named Allawellyn D’Arandoriel had also agreed to merge what was left of her guild, named SQUAD, with SHC. In the process, she took on a prominent role as SHC’s Imperial Liason officer. On an adventure to Lok, SHC also recruited a Rodian by the name of Svaartvadel, who later went on to serve as a leading officer of SHC. Once again, SHC was growing, but for the first time since their founding, they were truly gaining in strength. Reggi surmised that SHC was among the fourth or fifth of the strongest Imperial powerhouses of that time, only being surpassed by the likes of The Imperial Order or Sturmgrenadier. With the dutiful assistance of another Conglomerate member named Iwen, SHC acquired the necessary construction materials to establish a new city on Tatooine. To their frustration however, the planetary authorities would not authorize its construction. Their problems were similar to the ones we faced with the construction of Fort Oasis. However, instead of waiting things out, SHC decided to set their sights elsewhere. They at first considered establishing a city on the other Outer Rim world of Lok, but ultimately decided to return to Talus, the world in which Tom and Reggi first met. It was in many ways, the true birthplace of the StarHawk Conglomerate.

With Iwen’s help, SHC surveyed the Talusian landscape for a suitable building area, and prepared to use what little resources they had left to build an outpost. They finally settled on a location not too far south of the world’s Imperial Outpost, near a mysterious eternal flame set upon a monumental pillar. To SHC, this flame symbolized strength, fortitude, and longevity. With the help of Allawellyn D’Arandoriel, who also hailed from Talus, early construction efforts were centered around this eternal flame. As soon as the city hall was constructed, SHC aptly named their new home Flame’s Hold. From that day forward, SHC remained determined to grow their newly constructed Flame’s Hold into a thriving metropolis. However, darker days still awaited the StarHawk Conglomerate. Tom Starhawk’s brother, Arment Starhawk, unexpectedly emerged after many months away. Although Arment was a founding member of SHC, he and Tom had grown apart, and fiercely disagreed on what direction SHC should take. Arment desired a more aggressive Conglomerate which actively sought out battle, while Tom preferred the use of diplomacy, covert tactics, and alliances with other Imperial associations to defeat the Rebellion. During a mission briefing, Arment even accused Reggi, a self professed “gentleman, engineer, and politician,” as being weak and unfit to serve the Emperor. This only enraged Tom, who came to Reggi’s defense. Recognizing the schism between the two brothers, Allawellyn intervened to bring an end to the power struggle. She convened a special meeting with Reggi in the living room of her guild hall. The two discussed many ideas on how to best divide up the power in SHC, and ultimately settled on a plan to establish an Executive Council of four members, which would decentralize power from Tom Starhawk. However, Tom Starhawk was not willing to concede any ground or loosen his grip of power over SHC. He considered the Executive Council suggestion to be an assault on his authority, and as an ultimate betrayal from his closest friend and advisor. Angered, Tom Starhawk disbanded the StarHawk Conglomerate, and left Flame’s Hold in self-imposed exile.

To salvage the situation, Allawellyn rallied as many former members of SHC as she could, to once again reform the organization. They were successful in doing so, and she, Reggi, and Arment followed through with the plans discussed during the special meeting. The newly reborn StarHawk Conglomerate would this time be led by an Executive Council, with three members instead of the originally proposed four. However, Arment once again drifted off to other duties, leaving only Reggi and Allawellyn on the Executive Council. However, the two of them eventually recruited a fierce Imperial warrior, a man by the name of Siegler Capstan. Bringing with him a ragtag group of mercenaries, both Reggi and Allawellyn recognized Siegler’s amazing combat prowess, and fanatical loyalty to the Emperor. For these reasons, Siegler was selected to replace Arment’s place on the Executive Council. Reggi realized that the strength of the old StarHawk Conglomerate largely depended on the cult of personality surrounding Tom Starhawk. This time around, he believed the strength of SHC should not rest in the hands of their leaders, but in the hearts of their loyal members. With this in mind, a Senior Council was also created to honor some of their most dedicated members, who were helpful in both supporting SHC and Flame’s Hold. The first Senior Council consisted of Svaartvadel, Sturm, Vulak’Err Tsoroni, Qualroh Crestingdark, and none other than Zoidburg, the previously aforementioned military commander who had greeted me during my tour of Firebase. Zoidburg was even pivotal in recruiting a low level Imperial servant into SHC, a Zabrak by the name of Jod Iegemai. Skilled in political acumen and fiercely loyal to SHC, Jod later went on to serve on the Executive Council. Meanwhile, Flame’s Hold eventually grew into a metropolis, and Joddles Tahssa, related to Jod in some respect, assumed control of the city as mayor. In short, Reggi’s legacy of a powerful StarHawk Conglomerate continued to live on through the spirit of these new and dedicated members. It was clear, especially with their involvement in the newfound Imperial Network, that the rich histories of both RID and SHC would at times intertwine.

In addition to Zoidburg, Cairne also introduced me to an entourage of other Imperials conducting business at Firebase. I was truly impressed by the military complex constructed by the Imperial Network, and enthralled with the prospect of having RID becoming an official member of the Network. Days later, in a show of support, I returned to Firebase to aid in its defense. A small Rebel task force from an organization called -H- attacked Firebase, killing many Imperial stormtroopers. Adremeleh Ruk'trem and -Rakesh Zeal were among those responsible for the brazen attack, but with the combined strength of the Imperial Network, they were swiftly defeated. Firebase still stood, and the Galactic Empire welcomed the Regal Imperial Defenders as an official member of the Imperial Network.

Battle with the Mabari Eternal Knights

Prior to our meetings with the Imperial Network, Tuco of the Mabari Eternal Knights publicly expressed an interest in waging an outright war with the Regal Imperial Defenders. Tuco, and his band of quasi-Rebels in MEK were influential in terrorizing Fort Oasis when Cell operated our Imperial Forward Outpost. Ever since those days, Tuco, Cannar, and the other members of MEK never forgot about us. Although MEK was not officially a Rebel organization, and even contained some members sympathetic to the Empire, the vast majority were outspoken and obvious members of the Rebel Alliance. Furthermore, while we did recognize MEK as a clear enemy of RID and the Galactic Empire, we lacked the same kind of vitriol against them that we held for those in the CATS or CFM. MEK likewise held something of a respect for RID, and announced that any conflict against us would be bounded by civilized rules of engagement, including sparing those members of RID not suited for combat, such as our merchants. For these reasons, we considered fulfilling Tuco’s wish of engaging MEK on the battlefield.

After deliberating with my fellow RID members, we announced our intentions to battle MEK. Using the nearby city of Mos Espa on Tatooine as a base, Tuco and his fellow soldiers of the Mabari Eternal Knights prepared for an offensive battle on Fort Oasis. Telemchus, Bizob, Fingolfin, and I were among those gathering near Fort Oasis to mount a defense. Days earlier, Telemchus warned that MEK had a Force-sensitive member by the name of Oliudyen Wubba, but it was not clear if he would be among those MEK members marching towards our city. Either way, with our decent numbers, and clear rules of engagement, I was sure we stood a chance. While MEK certainly had respectable fighters, they were by no means as fierce as the CATS, or as ruthless as CFM. If they were, I would not have been so willing to put my fellow Defenders through yet another potential massacre. Finally, after gathering near Fort Oasis, we spotted Tuco and his fellow band of fighters in the distance. From the looks of it, MEK had about two or three more fighters than us. As soon as they were in range, we engaged their forces. After about a half hour of fierce combat, MEK retreated from the area, presumably because most of their forces were returning to Mos Espa to seek medical attention. However, it would not be the last of them. After regrouping their forces in Mos Espa, MEK launched a second offensive wave against our forces near Fort Oasis. After even more heated combat, MEK once again retreated to regroup. For the third and final wave, MEK only returned with about half of their forces remaining. By then, the battle was winding down, with our opposing forces battling each other in mostly one on one combat. When MEK finally left the region for good, the battle came to an end, and the nearby areas of Fort Oasis returned to normalcy.

Following the battle, Telemchus released a written battle report. He claimed to have eliminated six members of MEK. Meanwhile, Bizob commended Fingolfin for demonstrating admirable combat prowess during the battle. I too commended all the fellow RID members who bravely battled against MEK on Tatooine. Everyone, including our enemies, had fought honorably. The rules of engagement were properly observed, and while it was not clear if either RID or MEK achieved a tactical victory in the battle, we could at the very least be proud of a stalemate in the face of the somewhat more numerous MEK soldiers.

Firebase under Fire

In the many days between RID’s notable historic events, I could often be found conducting mundane, administrative business in one of my many office rooms in Fort Oasis. These offices were places of peaceful solitude for me, allowing me to manage RID from the comfort and security of our flagship fortress. It was an excellent place for me to read messages from fellow members and Imperial allies, draft proposals, and reach out to potential new recruits. Being in Fort Oasis also allowed me to continue my and Kurke’s vision of overseeing the redevelopment of the city’s layout. However, while I found solace within the borders of Fort Oasis, my fellow RID members would sometimes tease me for shutting myself away and seldom leaving its confines. Regardless, RID’s involvement with the Imperial Network and Imperial Firebase Corellia continued, and I remained in regular contact with Cairne and other members of the Empire. Although our organization was often dwarfed by the more powerful TIO, ISF, and others, we still made an effort to show our commitment to the Network by patrolling and defending Firebase. Rarely was Firebase attacked, but it was during these moments of peace and calm that RID had an opportunity to interact with the other Imperials and strengthen our ties. Thanks to these efforts, RID’s name became more and more recognized throughout the ranks of the Galactic Empire.

Unfortunately, after many days of peaceful defensive patrols, Firebase was swiftly destroyed in a surprise attack by Rebel terrorists. The attack was so well coordinated that much of the complex was obliterated, leaving only one of the seven Forward Outposts remaining. Shortly after its destruction, the Empire quickly constructed a large Detachment Headquarters and Field Hospital near the single remaining Forward Outpost. However, these too were eventually destroyed by the Rebel Alliance, and Firebase never regained its former glory. With the loss of Firebase, the Imperial Network had suffered a heavy blow. For most of RID, our patrols of Firebase were often the only opportunities we had to interact with these other Imperials. While the Imperial Network regrouped, RID virtually lost all contact with the Imperial Network.

Peace on the Horizon

RID took the time to reflect on the events that had unfolded over the past non-standard year, as well as to contemplate our future as an Imperial organization. We thought of all we had lost, from battles and wars, to numerous members and installations. We had endured a civil war, experienced shame and embarrassment at the hands of our enemies, and even lost a loyal member to a ruthless Rebel organization in the form the Crimson Fist Marines. However, as we had expected, CFM eventually withered away, leaving that threat as nothing more than a memory. Amusingly, Cell even offered to return to RID, agreeing to secure us a new Forward Outpost if we agreed. The vast majority of RID was either extremely skeptical, or soundly against letting Cell back in, so his request was denied. The last I saw of him, the treasonous Cell continued fighting for the Rebel Alliance. He would forever remain as proof in my mind that lies and deceit could easily be hidden under a veil of loyalty. Meanwhile, the most humble among RID were actually more loyal than Cell ever was.

As for the Counter Armor Tactical Squad? They were our first and most fervent of enemies, yet without them, RID may have never existed. It was their ruthless misadventures in the Imperial Oasis that had motivated me to truly form the Regal Imperial Defenders. Yet with time, our passion against them dwindled. Nevertheless, as they were members of the Rebel Alliance, we continued to see and fight them whenever the opportunity presented itself. However, we never again engaged them on the battlefield in direct and open warfare. Caitiri, a member of the CATS who served as Crystal Hollow’s mayor, was even succeeded by Mayor Vespa, who was not a member of the CATS. The CATS ended up moving to their own city on Dantooine, codenamed “Scratching Post.” While RID did gather some intelligence on the CATS’ new home, we never made any serious attempts to infiltrate it. We likewise decided to abandon our efforts against Crystal Hollow, as we no longer viewed them as a worthwhile threat. Elsewhere on Dantooine, The Imperial Enclave lived on for a short while longer. Their Enclave city grew to the size of a village, and enacted the construction of a cantina and medical center. However, TIE was already not immune from some amount of internal strife. Rakuda Hidi ultimately abandoned his mayoral duties, and Councilman Zhire Ganes of TIE took his place. Eurami also took leave to tend to other matters, allowing Councilman Xenos Allus to assume greater leadership authority over their organization. However, Eurami never returned, and despite initial growth under the leadership of Zhire and Xenos, TIE and their Enclave city collapsed in the months to come.

Our beloved home and capital, Fort Oasis, was faring better. With its rising number of citizens, the fortified township continued to grow, almost qualifying for the construction of its own shuttleport. Kurke’s initiative to restructure Fort Oasis was also a resounding success. For the first time since its founding, I proudly shared an illustration of the current map layout as compared to the layout shortly after Fort Oasis’ founding. The differences were stark. Now, domiciles and other structures adhered to predetermined construction codes. Streets were organized, and instead of a jumbled mess of structures strewn in front of Fort Oasis’ executive city hall, there was now an open courtyard. Myzia Zydian, who remained my friend throughout this time, was impressed with how much Fort Oasis improved. To make matters better, it would only be a short while longer before the planetary authorities recognized the growing township as an official metropolis. Long gone were those early days in which I believed Fort Oasis should only remain as a small outpost.

Three standard days prior to our official anniversary, RID held an organizational meeting within the conference chamber of the Fort Oasis city hall to discuss a wide variety of issues, including the strengthening of our alliances with other Imperials, the possible formation of a sister city to Fort Oasis, the acquisition of a new Imperial military installation, and the enactment of new recruitment policies. Ateas Adlen, Dragon, Fingolfin, Kurke, Kuiloo, Rem’, Timit, and Vastosh were all in attendance for this meeting. The next day, two standard days before our official anniversary, RID held yet another meeting in Fort Oasis to discuss much of the same issues. Kurke, Dragon, Ateas, Idfig, and even Zrinity were in attendance for this second meeting. Zrinity, whom I had always valued for her integrity and friendliness, made the fortunate decision to leave TIE and return to RID. At Kurke’s urging, RID also considered abolishing our antiquated and convoluted division system, in place of a more streamlined hierarchy.

More unified than ever, I declared to RID that we were entering a new era of peace and stability. We thought of all the misfortunes that RID was forced to endure, but found solace in the new and exciting adventures that awaited us over the horizon. There is no question that this first year of RID’s existence was the most critical for us. An organization is tested in its infancy, weighed in the balance of either crumbling or prospering. Fortunately, the weight barely fell in our favor. We could now focus on building up our organization and fortress, while better serving the greater Galactic Empire. We also learned as a collective organization to avoid fighting our enemies mindlessly, nor fight amongst ourselves childishly. Though we knew these challenges would resurface one way or another, we understood that in the end, our resolve would be far stronger. We would continue to train in combat, and become far better contributors in the Galactic Civil War. Although we had lost contact with the Imperial Network, they soldiered on, and it would only be a matter of time before they reached out to RID once more.

Nothing of significance was planned for RID’s first official anniversary. I myself merely used the day to train in starfighter combat with the Storm Squadron in Bestine. Other members, such as Kurke, Dragon, Fingolfin, Kewan, Ailo, Briann, Oxywo, Jeka, Saie, Waucod, Azenroth, and Eggo largely tended to personal business that day. Nevertheless, the fact that we stood on that anniversary day as such a large and growing organization was a testament to all the little actions that brought us there. It all began with a simple scouting adventure on the unforgiving world of Tatooine, an unsuccessful business, the fall of Fatalis, the attack on the Imperial Oasis, and ultimately the large sum of credits and dedicated followers that made everything possible.

The actions of RID led to the rise and fall of both friends and enemies alike, but we still stood; one year later, and many more to come, as the Regal Imperial Defenders!

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR TWO

A New Dawn

Although RID’s official anniversary day had come and gone, Bizob nevertheless proposed hosting a RID Anniversary Gala for the following month. In the meantime, RID also tended to other matters. On Lok, the Black Star Alliance and their sister organizations grew their network of cities to include Imperia Vall Tiberius, Imperia Valens, and Imperia Galaxium. As a show of support, and in an attempt to strengthen our ties with these fellow Imperial allies, Fort Oasis for a short time carried the “Imperia” banner. Meanwhile, RID also remained committed to our goal of attacking Rebel installations in the northern neighboring city of Fort Alliance. As a show of force, a squad of fellow RID members including me, Fingolfin, Timit, Isiimorcs and Bizob attacked the city. Members of a Rebel organization called the Shards of Alderaan were there to oppose us. Among them was an individual named Gooden, and a doctor named Obay Speed, the latter of which was swiftly defeated by RID forces during the midst of our skirmish against them. Despite our successful combat operation, RID did not destroy any of the Rebel installations in Fort Alliance. These incursions into their city were merely to test each other’s strength in preparation for the much larger invasions to follow.

Despite our ambitious goals to attack the neighboring Rebel strongholds of Tatooine, RID still remained committed to securing Fort Oasis’ defenses. It had been a long while since Cell had betrayed RID and destroyed the Forward Outpost we had spent so much time acquiring. Fortunately for us, we had finally acquired the necessary capital to construct yet a new Imperial Forward Outpost within the borders of our expanding fortress. Kurke, Fingolfin and Isiimorcs were there to join me for the groundbreaking ceremony. As we prepared to begin construction on the new Forward Outpost, just northeast of the city hall, I declared to those around me that this would be a “historic moment for RID.” Soon enough, our Forward Outpost was finally erected, and me and my fellow RID members cheered for a photo op. Later on, RID members Sha-ta Ipo, Klivyn Darksea, Timit, and an up and coming starfighter pilot named Phow-jin dropped by to witness our new installation. We wasted no time installing a basic turret defense system, and an enemy scanning antenna to aid in the outpost’s defense. In front of the Forward Outpost, we also installed a large, decorative fire pit to symbolize the strength of Fort Oasis, and instill fear in our enemies.

However, our pride in Fort Oasis would not end there. Although Fort Oasis finally had enough citizens to qualify for territorial expansion, planetary authorities were not yet willing to authorize this. Fortunately, another city on Tatooine, possibly the Rebel safe haven of Mos Nevah, slowly began to collapse. As a result of their declining territorial holdings, planetary authorities were finally willing to recognize Fort Oasis’ status as a full-fledged city. As a result of this prestigious recognition, Fort Oasis not only gained extra territory, but also became eligible for the zoning and construction of its very own shuttle port. This shuttle port would allow citizens and tourists to visit Fort Oasis quickly and efficiently from other cities across Tatooine. Upon completion of the shuttle port, I took the liberty of becoming the first passenger to buy a ticket and use the Fort Oasis shuttle. Although Fort Oasis was already within close driving distance of Mos Espa, the acquisition of this shuttle port was nevertheless a triumphant moment which symbolized Fort Oasis’ integration into a larger community. Kurke also accompanied me for the construction of a new theater in Fort Oasis. Zrinity took up ownership of this venue, and it was our hope that the theater would be used for a wide variety of performances. Although Fort Oasis was largely a military stronghold, we remained committed to our goal of also promoting its cultural aspects.

Unfortunately, it would not take long for us to be reminded that the growth of Fort Oasis would only serve to further tempt the Rebel Alliance into attacking our city. The next day, Fort Oasis endured a surprise attack from up to ten Rebels, purportedly those from the city of Fort Alliance. In a moment of vulnerability, these Rebels attacked our newly constructed Forward Outpost in an attempt to destroy it. Thankfully, a member of RID quickly alerted us to the attack. When I finally arrived to the streets of Fort Oasis, the situation had already been pacified. In addition to RID members Fingolfin and Kurke, I was also proud to see that our Imperial allies in the Black Star Alliance, Dark Sovereingty, and Novus Ordo Seclorum were heavily patrolling Fort Oasis. Novus Ordo Seclorum, or NoS for short, was a modest sized Imperial organization. Even Ranxerok of BSA was among them, and although I initially suspected him of leaking Fort Oasis’ vulnerability times to the Rebels, it was later clear to me that he was only aiding in our defense. Ranxerok was joined by a fellow sniper in BSA named Jaygoe Nova. A rifleman named Naddy Dread, and a sentinel named Khalhenis Yashona were among those patrolling Fort Oasis as part of NoS. A soldier of DS named Ahrimand Dargtol, and two other unaffiliated Imperials named “STL” and Katherinn Ikor were also present. Thanks to RID’s quick reaction time, and aid from our Imperial allies, the Rebel attack had only succeeded in destroying the Forward Outpost’s minefield and turret defense systems. In addition to killing most of the Rebels, their vehicles were destroyed, and one suspected spy was reportedly lured within the range of the base’s covert scanner and shot. After quickly replenishing the Forward Outpost’s minefield and replacing at least one of the turret defense systems, we learned of reports of Rebel activity on the world of Corellia. Eager for some form of revenge against the Rebel Alliance, we travelled to Corellia’s capital of Coronet and attacked any Rebel resistance. After driving by way of speeder to the nearby city of Dragon’s Hold for medical attention, combat activities on Corellia started to wind down. However, we would not forget about the brazen attack on Fort Oasis’ defenses. The attempt on our new installation only served to strengthen our resolve against the nearby city of Fort Alliance.

Anniversary Gala

Throughout the course of RID’s existence, our ranking structure had become extremely convoluted. Instead of the seven set divisions we had at the birth of RID, we now had about thirteen ineffective divisions, as well as a multitude of inexperienced commanders, captains, and officers for each of the divisions. In many cases, members of RID were seeking high ranking positions for no other reason than to hold a prestigious title, or to secure some level of influence. Despite the often selfish motivations, the main problem was that there were now becoming more and more people holding leadership positions than those who were not. Not only did many of these members lack any sort of leadership experience, it was now reaching a point where any sort of clear command structure was nonexistent.

However, Kurke was still among those who made good use of his commanding position. In addition to his roles in overseeing RID’s trade and commerce, Kurke continued to advise me on how to best direct RID. He proposed to me an organizational structure which consisted of only three divisions with a single commander. The three divisions would specialize in combat, combat support, and commerce. I thought about his proposal, and ultimately decided to implement it for RID. However, I did leave some room for additional modifications. For instance, instead of relying on only a single commander for each division, I still allowed for the possibility of each division having a second in command. Furthermore, I allowed for the combat division to be split into multiple squads, and later enacted the implementation of a fourth division in form of an intelligence gathering team. The implementation of this new hierarchy was not always clearly defined, or smoothly executed. Nevertheless, it was vastly superior to the antiquated and convoluted system we had endured for much of RID’s existence.

Meanwhile, to commemorate RID’s anniversary, we finally held festivities in Fort Oasis. Bizob, who was largely responsible for organizing the festivities, was initially disappointed by the poor attendance. However, the festivities eventually picked up when more and more members started to pour into Fort Oasis, including me, Kurke, Zrinity, Fingolfin, Saggs, Yjdeg Y’orsk, Idfig, Vastosh, and another up and coming member named Cerex Hendrix. In addition to a fireworks show, RID conducted a game show in our headquarters, much like the one we had held in the past. Cerex, Zrinity and Fingolfin were the contestants, while Idfig served as the host. In the end, Cerex ended up winning the trivia game show, with Zrinity coming in second place, and Fingolfin in third. Following the game show, RID conducted a friendly dueling tournament in Fort Oasis, in which Fingolfin showed off his combat prowess. Despite the overall success of the anniversary gala, and RID’s other recent successes, there was still a trio of RID members who bemoaned the overall stagnant atmosphere. With Fort Oasis and RID reaching an overall new pinnacle of peace and internal stability, these three members, Kurke, Fingolfin and Zrinity, desired to pursue a challenge of their own. This challenge, they told me, was to form their own Imperial organization and city.

The Dark Marauders

Kurke Aumea, who had served RID dutifully since our earliest of days, made clear to me his desire to take Zrinity and Fingolfin with him to form a new Imperial organization and city. I found this news very disheartening, as the three of them were some of our best members. However, I respected Kurke’s wishes, and appreciated his desire to go through with this process as cordially as possible. Unlike the aggravating debacle concerning Rakuda, Eurami, and their Imperial Enclave, Kurke, Zrinity and Fingolfin wished to depart from RID on good terms. With this in mind, hopes of maintaining a close and thriving alliance with their new organization and city seemed very possible. On the day of the anniversary gala, I announced to RID the saddening news. I commended Kurke, Zrinity and Fingolfin for their excellent service to RID. Kurke and Zrinity were both in charge of commerce and combat support respectively, and I announced that those two positions would soon be filled by other members. Furthermore, because Zrinity was the owner of both Fort Oasis’ cantina and newly constructed theater, I announced that we would be looking for someone else to take up ownership of those venues. As a result of their leaving, our Imperial Forward Outpost (possibly under the official ownership of Fingolfin) was peaceably transferred to Bizob. We also announced plans to transfer ownership of the Fort Oasis shopping center. Eventually, RID member Chardath Windriver took up ownership of this venue, with Sharky Mema taking up command of RID’s commercial division. Despite being saddened by their leaving, I stressed that RID would continue to thrive, and remain committed to strengthening an alliance with Kurke and his new organization.

In short order, Kurke, Zrinity and Fingolfin left RID and Fort Oasis for the world of Dantooine. We were already very familiar with Dantooine. Not only had it served as the battleground for the Battle of Crystal Hollow, but it also served as the home of the former Imperial Enclave. Elsewhere on Dantooine, a suspected Rebel safe haven named New Hope dotted the picturesque countryside. Just north of that city, and east of the Dantooine Mining Outpost, Kurke and his duo established their headquarters and officially formed an Imperial organization which they named the Dark Marauders, or DM for short. Fingolfin served as the official leader of DM. They also quickly established a city of their own, governed by Kurke, which started out as an outpost-sized settlement featuring Nabooian-style architecture. After establishing its city hall, DM declared that their new home would be called Nar Shadda. Given its expedient construction, it was clear that Kurke, Zrinity and Fingolfin had already spent a good amount of time preparing for this move. The Dark Marauders even adopted a similar hierarchy to the one proposed by Kurke while in RID. DM featured three divisions, specializing in combat, combat support, and commerce. They also wasted no time recruiting new Imperials for their cause. We did not at all have the same kind of animosity towards DM that we did towards TIE, but there still was something of a friendly rivalry. Kurke and Fingolfin were clearly proud of the progress DM and Nar Shadda was making, and expressed doubt that Fort Oasis could maintain its status as a full-fledged city. Despite being one of our most productive members, Kurke and I had often disagreed on how to best direct RID and Fort Oasis. I believed this in some way motivated Kurke to lead his own Imperials, so that he would not feel as encumbered by what he believed to be my imperfect leadership style. Nevertheless, RID and DM remained on mostly good terms, and I truly believed that a genuine Imperial alliance could be maintained between us.

Imperial Confederation of States

Despite there already being an Imperial Network, RID was still left somewhat in limbo after the demise of Firebase Corellia. With this in mind, I decided to revisit my ambitious goal of establishing a city network called the Imperial Confederation of States, or ICOS for short. It was never my intention to compete with the Imperial Network. Instead, I envisioned a network which would simply facilitate trade and communications between various Imperial territories. In many ways, I still considered the failed Europa Network as an inspiration for many of ICOS’ principles. However, I hoped that unlike Europa, ICOS would welcome only those sympathetic to the Empire, and never stoop to the dubious and corrupt methods of Weifert.

To create ICOS in earnest, I started by declaring Fort Oasis as a member of this newly created network. Officially, Fort Oasis became known as ICOS Fort Oasis, and I began reaching out to the other Imperial mayors and leaders throughout the galaxy in an attempt to expand this so-called “confederation.” Our newest of allies in the Dark Marauders pledged their support, and Nar Shadda, Dantooine became an honorary member, with a monument to ICOS constructed in front of their city hall. I eventually toured a small city southeast of the Mount Chaolt volcano on Lok, ran by an individual named Legundon, who also pledged his city to become a member of ICOS. In addition, a city named Dheet, south of Naboo’s capital of Theed also became a recognized member of ICOS. Despite these apparent successes, ICOS was a virtually ineffective institution, existing in name only. Nevertheless, in the weeks and months that ensued, I did my best to foster the growth of this ambitious network.

A New Hope

The time of Wookiee Life Day was upon us, a sacred holiday dedicated to celebrating family, joy, and harmony. The Empire was largely ambivalent about such frivolous holidays, but it had nevertheless become a time honored tradition celebrated by many galactic citizens. To pay tribute to the holiday, Telemchus Argus wrote a script for a play to be performed in the Fort Oasis cantina, which he called a Life Day Carol. During the play, Telemchus played a humorous depiction of Emperor Palpatine, as he learned the true meaning of Life Day. The performance was well attended, and included a number of audience members from an organization called WoE.

However, not all was peace and harmony during this holiday of life and joy. On Dantooine, the newly minted Dark Marauders and their growing city of Nar Shadda were already making new enemies. South of Nar Shadda was the city of New Hope, which despite their mayor’s insistence otherwise, was largely suspected of being a Rebel Alliance stronghold. Indeed, three Rebel Alliance Detachment Headquarters were discovered nearby New Hope, prompting the Dark Marauders to destroy about twelve of their turret defense systems over the course of several days. However, when Mayor Kurke Aumea of Nar Shadda entered talks with the mayor of New Hope, he insisted that he and his citizens were not responsible for the installation’s construction. He furthermore insisted that the installations were not true Rebel bases, but merely security installations constructed in order to protect the region from dangerous wildlife. Kurke was not buying any of this, and set an ultimatum for the mayor of New Hope. Both he and his city would have to provide the Dark Marauders with an Imperial installation and 500,000 units of ore, or have his city face swift and violent retribution from the Galactic Empire.

As expected, the mayor of New Hope did not meet his demands by the end of the deadline, prompting Kurke to call on his fellow Marauders to prepare for an attack on the multiple Rebel installations surrounding the treasonous city. As a show of support to our new ally, I pledged RID’s combat assistance, and agreed to fulfill Kurke’s request to call on our fellows members in ICOS. Elsewhere on Dantooine, a large city named Sintari was largely inhabited by members of the Interplanetary Security Force. An Ithorian by the name of Octaviar, a high ranking member of ISF, served as this city’s mayor. ISF remained an active member of the Imperial Network, and seeing as how they were also based on Dantooine, I deemed it prudent to reach out to them first.

On the day of the attack, forces of RID including me, Cerex, Idfig, Gounk, Jaysont Neighbor, Areki Fylgjur, and Trieyn Raije gathered in a city hall on Dantooine (possibly Nar Shadda’s, but this is not certain). The forces of DM included the likes of two DM officers, including a Teräs Käsi master named Star’, and an Imperial technology expert named Served. Other forces of DM included an assassin named Sid’ Vicious, an individual named Vlad-von Carstein, and a Mon Calamari named Daiho. A soldier from an organization called DL, and a woman named Aseanie Tycee from NS also gathered in the city hall. Unfortunately, most allies from ICOS or the Imperial Network were not yet in attendance. Nevertheless, we headed to New Hope, where we were unexpectedly met by a large army of Rebel forces. Before launching a full on attack, I urged everyone to standby for more reinforcements. However, after waiting for nearly an hour, it was clear we could not prolong the inevitable. I was unable to oversee the rest of the combat preparations, so I left Idfig in charge, and provided him with a list of Imperial contacts which could possibly be called on for assistance. In my stead, Idfig ordered the attack on the imposing number of Rebel Alliance soldiers in New Hope. However, the combined forces of RID, DM, and the few other Imperial allies were defeated.

Following the battle, Idfig released a battle report commending the Imperial forces for bravely squaring off against the unexpectedly large number of Rebel forces. Kurke declared that the battle may have been lost, but not the war. It was now abundantly clear to Kurke that the mayor of New Hope was a deceptive liar. Despite the mayor’s insistence that the Rebel installations were of no importance to him, he nevertheless fielded a sizeable army of Rebels to aid in their defense. Now knowing what they were actually up against, Kurke pledged that the war against New Hope was only beginning. With this in mind, both RID and DM agreed to engage in war games on the planet Tatooine. Our two organizations conducted mock combat skirmishes against each other in attempt to hone our skills for the actual battles to follow.

Project Orkin

Despite our recent forays into Fort Alliance, New Hope, and the other Rebel Alliance strongholds throughout the galaxy, RID was not yet successful in truly decimating Rebel installations. Yes, we were adept at destroying their defenses, soldiers, and perhaps even in some cases their morale, but so long as their bases stood as actual structures in the landscapes of the Empire’s many worlds, we could not truly consider these sorts of attacks as true and clear victories. To amend this, Commander Bizob proposed Project Orkin. Under Project Orkin, Bizob called on volunteers from RID to perform reconnaissance work and compile a list of all Rebel bases on Tatooine. In doing so, we would then proceed to gather vulnerability times on all these bases, and organize strike teams to destroy them outright. Initially, Vastosh provided Bizob the location of a known Rebel base near a city on Tatooine named Sarlacc City. However, Bizob was dismayed to learn that the base was heavily defended with a large block turret, large tower turret, and a potentially hazardous minefield. Nevertheless, he considered this target a prime candidate for destruction.

After surveying the installation, Bizob amassed a RID strike team consisting of himself, Serram Lorestrider, Rofisp Alo, Bothola Kinjo, and a Bothan named Onirele Oaslagra’Kre. While Bizob reported that they had killed a good number of Rebels, the two large turrets proved to be too much for them. After regrouping in Fort Oasis, the team battled Rebel defense forces at a base in the vicinity of Fort Alliance. While the base near Fort Alliance nevertheless remained standing, Bizob commended his fellow soldiers for exhibiting combat prowess, and following orders. I also admired Bizob’s commitment to our goal of bringing the Rebel Alliance to its knees. Although much preparation was still needed, Project Orkin marked the beginnings of RID’s desire to destroy Rebel property in its entirety.

Meanwhile, Rebels continued to do their best to terrorize Fort Oasis. When a Rebel was spotted in our territory, RID member Luuciferr promptly notified Bizob. The Rebel had been successfully fended off with an AT-ST Imperial Walker, and when Bizob finally arrived to Fort Oasis, the Rebel was gone. However, it did not take long for the Rebel to return with backup. Onirele arrived to assist both Bizob and Luuciferr in fending off the Rebel strike team. While attacking the Rebels, one of them amusingly wandered into Fort Oasis’ fully loaded minefield, only to be killed in the ensuing explosion. The other Rebel had managed to successfully subdue Luuciferr in battle, but he too was defeated by Bizob, thus restoring peace and order to RID’s beloved city. After reading Bizob’s report on this Rebel incursion, I commended him and the other RID members. In order to better secure Fort Oasis, I also proposed designating Bizob as an official member of the Fort Oasis militia.

However, Bizob’s ambitions did not rest solely on our homeworld of Tatooine. Naboo’s moon of Rori was notorious for having multiple Rebel organizations hiding among the swampy, murky landscape. One day, I joined Bizob, Luuciferr, and another RID member named Sienna’ Daywing on a combat expedition to Rori to pick away at Rebel resistance. Later on, Bizob formed yet another team of RID members without me to venture into the city of Solaria, which hosted a Rebel organization known as the Alliance Special Forces, or ASF. Soon enough, after attacking at least one of Solaria’s military installations, Xanos and about seven other fellow ASF members emerged to confront RID. By this time, RID was just about to extricate themselves from the region. Yet the Rebels surrounded Bizob and the other RID members, and promptly started taunting them. “Stay out of our town, Imperials,” they bellowed. Undeterred, Bizob opened fire on some of the base’s Rebel defense forces, and ASF closed in to subdue him. RID sprang into action to defend their fellow commander, but ASF outnumbered them two to one. According to Bizob, they had reportedly managed to kill one of the ASF members, and severely injure one of their leaders, but it was not enough to secure victory. After their valiant defeat, RID retreated from region and Bizob wrote up a battle report for my review.

I for one was surprised to hear the reports of ASF confronting RID. It turned out that our friends in DM were also making enemies in ASF. I had heard reports of ASF members cruising through Nar Shadda on Dantooine and disparaging its residents. Seeing as how ASF was regularly seen on Dantooine, I had suspicions that they also had close ties to the city of New Hope. If so, it seemed to me that ASF would become yet another one of RID’s most fervent of enemies. Indeed, Bizob even returned to Solaria to apparently singlehandedly disrupt some of the Rebel’s operations. In the course of doing so, a leader of ASF named Revan emerged to attack Bizob. Yet thanks to Bizob’s skillful combat techniques, he managed to defeat the bothersome Rebel.

Quibbles of Taxation

It was around this time that the Bothan member named Onirele Oaslagra’Kre was causing trouble for us. After having exhibited very erratic and insulting behavior to members of RID, I made the decision to promptly remove him from our organization. Sienna’ also brought to my attention some of the things Onirele had said to other members of RID. Onirele had threatened such bizarre notions as “sending bounty hunters to crush us.” He also threatened to expel members from RID by putting them on trial, despite not having the power to do so. He also derided ICOS, claiming it would “fall apart.” Bizob rebuked Onirele, by asking him, “Do you even know what ICOS is?” All in all, it was this disloyal and strange behavior that made me all the more glad to have him removed from our ranks. Onirele had served RID in the past by defending Fort Oasis, but it was clear he was a particularly unstable Bothan. Back in Fort Oasis, RID also held an organizational meeting attended by Gounk, Luuciferr, Sienna’, Rofisp, Bothola, Jaysont, and a Zabrak named Antiek Amowen. During the meeting, the subject of Onirele came up, but I also used the meeting as an opportunity to discuss a wide variety of other organizational issues.

Meanwhile, over in Nar Shadda on the planet Dantooine, Kurke Aumea planned to marry fellow DM member Zrinity. RID was invited to the marriage ceremony, and while I had originally planned on attending, I was ultimately unable to do so. Nevertheless, the marriage went on as planned within the confines of the Nar Shadda city hall. The ceremony ended up being a great success, with a large number of attendees from both RID and DM. Because I could not make it, Oraf Kelga shared images he had taken of the cheerful wedding. Moments such as these only served to strengthen the bond between RID and DM. In many ways, we were almost starting to feel like one single entity. We were fighting together, celebrating together, and communicating together. Yet, this was not always the case. Both Kurke and I were competitive by nature. Kurke enjoyed showcasing DM and Nar Shadda versus RID and Fort Oasis. At one point, Kurke and I had engaged in something of a heated debate about city management and taxation policy. When I revealed that Sienna’ had generously pledged a million credits for Fort Oasis, I consulted RID on how to best invest those funds. I initially suggested using the funds for military expenditures towards a new Imperial Detachment Headquarters, which I at that time estimated would cost a grand total of 4 to 6 million credits. However, another member questioned using the funds for this purpose, and suggested simply pouring the money into Fort Oasis’ treasury to secure its many costly public services. It was at this moment that Kurke jumped in to question my understanding of budgeting, and how to properly fund Fort Oasis. Feeling somewhat put on the defensive, I assured Kurke I had a suitable understanding of financial management. I promised not to put Sienna’s generous contribution to waste, yet I assured everyone that Fort Oasis had over a million credits in its treasury, thus securing the upkeep of public services for a good while longer. I also assured everyone that I would not spend Sienna’s contribution without adequately consulting the rest of RID.

However, Kurke used to the opportunity to further criticize our management of Fort Oasis. He claimed that our treasury was not self sustained through proper tax policy alone, but that it depended on generous grants donated by wealthy members of RID. While this was true to some extent, I felt it was a necessary evil, as I believed broken tax policies prevented us from sustaining all of Fort Oasis’ services through taxes alone. Kurke vehemently disagreed with me, claiming that through proper budgeting and tax policy, Nar Shadda’s growth was completely self sufficient, and did not rely on contributions. While it may have been possible to restructure Fort Oasis’ finances so that it could rely solely on taxes, this would have forced us to limit expenditures on things like employment terminals, parks, streetlamps, and perhaps even more essential things like banking kiosks and our speeder garage. However, Kurke disagreed with my philosophy that Fort Oasis needed all these things. “The one thing I kept trying to drill in your head but that you never understood, is the idea of living within your means,” Kurke told me. He further went on to say, “Call me cheap, call me money conscious, but I can still run a city within its budget without having to force people to give up money in donations.” I was somewhat taken aback by his combative tone. Kurke had his city to govern, and I had mine. Clearly, we simply had different philosophies on how to fund them. Gounk Sharpblaster chimed in to my defense, saying that our goal was to attract new citizens to Fort Oasis. By enacting reductions on things like parks, which make the city look more attractive, he believed that spending cuts would actually hurt Fort Oasis in the long run.

Kurke still disagreed with these notions, and I myself was growing weary of debating it further with him. It was clear that Nar Shadda was growing steadily, and I commended both Kurke and DM for their progress. However, I told Kurke that comparing Nar Shadda’s progress to Fort Oasis was not fair. Kurke had time in RID and as a citizen of Fort Oasis to both learn about the intricacies of city management from the mistakes we had made, gather a group of followers from our very ranks, and use our services as a means to acquire the necessary resources to construct a city of his own. On the other hand, Fort Oasis was built from nothing but the sand beneath our feet, during a time when the planetary authorities were severely restricting our ability to even construct it. We had to amass citizens from scratch, during a chaotic period of our early history. Kurke did not buy this argument. He claimed Fort Oasis floundered as a small township for a period of months, before being able to qualify for recognition as a full city, complete with a shuttle port and extra territorial holdings. “Your excuse that you never had time to plan out things seems a little weak,” he said. Kurke believed Nar Shadda was living proof that proper planning alone was to thank for their speedy success.

It was at this point I was starting to grow irritated with Kurke’s accusatory tone. I took particular issue with his notion that Fort Oasis remaining as a small township for a period of several months was our fault. “Irrelevant, Kurke,” I said. “That was beyond my control.” Fort Oasis had more than enough citizens to qualify for expansion beyond that of a small township. However, it was the restrictive policies of Tatooine’s planetary authorities which prevented us from doing so. When Mos Nevah started to collapse, that is when Fort Oasis had the window of opportunity it needed to qualify for extra recognition. In all, this whole debate only served to highlight why it was best for Kurke to manage his own city. I felt that heavy taxation, treasury donations, and large spending initiatives were necessary to promote Fort Oasis’ prosperity. Kurke had a different view. He believed modest taxation with minimal expenditures on public services was the way forward for Nar Shadda.

Nueva Castoria

Sienna’ later reported to me that Izomo of ASF had issued what she believed to be a credible threat. Apparently ASF had threatened to destroy a large number of Imperial installations, including those belonging to the Imperial organizations AXIS and RID. Sienna’ also claimed that ASF was planning to decommission their three Rebel installations, and move their base of operations elsewhere. Kurke said he would not be surprised if ASF moved their operations to New Hope or another city on Dantooine. However, he believed ASF was mostly all bluster, not action. I too agreed with the possibility that ASF was mostly bluffing. They no doubt had many skilled combatants, but I was confident that we could mount an adequate defense against them should they ever attack Fort Oasis.

On Dantooine, the city of Nueva Castoria stood as yet another refuge for the Rebel Alliance. Nueva Castoria was likely an offshoot of the city of Castoria which existed closer to Crystal Hollow. Nueva Castoria however, was situated closer to the Dark Marauders’ city of Nar Shadda. After a Rebel Detachment Headquarters was discovered in their territory, I declared that we would mount an attack to destroy it completely. Our goal was not to simply wipe out the headquarters’ defense force, or destroy its defensive capabilities. With the help of the Dark Marauders, NoS, and our other Imperial allies, we had the necessary number of individuals with the skills necessary to slice into the headquarters’ internal computer systems. In doing so, we could initiate a sequence to destroy the installation entirely. I believed that if successful, we could take what we had learned, and finally deliver a death blow to Fort Alliance on Tatooine.

On the day of our attack on Nueva Castoria, Imperial forces from RID, DM, NoS, and a spattering from other Imperial organizations, gathered around the starport of the Dantooine Imperial Outpost. The forces of RID included the likes of Gounk, Kuiloo, Chardath, Cerex, Antiek, Telemchus, Bothola, Sienna’, Jaysont, Rofisp, and a newer member, a human by the name of Erich’ Rhul. Star’ of DM was present, as were Nerv, Naddy, Isar Seedar, Zora Mathias, and multiple others from NoS. In short, this was a very sizable force of Imperials, and a very capable army of fighters at that. After preparing our forces at the Dantooine Imperial Outpost, our forces embarked by shuttle to MEK’s capital, later referred to as Capitus Meks. This city was yet another rebellious city, situated close to Nar Shadda. It was abundantly clear that Nar Shadda was surrounded by a large number of hostile cities. When we landed in MEK’s capital, we met light Rebel resistance. Most of the Rebel resistance was swiftly wiped out by the much larger army of Imperials. Others, such as Rebel Elite Corpsman Seraph from the Darjani Peaks organization named Juggernauts, or JGRN, made a hasty retreat.

After this minor distraction, our massive force of Imperials embarked by speederbike to the nearby Rebel Detachment Headquarters in Nueva Castoria. After approaching the installation, our combined forces swiftly destroyed the base’s three turret defense systems. In addition to the installation’s innate defense force, we also engaged in combat with a number of Rebels from multiple organizations defending Nueva Castoria. However, these small groups of resistance fighters were no match for the overwhelming strength of the Galactic Empire. During the midst of the conflict, I had even defeated Naghaz, the Force-sensitive who had served RID in the past during the CFM War. However, he had long since abandoned RID, and defected to the Rebel Alliance. It seemed that our mission to destroy the Rebel Detachment Headquarters would be a resounding success. We secured the base’s interior, and our technicians began their attempt to slice the installation’s many computer systems. Unfortunately, many of these individuals had never actually attempted to slice a Rebel installation before. When it became apparent that the inadequate training of these slicers would prevent us from actually destroying the installation, morale amongst our ranks began to diminish. We continued to hold off Rebel resistance, but our forces were becoming increasingly wearied. It was quickly becoming clear that our goal of destroying the headquarters would not come to fruition. After over an hour of fighting, we abandoned any further attempts at hacking. RID, DM, NoS, and the other Imperial soldiers then proceeded to leave the region.

While we failed to destroy the installation, I addressed RID and our other Imperial allies about the battle. As far as I was concerned, we did not truly lose. We decimated the Rebel resistance, and proved to the rebellious cities of Dantooine that we were all a force to be reckoned with. I assured everyone that we would learn from our mistakes, and that our slicing technicians would be properly trained for future battles. I thanked Cerex Hendrix, the RID member who was pivotal in amassing the large number of Imperials for the offensive. This would not be the last of us. Indeed, it would not take long for an old friend of the Imperial Network to reach out to us – Cairne Cantasi.

The Imperial Conference

Following the demise of Firebase, RID lost virtually all contact with Cairne Cantasi and his Imperial Network. Most of our combat operations were conducted solely with allies in DM, NoS, and BSA. However, the days of RID being left behind in the dark corners of the Empire were over. Days after our attack on Nueva Castoria, Colonel Cairne Cantasi sent a personal invitation to me and many other leaders of the Empire to gather their retinue, and bring them to a massive Imperial conference in the Imperial Palace of ISF’s capital of Sintari, Dantooine. The conference would allow the opportunity for leaders of the Empire to introduce their organizations, network, and recruit unaffiliated Imperials to their ranks. I for one was honored to have RID invited to this grand event. I encouraged all of RID to attend the conference, and show the galaxy that we were a premier Imperial institution.

On the day of the conference, me and multiple other members of RID arrived to the streets of Sintari. My retinue of RID member included Takura, Urasvistu, Xanus, Cerex, Rofisp, Luuciferr, Telemchus, Bamed, Gounk, and Kuiloo. After arriving in Sintari, I was astonished to see the massive number of Imperials from a multitude of Imperial organizations. ISF, TIO, THM, SHC, BSA, NOVA, NEXUS, CXXI, DL, and Imperials from countless other lesser known organizations were in attendance. I also met up with Kurke, Fingolfin and Star’ of the Dark Marauders. Stormtroopers from The Imperial Order and Interplanetary Security Force guarded the Sintari Imperial Palace in organized rows, while the multitude of Imperial attendees filed into the large conference room to be seated. It was a marvelous spectacle; unfortunately I was unable to stay for the entire conference. Because of this, Cerex Hendrix was entrusted with speaking during the conference on RID’s behalf. Thanks to Kuiloo Patlin gathering footage of the event, I was later able to witness the remainder of the conference. After all the attendees got settled in, everyone was amazed to see none other than Darth Vader emerge to enter the Imperial Palace. Lord Vader, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces, was only second to Galactic Emperor Palpatine himself. For Darth Vader to personally address his fellow Imperial subjects was nothing short of an unexpected surprise. After a flurry of salutes and adulation from the countless Imperial attendees, Darth Vader approached the podium beside Colonel Cairne Cantasi of ISF to address his loyal followers. “Allowing the Rebellion to establish control will not be tolerated,” Vader bellowed. Darth Vader continued to insist that the only way to defeat the Rebel Alliance would be for the Empire to establish bases across Dantooine and the other worlds of the galaxy. In doing so, their cities would be controlled, and all resistance would be crushed. “I have seen all that is necessary. I will make sure the Emperor knows of your loyalty. We live to serve Lord Palpatine,” he concluded. After completing his brief address, the Imperial Palace erupted with yet another flurry of cheers and salutations. A number of Imperials exited the hall to witness Darth Vader boarding his personal Lambda-class shuttle, and launch back into the depths of space.

However, the conference had only yet begun. When the attendees once again settled back into the confines of the Imperial Palace, Cairne took the podium to address his fellow Imperials. “For those of you who do not know me, allow me to introduce myself,” he began. “I am Cairne Cantasi, Imperial Intelligence, and your host for this evening. My primary function is diplomacy, and I act in the employ of a group of Imperial organizations who have learned to work together harmoniously and to great effect.” As Cairne continued to speak, he reminisced about the Imperial Network’s glorious days at Firebase. “Some of you may remember Imperial Firebase Corellia, a facility of seven Imperial Forward Outposts placed 2,000 meters north of Coronet City, out in the open in a display of Imperial power.” Cairne continued, “The Firebase was the sight of some of the fiercest fighting against the Rebellion the galaxy has ever seen.” Of course, Firebase had long since been destroyed by the Rebellion, and Cairne looked to the future and said, “This conference has been called so that we, the Imperials of the galaxy, can stand together, look around, and see ourselves not only as individuals who have pledged our allegiance to the Emperor, and not only as members of organizations who have chosen to align themselves with the Empire, but to see ourselves, all of us, as part of something greater.” Cairne then looked towards the intensification of the Galactic Civil War, and pledged that the Empire must boost their military presence on the multiple worlds of the galaxy. He promised, “We are going to be fighting for control of entire worlds. No longer will we be able to shrug away the loss of our military facilities. We will have to fight like a mother sludge panther defending her young, and defend every facility we construct.” Cairne continued his inspirational speech and insisted, “In short, we are going to need numbers and organization the likes of which we have never seen before.” He continued, “The Rebels have recognized this, as well. Even now, they are holding a similar conference to this one on Tatooine.” As Cairne reached the closing statements of his speech, he revealed that the Rebellion was planning to seize control of the planet Corellia. “Powerful new Rebel leaders, some of them traitors from the innermost circles of the Empire, have emerged and are turning the Rebel movement from a fractured cell structure to a true Rebel Alliance,” he warned. Cairne then called on his fellow Imperials to imagine a more powerful Empire. “I would like you to envision the following scenario,” he told everyone. “The Rebels have a military facility which has just gone vulnerable. On a planet which stands on the brink of falling into Imperial hands. The Rebels stand watch nervously, reminded of the critical importance of this facility. Then, over the crest of a hill, comes a wave of white – Imperials in battle and shock armor, with scout walkers bringing up the rear.” This hypothetical scenario ignited excitement among the Imperial attendees, some of whom cheered and applauded. After making some closing statements, Cairne finally called on representatives from multiple Imperial organizations to take the podium, and introduce themselves.

Cairne called on the representative from the Regal Imperial Defenders to take the microphone. Cairne stepped aside, and Cerex Hendrix, acting on my behalf, walked up to the stage. After bowing to Cairne, Cerex turned around to introduce himself. “Hello, I am Cerex Hendrix of the Regal Imperial Defenders,” he began. He continued to explain that RID was a modest sized Imperial organization, based in ICOS Fort Oasis on Tatooine. He informed the attendees that RID was forming a task force to destroy Rebel installations, but required the help of other Imperials to succeed. He recounted the recent failed endeavor in Nueva Castoria, and how despite almost destroying their Rebel Detachment Headquarters, “a lack of instruction, discipline, and patience” resulted in our failure. He then called on the attendees to provide military support, so that RID could successfully destroy Rebel installations in the future. With that, Cerex simply declared, “That’s all folks,” and turned around to bow to Cairne. After stepping away to return to his fellow group of RID members, Zachris Corbani, leader of the Interplanetary Security Forces, took the stage. After giving a brief overview of his organization, Zachris emphasized their capabilities in quickly destroying Rebel installations. Clearly, with ISF working alongside us, Cerex’s, Bizob’s, and my goal of eliminating Rebel bases could truly come to fruition.

Zachris was then followed by Doctor Avalucia Versailles, Colonel in the Imperial Army, and Head Mistress of The Honored Maidens. Avalucia took the opportunity to speak about THM’s rich history, and their multiple projects to expand the Empire’s influence throughout the galaxy. She touched upon THM’s “rapidly developing Space Fighter program,” which would work in conjunction with the Imperial Navy. After saluting the attendees, Avalucia stepped away from the podium, allowing E’lric to take the stage. E’lric was the leader of Dark Legion, another Imperial organization based out of the city of Gilead on Dantooine. His introduction was followed by Star’s, the woman who had quickly ascended the ranks of Kurke’s Dark Marauders. In her introduction, Star’ explained, “We are a part of the growing ICOS organization, and have formed close relationships with RID and <X>. Together we will eliminate the threat of Rebel forces in the galaxy.” Star’ was followed by Deft Aklin of Crimson Nova, who expressed their mission to “remove the terrorist influence from the galaxy.” He called on the attendees to reach out to Leemu, Jerwin, and Skawottohi of NOVA for additional information. After thanking the attendees for their time, the Imperial conference finally started to wind down and come to a close.

The Imperial conference in Sintari was no doubt a resounding success; however it was not devoid of some mishaps. Regrettably, I learned that Xanus of RID had acted rudely towards a number of Imperial allies. I also learned that Cerex, Luuciferr, Takura, Bamed, and Rofisp ended up leaving RID after the conference. I initially believed this was because they were upset with Xanus’ conduct, so I promptly decided to remove Xanus from RID. However, I later reintroduced Xanus to RID as soon as an apology was reached. Indeed, it was not clear if it was Xanus’ conduct which prompted most of these members to leave RID. At least some of the members who left, including Cerex, Takura and Rofisp, ended up joining the Dark Marauders. So I did somewhat suspect DM of playing a role in pulling members away from us during the course of the conference. Regardless, I did not let this interfere with our mostly healthy alliance. In fact, during the weeks that followed, Warlord of RID established a large structure in Nar Shadda to act as the Embassy of RID. As a token of goodwill, the Dark Marauders had also allowed me to maintain a small home in Nar Shadda.

Farpoint City Election

On the eastern edge of the Mesric Plateau, south of Tatooine’s Eastern Dune Sea, two large cities existed. They were sister cities named Farpoint City and Farpoint Valley. The first of the two, Farpoint City, was built atop the ruins of Drifter’s Oasis, a Rebel stronghold razed by the Galactic Empire. In fact, I had at one point been involved in an attack on a Rebel base in Drifter’s Oasis, prompting the city management to blacklist me personally. After the “massacre of Drifter’s Oasis,” as the attack had come to be known, a man named Sidious Inoxi began an extensive rebuilding campaign, acquiring funds and settlers from all over Tatooine. Henceforth, with Drifter’s Oasis transformed into Farpoint, Sidious Inoxi became mayor, and Farpoint turned into a boomtown. The city quickly welcomed a number of legitimate and dubious businesses, including Cael Broden’s group, which ran the Farpoint Holonews, successor to the Skullhaven Holonews, as a front for more illegal activities. An entertainment group known as the Neutron Pixies also joined the city, as did Amme’s Vigilantes, a mercenary group which took over the town’s security and law enforcement. However, they were eventually succeeded by Xisor Transport Systems. The second incarnation of the criminal syndicate called Severed Shade, led by Karpasso F. Tong, also moved some assets into the town, beginning a sometimes violent competition known as “Tatooine’s Criminal Cold War.”

Despite this violence, and the related power struggles in the city’s senate, the town flourished, attracting many business enterprises and events, such as Fight Night, gambling nights, swoop races and similar events. Numerous weddings were held in the town as well, among them that of Cael Broden and Nasoon, and of Webber Goldear and Clarissa Wrenchturner. The town’s main cantina, Nightsisters, ran by Nasoon, was busy almost around the clock, but suffered from frequent violent incidents including bombings. The Neutron Pixies bought the old police station of Drifter’s Oasis, and turned it into a more secure nightclub, Jailbirds, opening it only a few times a week. Nearby, a mall rose, offering some of the best products on the planet, among them Ikooga’s fine food, and the weapons from the Inoxi family. The population grew so much, that the Inoxi family founded a suburb, Farpoint Valley. Sidious Inoxi’s adopted niece, Ricarda Inoxi, was the first mayor, later to be succeeded by Clarissa Goldear. With Farpoint Valley’s construction, the original Farpoint was slightly renamed to Farpoint City. Unlike Farpoint City, Farpoint Valley was a quieter town, without as much of the strife and unrest common to the original Farpoint. Nevertheless, Farpoint Valley also flourished, attracting colorful residents and businesses, among them members of the Severed Shade, who opened a cantina there, as well as a more secretive group of people moving in from Lok under the leadership of Gawau Kanati, who opened what became the town’s central cantina. Eventually, Farpoint Valley joined Farpoint City as a thriving metropolis, acquiring a shuttle port of its very own. During these early days, Farpoint Valley remained more of an integral part of Farpoint City, rather than a settlement in its own right. Nevertheless, the two were governed separately by two separate mayors.

Despite their rich histories, RID had little to do with either one of the two Farpoint cities, aside from the limited involvement in the Empire’s attacks on Drifter’s Oasis long ago. That would soon change, however. Business had turned bad for Farpoint City. Not many people were visiting the once thriving streets of the metropolis. The city had entered a period of complacency. However, it would soon be awoken from its slumber. Jacobias Andiyar, a citizen of Farpoint City, announced his candidacy against the incumbent Mayor Sidious Inoxi. When news of this surfaced, Farpoint City planned for a debate to be held between the two candidates in the Farpoint city hall. With emotions running high, many residents expressed an interest in attending this promising political debate. A Twi’lek by the name of Issele Eshiw, who was by that point a prominent Imperial in Crimson Nova, was not able to attend and moderate the debate. As a backup, it did not take long for the leaders of Farpoint City to set their eyes towards me, the esteemed mayor and commander of Fort Oasis and its Regal Imperial Defenders. Seeing this as an opportunity to strengthen our ties with the two respectable cities of Farpoint, I was more than willing to act as the debate moderator. On the day of the debate, residents and dignitaries filled the city hall and took their seats. Meanwhile, I stood at the podium between Sidious and Jacobias, holding the debate questions that had been provided to me by the citizens beforehand. It was my job to filter out the questions not suitable for the debate. I would also have to give the opponents a limited amount of time to answer the questions, about two to three minutes in all, while remaining as neutral as possible during the debate.

Once everyone was settled in, Mayor Ricarda Inoxi of Farpoint Valley delivered an opening speech, and reminded all the attendees to put away their weapons. Finally, the debate commenced, with me asking the two candidates the many questions given to me by the residents. Most of the questions pertained to what the candidate’s would do in regards to the city’s police force, its structural layout, taxes, and other matters. Throughout the debate, it seemed clear that the incumbent mayor Sidious would win by a landslide. Most of the citizens seemed impressed by his well informed answers. Some citizens even cast their votes for Sidious before the debate was even concluded. Amusingly, Jacobias seemed to even agree with his opponent on most points.

When Jacobias was asked why he wanted to run for mayor, he answered with a touching story about how empty Farpoint had become. However, he also made odd promises for Farpoint, including a proposition to have the city offer free Kaadu rides for children. Proposals such as these mostly served to raise eyebrows among the many attendees of the debate. Nevertheless, Jacobias pointedly explained that his running for mayor would be a minor victory, if even half of his ideas were heard by the people. On the subject of the city’s senate, both Sidious and Jacobias agreed to purge it of those not so committed to the future of Farpoint. They both also agreed to welcome all kinds of religious sects into Farpoint, showing tolerance and sympathy towards such fringe groups. Indeed, at one point during the debate, a number of citizens stood up to speak. One of these citizens was T’omo Aedon, an Ithorian priest, and a strong advocate of the Inoxi administration.

Finally, after most of the questions had been asked and answered, the debate was brought to a close. I was thanked by the city’s management for moderating the debate. Meanwhile, citizens flooded the ballot box, and then left to relax at some of the city’s local cantinas. As expected, the election ended with the incumbent Mayor Sidious Inoxi emerging victorious by a landslide. Nevertheless, the fact that Jacobias Andiyar had dared to challenge the incumbent served as a wakeup call for the increasingly complacent administration. Certainly, much needed to be done to bring business back to Farpoint, and revitalize their city once more. After the debate, a HoloNet news article was released, giving its readers a recap of the debate. In it, my service as the moderator was commended. “Congratulations on a job well done, Lexx,” the article read. Certainly, this would not be the last time RID and the citizens of Farpoint would cross paths.

Imperial Resurgence

Ever since the impressive Imperial conference in Sintari, the Galactic Empire and its Imperial Network entered something of resurgence. Emboldened by our newfound unity, RID and its allies embarked on a number of ambitious initiatives, including building up our military defenses, and amassing an army to take on the Rebel Alliance in their many hideouts. Back in Fort Oasis, I met with the dancer by the name of Thaesus Andromeda. You may recall that Thaesus had once made treasonous remarks in Fort Oasis during the midst of our Civil War. While we did interrogate her, we did not deem her a serious threat, and did not remove her from RID immediately. Nevertheless, she did end up leaving RID at some point to pursue her entertainment career. However, ever since Zrinity left RID to join DM, we were forced to decommission the Fort Oasis cantina. Desperate to finally reopen it, I agreed to let Thaesus take up ownership of the cantina. While I did not readmit her into RID, due to her questionable past, I believed that she could not do much harm as the mere proprietor of an entertainment venue. Thankfully, Thaesus proved to be trustworthy in this regard. The cantina was redecorated, and we even planned to host a grand reopening.

Meanwhile, I one day met up with Thaesus’ relative, a woman named Isis’ Andromeda, and fellow RID members Erich’ and Telemchus to celebrate the construction of yet another new base in Fort Oasis. This time, we would be constructing a large Imperial Detachment Headquarters near our city’s medical center, under Erich’s command. It was yet another proud moment for RID. After construction on the headquarters was completed, the four of us cheerfully celebrated. In the reopened Fort Oasis cantina, me, Erich’, Chardath, and Bizob enjoyed a dance and music performance by both Thaesus and Isis’ Andromeda. Rofisp Alo, who remained in DM since our conference in Sintari, also dropped by to commemorate the occasion. Following the construction of our new Imperial installation, I was pleased to read a message from Malcinda Gao-Shen of Shadow Nexus, pledging defense aid to RID and Fort Oasis. Shadow Nexus, a specialized assassin unit made up of members of The Honored Maidens, pledged to remain on-call for military defense of ICOS Fort Oasis. If our compound were to ever be attacked, Shadow Nexus instructed RID to contact Malcinda, Seeva, Emorai, or Annyah with a “situation report detailing the number of suspected terrorists.”

As an aside, it was by this time that RID’s code of guidelines, known as the Ten Commands, expanded to include extra “Commands.” By that time, many of the rules were antiquated, so I decided to transform RID’s Commands into a more cohesive set up rules known as the Regal Consitution. The Regal Consitution drew some inspiration from the original Ten Commands, except it contained many more clearly defined directives. Furthermore, we no longer restricted such frivolous and seldom enforced notions, such as battling Rebels in hospitals, or using chemical weapons in warfare. The Regal Constitution was a constantly evolving document, subject to change on a whim if I so desired. Rules included provisions for treating fellow comrades with respect, provisions against treason and insubordination, directions on how to organize Emergency Judgment Council trials, and eventually, even a continuity of government directive which explained what to do in the event if me, the Leader of RID, should ever disappear or become deceased.

Meanwhile, the fight against the Rebellion continued. Although Cerex was now in DM, he remained committed to quelling Rebel resistance on Naboo’s moon of Rori. One day, I joined him and a member of NoS named Avim for an attack on at least one of ASF’s Rebel installations in Solaria. We only had a small squad at first, but Avim did have under his command an AT-ST Imperial Walker. However, it did not take long for ASF to learn of our presence. Revan of ASF drove by on his swoop bike, forcing us to move quickly. We started by heading towards one of ASF’s Rebel Forward Outposts, defended by two large tower turrets. Because we only had a small squad, it was not our goal to destroy the installation. We simply wished to weaken it for a potentially larger assault in the future. With the help of Cerex, Avim, and his Imperial Walker, we managed pick away at the base’s defenses. During the course of the skirmish, we even managed to defeat Izomo and at least one other Rebel. Unfortunately, our small squad was vastly outnumbered, and unable to destroy the two large turrets. After we were defeated, we regrouped at a remote Imperial Encampment on Rori. Avim feared that the AT-ST under his command had been destroyed by the Rebel forces during the conflict, but he was happy to see the AT-ST emerge, heavily damaged, yet still intact.

To gather an even larger force of Imperials, we headed to the capital of Theed on the nearby world of Naboo. After rallying a larger, more efficient group of Imperials consisting of multiple members from an organization named EotE, we headed back to Rori. Warlord of RID also headed over to join us for the second attempt on ASF’s turret defenses. Despite being heavily wounded by the Rebel forces, this larger strike force managed to successfully destroy the turrets defending the enemy Forward Outpost. Our attack on Solaria was a success, and even after Cerex and I had left the region, Star’ of DM took command and continued fighting. Wearied by the long day of fighting, I headed back to Naboo to relax on the beaches of Kaadara. While on Naboo, I also met up with Bamed, one of RID’s Mon Calamari traders. Believing Bamed to be an excellent craftsman, I commissioned from him a newly constructed AV-21 landspeeder, which he sold to me during my brief moment of respite on Naboo.

However, leaders of the Empire could only rest for so long. Later on, I joined Cerex and Rofisp of DM, and RID members Erich’ and Clank’ for yet another combat operation against Rebel holdouts on Rori. This time, we ventured into yet another Rebel-aligned stronghold plaguing the swamp moon, a large city named Libertas. As it turned out, my Rebel friend Com Cypher actually owned a residency within this particular city. However, I did not let sentimentality interfere with our persecution of entire Rebel cities. Libertas consisted of a large Rebel military base. It was not defended by any kind of turret systems, so our small squad of RID and DM members took the time to pick away at the base’s security forces.

Following our most recent attacks on Rori, it was learned that ASF was actually attempting to defect some members of RID to the Rebel cause, including Bizob, our loyal Rodian commander. I hoped to use this to our advantage, and proposed a plan to have a member of RID pretend to defect and join ASF. In doing so, I believed we could have the spy construct a safe house for RID in Solaria, and even enact the construction of an Imperial Forward Outpost within their city. This proposal of mine never took hold, but schemes such as these were regularly thought up in an attempt to undermine the Alliance Special Forces.

Meanwhile, as a show of support to the Imperial Network, I travelled with RID members Telemchus and Phow-jin to the planet Corellia to aid the Imperial organizations NoS and EotE. Cerex of DM also arrived to Corellia to assist us. After amassing our forces, we conducted a large scale combat operation against Rebels on the world. Back on Tatooine, and with backing from the Imperial Network, RID drastically stepped up the construction of Imperial installations in and around Fort Oasis. In addition to the Detachment Headquarters operated by Erich’, and the Forward Outpost near our shuttleport operated by Bizob, we also commissioned the construction of four more Forward Outposts. Cerex assumed command of two of the new Forward Outposts, one of which was constructed slightly outside the city boundaries, near Fort Oasis’ industrial zone. The other Forward Outpost under Cerex’s command was also constructed slightly outside the city boundaries, east of Fort Oasis’ residential area. Meanwhile, Erich’ assumed control of the other two Forward Outposts, one of which was constructed slightly inside the city’s residential area, while the other was constructed next to the Imperial Oasis further west. I proudly updated RID on the status of our growing military compounds, and also revealed that we were discussing plans for the construction of yet another base under Bizob’s command. As a token of goodwill to our allies in the Dark Marauders, I also bestowed to Kurke a Forward Outpost to be constructed in Nar Shadda. Gone were the days when RID struggled to maintain merely one Forward Outpost. From that day forward, RID had the resources to construct and maintain multiple installations. It was, as Darth Vader ordered during Sintari’s Imperial conference, a surefire way to secure planetary control for the Galactic Empire.

Sadly, the Rebel Alliance launched a ruthless surprise attack on these new, vulnerable installations. Mere days later, I returned to Fort Oasis, only to discover that five of our six installations were completely destroyed. The only installation that remained was the small Forward Outpost near the Imperial Oasis operated by Erich’. I quickly kept RID up to speed on the devastating attack. “There are no solid links as to who did this,” I told everyone, “but it is probably ASF and other Rebel groups who were involved.” Although the destruction of these bases was disappointing, I reminded all of RID that “this was war,” and that we would rebuild. “The actions in our precious city mean serious retaliation,” I said. I vowed to strike ASF’s city of Solaria with the help of our allies in the Imperial Network. To achieve this, I first reached out to Cairne Cantasi and our friends in the Dark Marauders. I further assured my followers, “This is nothing to worry about. The cowardly acts of terrorists and insurgents won’t stop RID.” In retrospect, there was virtually no evidence connecting ASF to the brazen attack on Fort Oasis. However, we needed a scapegoat, and ASF was the most likely culprit. After all, they did recently threaten to destroy RID’s assets.

Despite the devastating loss of most of our facilities, I decided to use the occasion as an opportunity to boost morale, and further strengthen our ties between RID and DM. After decorating the streets of Fort Oasis with flags of the Empire and planet Tatooine, I invited RID and DM for an impromptu meeting in the Fort Oasis cantina. RID members Keelok Tovee, Cerex, Serram, Gounk, Phow-jin, Urasvistu, and myself were in attendance. Several members from DM, including Star’, Rofisp, DarkVenom, and a Mon Calamari name Dalim, also arrived. This meeting was more festive than most. We took a moment to relax in the cantina, listening to anthems of the Empire on the jukebox, and chatting with one another. Urasvistu took to the stage, showing off his dance moves as people filed in. After everyone got settled, we finally used the opportunity to discuss our plans to retaliate against the Rebellion. During the course of the meeting, we arrived to one simple conclusion: More Imperial bases, and less Rebel ones. In other words, we would continue to construct Imperial installations, replacing those that were only just destroyed in and around Fort Oasis. Likewise, we would step up our efforts to destroy Rebel installations, not just in Solaria, but across the galaxy.

The next day, Sharky Mema sent an advisory in the RID-DM communications channel that Fort Oasis was being attacked by Rebels. I immediately responded, as did Cerex of DM. Sharky clarified that the Rebels were members of a Rebel organization known as SAINT. Indeed, it is quite possible that SAINT may have actually been the Rebel cell responsible for the recent attack on Fort Oasis, if not ASF. By the time Cerex and I arrived, only one or two Rebels were spotted. With Cerex’s help, SAINT was successfully defeated, restoring peace to Fort Oasis once more. This latest incursion in Fort Oasis only served to highlight the improved communications and strengthened alliance between RID and DM. It also served to highlight the loyalty and vigilance of Fort Oasis’ citizens. Sharky was merely a trader in command of RID’s commercial sector, yet he quickly recognized the threat in Fort Oasis, and notified us immediately. Following this interruption, RID organized a party in the Fort Oasis cantina, this time welcoming the many other allies in the large Imperial Network. Erich’ and Bizob attended as my emissaries in RID. Timit, who had since left RID to join the Imperial organization called <X>, also attended. Vall and his loyal followers in the True Lokian Command and Black Star Alliance also attended in modest numbers, as did Toonces of Crimson Nova, and multiple Imperials from an organization called “cav.” The gathering was a great success. RID and their allies chatted with one another in the cantina, while a Twi’lek entertainer from the True Lokian Command named Perrissa Pearce played music for the attendees. Certainly, festivities such as these were enjoyable in their own right, but they also served another purpose. RID was quietly setting in motion plans for an ambitious attack; an attack which would require fierce and loyal assistance from allies such as these. In the days that followed, RID would finally enact vengeance against one of our most detested enemies – the Rebels of Fort Alliance.

Attack on Fort Alliance

This historic account has already made sporadic mention of the treasonous city of Fort Alliance. RID had already launched occasional attacks on this city since first being introduced to the Imperial Network months ago. Fort Alliance was a Rebel city, and that was all the reason we needed to attack it. However, RID’s desire to bring about the downfall of this city was also personal. Fort Alliance was founded after Fort Oasis, in the time prior to our Civil War. Nevertheless, the nascent city blossomed into a thriving city well before Fort Oasis, and even acquired its own shuttle port before we did. This alone was enough to serve as something of an embarrassment to us and our own city’s progress. To make matters worse, Fort Alliance was also constructed a close distance west of Fort Tusken, a popular destination for many of the planet’s adventurers. Because of this, these adventurers would instead pay for passage through Fort Alliance, rather than Fort Oasis. So in a sense, the existence of Fort Alliance harmed Fort Oasis economically. The existence of Fort Alliance and their shuttle port reduced the revenue Fort Oasis generated through travel tickets. It is quite likely that sales at our local shops, including the Fort Oasis shopping center, took a hit as well. However, these economic concerns were short lived. Although the city of Fort Alliance was still considered a large city by most metrics, it was in fact hanging on by a thread. In addition to enduring constant Imperial assaults, Fort Alliance reportedly had a corrupt militia, and a neglectful mayor who was seldom if ever seen by the public. Their shuttle port, which threatened to divert business away from Fort Oasis, was even mysteriously dismantled. It is not clear if their shuttle port was intentionally decommissioned to reduce the ease of hostile Imperials travelling into their city, or if it was in fact shut down due to mismanagement and lack of public funds. Either way, the loss of Fort Alliance’s travel hub weakened the city considerably, and once again restored extra revenue to Fort Oasis.

However, this did not mean that RID would abandon their efforts against the city. We held its residents responsible for one of the recent attacks on Fort Oasis’ Forward Outpost. We did not learn much about the residents of Fort Alliance; however it was possibly home to a number of Rebels from various organizations, including the Shards of Alderaan, or SoA. The Rebel group SoA was actually based out of the city of Aldera on the planet Corellia, yet at least a couple members of SoA were responsible for defending Fort Alliance during one of our more recent attacks on the city.

While the Imperial Network recognized Fort Alliance as a serious threat to the Galactic Empire’s dominance over Tatooine, they continued to commit most of their resources towards securing the world of Corellia. Nevertheless, our allies in the Black Star Alliance respected RID, and expressed a willingness to help secure Tatooine under Imperial control. As part of a larger operation I dubbed the “Tatooine Offensive,” RID proposed an ambitious operation that largely focused on Fort Alliance. By that time, Erich’ Ruhl of RID was forming a specialized team of base slicers, capable of initiating destruction sequences within Rebel installations. We hoped to avoid repeating the mistakes of Nueva Castoria, where inadequately trained Imperial slicers had failed to destroy the Rebel’s Detachment Headquarters. Thanks to Erich’s leadership, I believed that RID, in conjunction with our allies in BSA, could succeed in targeting Fort Alliance’s military installations. We hoped that by relentlessly attacking Fort Alliance; the beleaguered city would ultimately collapse, thus restoring peace to the region.

With this in mind, we proposed launching a surprise attack on Fort Alliance’s territory which would involve destroying their prized Rebel Forward Outpost. Once successful, we would quickly authorize the construction of multiple Imperial bases atop the ashes of the once standing Rebel base. This would not only secure a perimeter of Imperial forces around Fort Alliance, but it would also demoralize our opponents. On the day of our surprise attack, forces from RID and BSA amassed in the Fort Oasis cantina. The forces of RID included myself, Bizob, Erich’ and Shriker. Under Sylestra’s command, BSA fielded Ryalia Losan, and none other than TwistedImage, the former member of RID. Unfortunately, our allies in the Dark Marauders were unable to join us. Star’, who had served as one of DM’s leading officers, arrived to Fort Oasis to aid RID and BSA. Bearing the slightly different name of “Star-,” the former commander of the Dark Marauders was now serving in the allied Imperial organization <X>. While gathering in the cantina, RID, BSA, and Star- of <X> enjoyed a dance performance by Sojb of DVS. After taking some time to relax and prepare our forces, our joint team of Imperials left Fort Oasis to embark on our journey to the northern city of Fort Alliance.

By the time we had arrived, the twin suns of Tatooine were just about to rise above the horizon. We carefully approached Fort Alliance’s Forward Outpost. Wielding long range blaster rifles, Shriker, Sylestra, Ryalia and I dove to the ground, and slowly crawled up a sand dune overlooking the Rebel outpost. The four of us would act as snipers, picking off the base’s defense forces before attacking the installation up close and personal. Behind us was the sixth incarnation of my trusty Viper probe droid, which I named Black Death VI, and a black armored Imperial storm commando, NX-105. Off to our left, Erich’ brazenly surveyed the horizon on foot, while Star- rolled into the area on her swoop bike. “Guard us snipers,” Shriker said, while carefully positioned on the ground. Star- hopped off her bike, and Erich’ then proceeded to call in a two-legged All-Terrain Scout Transport. With all the preparations made, Sylestra cheerfully proclaimed, “Well, here we go.” At once, me and the three other snipers began firing at the Rebel soldiers patrolling the exterior of the Forward Outpost, while Erich’ and Star- guarded our position. One by one, most of the Rebels outside of the base were being killed. Us snipers finally stood up, save for Shriker, who continued to fire at a few of the remaining Rebels in a kneeling position. With the initial phase of the conflict almost complete, I ordered Erich’ to send his AT-ST to attack the various Rebel commandants outside the base.

By sunrise, the area outside the base had been secured, and our troops forcibly entered the front entrance of the Rebel Forward Outpost. By that time, extra reinforcements had arrived from the StarHawk Conglomerate, including Svaartvadel and Covii Erovatti. An Imperial named Paopi also joined our forces. After eliminating Rebel resistance inside the base, our slicers proceeded to initiate the destruction countdown. Fortunately for us, the actual residents of Fort Alliance were not yet aware of this surprise attack. Otherwise, we may have faced fiercer resistance from Rebels in multiple organizations, including perhaps SoA and SAINT. Finally, several minutes after initiating the countdown sequence, we emerged a safe distance away from the Forward Outpost and watched the installation blow apart. For the first time in their history, RID had succeeded in completely destroying a Rebel installation. True, we could not have been successful without Vall’s loyal soldiers in BSA, or the dutiful assistance from SHC and Star- of <X>, but this proved that together, we could bring about the downfall of the Rebel Alliance on Tatooine. However, our operation was not yet complete. Our final objective was to establish two Imperial Forward Outposts amid the ruins of the former Rebel installation. Fortunately, the construction of these two Imperial bases went flawlessly. Residents who emerged from their homes would be met with the sight of two imposing Imperial Forward Outposts, patrolled by numerous stormtroopers, and at least two AT-ST walkers. Our attack on Fort Alliance was a complete success!

Following the successful operation, Bizob released a written battle report, and thanked RID and their allies for their dutiful service. I too thanked everyone who assisted us during the attack. However, the “Tatooine Offensive” would not stop with Fort Alliance. I pledged to construct even more Imperial bases on Tatooine, and destroy other Rebel installations across the world. As our next mission, I announced that we would move forward on our attack on Sarlacc City’s Rebel base. With the help of our allies in BSA, TLC, SHC, and DM, RID successfully destroyed this installation as well. In a similar fashion to our attack on Fort Alliance, our Imperial forces constructed a new Imperial base atop the remains of Sarlacc City’s former installation. Bizob released yet another battle report, once again thanking RID and their allies for their continued assistance on the planet Tatooine. He told everyone to keep up the good work, and devote time towards stockpiling turret systems and other defenses. Meanwhile, I informed RID about reports of additional Rebel bases on Tatooine, including about three to four near Anchorhead, and another right next to Farpoint Valley. The Rebel base near Farpoint Valley was in fact constructed close by to an Imperial installation we had constructed near the city. Clearly, RID and the Empire still had much work cut out for them, in order to fully secure the planet Tatooine.

Taking Back the Galaxy

In the days following our attacks on Fort Alliance and Sarlacc City, Cairne Cantasi of the Imperial Network sent a memo titled, “Taking back the galaxy.” In this message to the many allies of the Imperial Network, Cairne reported that Corellia was back in Imperial hands, thanks to the construction of two Special Forces Detachment Headquarters, one supplied by Gorion of NOVA, and the other provided by Svaartvadel of SHC. Cairne declared that the planet’s capital of Coronet City had been pacified, and that the Empire occupied its streets.

Cairne also reported that Samix of the 501st Expeditionary Force, or XFOR for short, had enacted the construction of a Special Forces Detachment Headquarters in ICOS Fort Oasis. Likewise, he announced that Sylestra of BSA would be enacting the construction of a Special Forces Field Hospital around our city as well. Reading this memo brought me a great amount of delight. Evidently, with Corellia secured for the Empire, the Imperial Network was devoting more time and attention towards our forces on Tatooine. They recognized that RID was the premier Imperial organization on Tatooine, and focused on fortifying ICOS Fort Oasis. In his memo, Cairne believed that the construction of these additional facilities in and around our city would bring Tatooine under Imperial control. He also announced his desire to gather a strike team to destroy the remaining Rebel bases across Tatooine. After reading his memo, I met with Sylestra in Fort Oasis. With her help, the Field Hospital Cairne had referred to was constructed next to Samix’s Detachment Headquarters. Both these installations were constructed on the edge of Fort Oasis’ territory, securing its eastern boundary.

Unfortunately, the Rebels would not let us take back the galaxy without a fight. The residents of Fort Alliance learned that RID was primarily responsible for spearheading the ambitious assault on their city. Mere days after the attack on Fort Alliance, the Rebellion launched a vicious counterattack against Fort Oasis. They had succeeded in destroying the newly constructed Field Hospital managed by Sylestra, as well as two of our Forward Outposts near the Imperial Oasis. Thankfully, the Detachment Headquarters operated by Samix, and a Special Forces Forward Outpost near our city hall remained standing. Records are limited, but at some point around this time, the Detachment Headquarters operated by Erich’ near our medical center was also destroyed. It is not clear if this Detachment Headquarters was destroyed during this particular Rebel assault. In any case, we quickly replaced it with a slightly less costly Special Forces Tactical Center. Although the damage to our installations could have been much worse, the bold attack served as a wakeup call. To add insult to injury, the Rebels also imitated our attack on Fort Alliance. After destroying the Field Hospital and two Forward Outposts, they constructed two Rebel Forward Outposts of their own. One of these bases was built near the ruins of the destroyed Field Hospital, close to our city’s eastern border. The other was constructed just next to the Imperial Oasis to our west. This was no doubt a distressing turn of events. Not willing to see Rebel soldiers patrol RID’s territory, I quickly made it a priority to destroy these installations. Thankfully, with the help of our Imperial allies, the Rebel Forward Outpost near our eastern border was destroyed. However, the one near the Imperial Oasis remained standing.

Meanwhile, to avoid confusion, and to express our full commitment to the Imperial Network, I decided to decommission our experimental ICOS network. To make this clear, we officially renamed ICOS Fort Oasis back to Fort Oasis. Later on, RID gathered in the city’s cantina for brief festivities. Keelok, Warlord, Phow-jin, Gounk, Sharky, and a Twi’lek named Zoreal Bladedancer were all at the gathering. A Wookiee member named Shobowob also took the stage to play music on his bandfill instrument. Although he was not in attendance, it was also around this time that Cerex Hendrix left DM to rejoin RID. After taking the time to relax, I took Zoreal along with me for the brief trek to the nearby Imperial Oasis. While there, she and I surveyed the area near the Rebel Forward Outpost to construct yet another installation of our own. Erich’ and I also returned to the Imperial Oasis to further investigate the Rebel Forward Outpost constructed by our enemies in Fort Alliance. Considering it a blight on our landscape, and an insult to RID’s superiority over the region, we planned to destroy it completely. Evidently, the Rebels of Fort Alliance had not learned their lesson. Instead of their citizens accepting Imperial subjugation, they instead chose to strike at the heart of the Galactic Empire on Tatooine. We needed to send yet another message, and that meant mobilizing our forces for yet another attack on Fort Alliance.

Downfall of Fort Alliance

Before launching a counterattack of our own against the city of Fort Alliance, we first needed to secure our homeland. That meant destroying the Rebel Forward Outpost near the Imperial Oasis. After amassing a force of RID members, we marched to the Imperial Oasis, only to discover that it had actually just been destroyed by our other Imperial allies. This was an excellent turn of events, as it meant that we could now focus on our offensive attack on Fort Alliance. We moved our forces to Fort Alliance, where the Rebels had constructed yet another Forward Outpost. That day, our forces comprised almost entirely of RID members, including Ty’e, Erich’, Shriker, Fenalei Eki, and myself. However, we did also have with us an unaffiliated Imperial smuggler, who would aid in slicing the Forward Outpost’s computer systems. After decimating the base’s security forces, our slicers made quick work in accessing the outpost’s systems. Minutes later, we emerged from the installation to watch Fort Alliance’s Forward Outpost explode. This was yet another proud day for RID. Unlike our first major combat operation in Fort Alliance, this one was conducted almost entirely on our own. Thanks to Erich’s skilled leadership in training a squad of our own base slicers, we were successful.

In the days and weeks that followed, the Rebel safe haven of Fort Alliance continued to crumble. At least a few of their residents blamed RID for its demise, however we could not assume all the credit. Certainly, our relentless attacks on their Rebel installations must have affected the morale of Fort Alliance’s citizens. However, the city had been in a slow decline for a while. The loss of their shuttle port, a reduction of their citizens, and the neglectful nature of their own mayor was largely what led to the downfall of Fort Alliance. Nevertheless, RID took pride in playing a major role in the demise of this once large, Rebel fortification. Amusingly, the decline of Fort Alliance led many of the galaxy’s citizens to assume that the area around Fort Tusken was “cursed.” Fort Alliance was not the first city to be built near Fort Tusken, and it would not be the last. However, time and time again, cities built in that region would fall for a multitude of different reasons.

Tatooine Will Be Ours

Following our successful counterattack on Fort Alliance, I informed RID that we would direct attention to the Rebel base south of Farpoint Valley, and another group of bases near Anchorhead. I urged everyone to continue stockpiling credits to help fund the war effort. I proudly declared to RID, “Tatooine will be ours!” In order to further rally RID for the intensifying battles that awaited us, we held an organizational meeting in the Fort Oasis city hall. RID members Bizob, Ty’e, Trieyn, Keelok, Kronic Vie, Vope, and a newer Zabrak member named Jekks Acari all arrived to hear me speak. During the course of the meeting, we discussed ways to increase coordination between members, and ways to prepare for the upcoming battles against the Rebellion.

In the days leading up to our next major combat operation on Tatooine, RID stepped up the recruitment of new members and the construction of new Imperial installations across the planet. Over the next few days, the number of Imperial bases within and around Fort Oasis and the Mospic High Range region increased to a total of twenty-two installations! The Imperial Network was largely responsible for helping RID create this massive surge of military outposts. They provided the resources and personnel necessary to help us secure the region. However, twenty of the twenty-two installations were only small Imperial Forward Outposts. The other two in Fort Oasis included the larger Detachment Headquarters and Tactical Center. While Fort Oasis served as the central hub for most of the planet’s military installations, a few others were constructed elsewhere. South of the cities of Mos Eisley and Malador, there was a complex which consisted of a Detachment Headquarters and multiple Forward Outposts. The Empire also maintained a complex of bases near Anchorhead, and individual bases in other random areas of the Tatooinian landscape. I even oversaw the construction of a Tactical Center in almost the same exact location of the former Fort Fatal, overlooking the Rebel town of Anchorhead.

While the number of Imperial installations on Tatooine was drastically increasing, we still had a growing number of Rebel bases to destroy. To address this issue, we finally amassed a large contingent of RID soldiers alongside our allies in the Imperial Network in Fort Oasis. An awe inspiring sight, a sizeable army of Imperials assembled in our fortress, most gathering within the confines of our cantina. This time, the full weight of the Galactic Empire was being used to destroy the Rebellion on Tatooine. We had with us a large number of RID soldiers, including me, Skyys, Phow-jin, Ty’e, Rike Acin, Fenalei, Rusakallabirrl, Seijaku Huramu, Ookabah, Kronic, Orrykamikalla, and Chilled. We also had with us RID’s three commanders, including Bizob of our combat division, Gounk of our combat support division, and a Twi’lek who went by the name of “Hotwings,” who was by that time placed in charge of our commercial activities. Erich’ Ruhl was also present, but he had sadly left RID to transfer to another Tatooinian-based Imperial organization known as the Thirteenth Infantry, or the XIII for short. He and his fellow Thirteenth Infantrymen, including Xaarvisk Sarin, Hacen Terran, and Eceas, gathered alongside our forces. While the loss of Erich’ was quite saddening, we quickly welcomed his friends in the Thirteenth Infantry as close allies of RID. Erich’ also continued to maintain close friendships with his former comrades in RID. Despite his leaving, we had Erich’ to thank for strengthening RID’s combat forces, and creating a robust slicing task squad. In preparation for our combat operation, Fort Oasis even saw the arrival of The Imperial Order, including Rivaan Serulius, and one of TIO’s preeminent commanders, a man by the name of Grutch BrokenSkul.

After preparing our attack force, we embarked by shuttle and then by speeder to the sizeable Rebel military complex outside of Anchorhead. Prior to our journey, Grutch yelled a rallying cry of The Imperial Order, “Strength, Honor, Brothers, Forever. All hail the Empire. Long live the Emperor!” This Anchorhead complex consisted of one or two large installations, and around three smaller Forward Outposts, some of which were defended with turret systems. However, the sight of this fearsome complex did little to deter our forces. We pushed forward, and launched our initial assault on one of the Forward Outpost’s large tower turrets. Once the base’s defenses were taken care of, we pushed inside and quickly initiated the installation’s destruction sequence. With Imperial AT-STs guarding our position, we set up a camp in preparation for an assault on the next Forward Outpost. One by one, I oversaw with RID the destruction of a total of four bases in the Anchorhead military complex. By nightfall, our forces regrouped for an offensive strike on the Rebel Forward Outpost near Farpoint Valley. Although our forces had somewhat thinned out by then, as many took leave, we were nevertheless successful in demolishing the outpost. I shouted with enthusiasm, “Long live the Empire!”

Following the successful operation, I took leave, entrusting Bizob with overseeing RID’s forces. After I left, RID and their allies destroyed yet another four bases on Tatooine. Bizob released a battle report announcing that a total of nine Rebel installations were destroyed during the entire combat operation. He thanked TIO and the XIII for their assistance, and recognized the efforts of RID members Fenalei and Keelok for their continued persistence in destroying Rebel bases throughout the night. Bizob also informed us that he had discovered even more Rebel Alliance military bases south of the complex we had attacked near Anchorhead. Bizob assured RID that the Empire would destroy those installations within a matter of days. This massive assault on Rebel Alliance property was a complete success, but more needed to be done. According to satellite readings, the Rebels actually still had a military advantage over the Empire on Tatooine. Fortunately, Bizob was an aggressive leader. Under his command, he, Keelok, and their crew of slicers later succeeded in destroying yet another six Rebel bases on Tatooine. However, the Empire also needed to divide its time. Rebel uprisings were occurring everywhere, including on the world of Naboo, home of The Imperial Order and their massive metropolis named Thalnax, apparently named after TIO’s purported founder, Lord Cai Thalnax. As a show of support and thanks to the Imperial Network and the all-encompassing Galactic Empire, Fenalei and I fought alongside members of TIO in isolated combat operations against a few Rebel insurgents and their military installations.

Later, I assembled in Fort Oasis with our allies in the Interplanetary Security Force, including Octaviar, Tyral Skyfire, Echar Roidir and Draconius. Hacen of the Thirteenth Infantry also arrived to assist us. While gathering in Fort Oasis, I even bumped into Laeren Misha of Aes Sedai Industries, the man who had broadcasted RID’s Battle of Crystal Hollow for the Starsider News Network. After exchanging brief pleasantries, Laeren and I parted separate ways. An initially small squad of only myself and a three other ISF members then travelled to Tosche Station near Ancorhead to patrol for Rebel activity. After doing so, Octaviar, Draconius, Echar, I, and at least one other Imperial began attacking one of two large tower turrets defending a Rebel Forward Outpost near Anchorhead. Throughout the day, our attack force expanded to include extra reinforcements from RID, including Bizob, Fenalei, Rike and Hotwings, as well as Erich’ Ruhl of the XIII. Although this force of Imperials was not nearly as large as the one that conducted the massive offensive operation not too long ago, we were still successful in securing further control over Tatooine.

Meanwhile, it was around this time that Fort Oasis acquired enough citizens to be recognized as a full-fledged metropolis by the planetary authorities. With this distinction, Fort Oasis gained extra territory which could be used for the development of extra residential structures and public facilities. I proudly announced news of this recent development to RID. Because the upkeep costs of Fort Oasis increased as a result of its expansion, I informed our citizens that the property tax may possibly be increased an extra 5%. In any case, RID was thrilled to hear news of Fort Oasis being recognized as a large, fortified metropolis. Gounk said, “Congratulations to everybody, but especially to you Lexx! This is a testament to your hard work and your dedication. You are a credit to yourself and to the Empire!” Bizob and other RID members also gave their kind congratulations. However, there was no time to celebrate. On the day of this exciting announcement, RID once again organized with their allies for yet another combat operation on Tatooine. With Bizob, Fenalei, Ty’e, Seijaku and Vogik Ooko of RID, Erich’ of the XIII, Grutch of TIO, and Octaviar and Eile Lyfoge of ISF, and Ezekeal Rathbone of Armed Response, we struck by nightfall at a Rebel complex consisting of two heavily defended large installations, and a smaller Forward Outpost. With the assistance of two AT-STs, our forces destroyed the turret systems and successfully destroyed the small outpost. By daytime, we set up camp, regrouped our forces, and attacked yet another Forward Outpost elsewhere on Tatooine

By this point in time, attacking and destroying Rebel installations, and constructing multiple Imperial installations of our own, was becoming a very routine occurrence. Gone were the days where it was of noteworthy historical significance to launch an attack on a Rebel base, or build a new Imperial outpost around Fort Oasis. As the Galactic Civil War intensified, so did the number of combat operations on Tatooine. Battles were becoming more and more monotonous, and blurred together. We no longer kept as detailed records on the number of Rebel installations we destroyed, or the number of Imperial bases we constructed. In fact, we now had so many Imperial bases constructed around Fort Oasis, that we would not even bat an eye if the Rebels succeeded in destroying a few of them. In fact, sometimes we would not even notice. The Imperial Network had provided RID with such adequate resources and personnel, that we had more Imperial installations than we knew what to do with. Yet, this was the only way we could secure Imperial dominance over Tatooine. We needed the will to build Imperial facilities faster than the Rebels could destroy them. We needed to constantly fight the Rebellion across the desert world, without rest. Day in and day out, the forces of RID, even without my direct supervision, would work in tandem with our allies in the Galactic Empire to further secure the planet Tatooine in the name of the Emperor.

Attack on Trinity City

To escape the monotony of our frequent attacks on Rebel outposts, RID took a moment to mix things up with a hunting expedition in the Krayt Graveyard, a region of Tatooine that was home to the viciously massive krayt dragons. RID’s hunting party consisted of me, Fenalei, Ty’e, Kuiloo, Jekks, Phow-jin and Seijaku. Mos Vegas was the city closest to the Krayt Graveyard, so our party gathered there to equip for combat. After preparing our weapons, we embarked on our perilous hunting expedition. Although we suffered many injuries, we managed to successfully slay a fearsome giant canyon krayt dragon during an epic battle. This hunting expedition was no doubt an exciting adventure for many members of RID who had grown weary of constant battles against Rebel forces. However, the Galactic Empire and its Imperial Network still needed RID.

Even though Tatooine had not yet been fully secured by the Empire, the Imperial Network was still dividing its attention between it and the lush, Mid Rim world of Naboo. Although Fenalei and I had already fought against Rebels on Naboo alongside the likes of TIO, much more needed to be done to bring the world under the Empire’s domain. In yet another impressive display of Imperial power, the Imperial Network amassed their forces in a cantina located in TIO’s city of Thalnax. Just like with our many combat operations on the planet Tatooine, the Empire hoped to destroy the many Rebel installations plaguing the Nabooian countryside. I fielded from RID a number of soldiers, including Ty’e, Fenalei, Kuiloo, Gounk, Orrykamikalla, Ookabah and Seijaku. Naturally, as it was their home city, there were a sizeable number of individuals from The Imperial Order, including Grutch BrokenSkul, Rogue Scot, Russo Rehkter, Sarren, Rilnax, Azalin Draco, Striukas, and many others. A Twi’lek entertainer of TIO, named Na’fa’la, also performed music for the growing number of Imperial forces. Erich’ Ruhl of the XIII arrived, as did Imperials from AXIS, and an Imperial organization known as Armed Response, or Armed for short. Laico Reliv and Lyah Nox of the Imperial organization DW, were also in attendance.

After organizing our sizeable army of Imperial soldiers, the combined forces of the Imperial Network embarked by speeder to the western reaches of the Lasay Swamp to Trinity City, a major enclave for Rebel forces on Naboo. Unsurprisingly, the city consisted of at least two or three Rebel Detachment Headquarters and a Forward Outpost. When we arrived, we set up a camp and prepared our forces for combat. Throughout the dark of night, the combined forces of the Imperial Network successfully pushed inside one of the Detachment Headquarters and destroyed it. Rogue Scot of TIO commended a number of doctors, including Kuiloo Patlin of RID for providing life saving medical attention to wounded soldiers. Doctor Patlin had come a long way since the Battle of Crystal Hollow, becoming a very valuable and respected asset to RID and the Empire. After preparing our forces once more, we attacked yet another one of Trinity City’s Detachment Headquarters. After a fierce battle, we initiated the destruction sequence and emerged from the installation to regroup in our camp. By then, it was daytime on the planet Naboo. As we witnessed from a distance the large Detachment Headquarters blow up in a spectacular display, our Imperial forces cheered in delight. Rogue Scot of TIO congratulated the Imperial Network for a job well done. The Rebel stronghold of Trinity City had been dealt a considerable blow.

Following the successful foray on Naboo, I travelled to the planet Lok to meet with my friend Myzia Zydian, who had welcomed me to a celebratory event hosted by The Honored Maidens near their home city of Tal Kyrte. When I arrived, it was nighttime on the desolate world. Wearing formal Imperial attire, I stood beside my friend Myzia to witness the spectacle. THM had established tent-like structures for the occasion, one of which consisted of a long dining table with seating. The event was mostly a social gathering, allowing THM the opportunity to interact with subordinates and fellow Imperial allies. In addition to Head Mistress Avalucia Versailles and my friend Myzia, the gathering included a number of other THM members, such as Aemen Agiavad, Sesni Aji and Avelina. Influential members of other Lokian-based Imperial organizations, such as Sylestra of BSA and Tanda R’Tananda of TLC, were also in attendance. Larkin Styre of the organization called PURGE also dropped by to partake in the occasion.

Gatherings such as these, although usually not very exciting, allowed us to maintain close ties with the many institutions of the Galactic Empire. RID prided itself on keeping close ties with all Imperials, including TIO of Naboo, ISF of Dantooine, SHC of Talus, and in this case, THM of Lok. By showing this kind of regular commitment to our allies, we believed that the Empire would continue coming to our aid, should RID and its homeland ever be attacked by Rebel insurgents.

The Return of Cell

Around this time, I officially announced that the colors of the Regal Imperial Defenders were red and black, and that all members were strongly encouraged to use these colors in uniforms, droids, armor, vehicles, art, and more, as a show of loyalty to our organization. The colors were intended to represent the dark cloak of Emperor Palpatine and the crimson red robes of his Royal Guards. This announcement was merely a formality. For a good while, RID had made regular use of the colors red and black. The slicing team put together by Erich’ for example, made use of black Imperial jumpsuit uniforms, underneath a vibrant red composite armor chest plate. However, imagery was becoming more and more important to us. As RID stepped up its recruitment, we deemed it prudent to set RID apart from the crowd, by creating a provocative image of a red and black RID for propaganda purposes. With this in mind, a red and black banner emblazoned with the insignia of the Galactic Empire became the official flag of RID.

Around this time, I also announced that an influx of citizens to Fort Oasis was putting our city on track to become one of the largest on Tatooine. To further develop our home city, I authorized the construction of a tavern, and an image design salon owned by my friend Myzia. I also announced that we would finally reconstruct a theater in Fort Oasis, due to the fact that our last one had been decommissioned when Zrinity left RID. I also proposed the construction of a Special Forces Field Hospital, and announced that more vendors were moving into Fort Oasis’ shopping center. This was an exciting, prosperous time for RID; unfortunately, a specter of the past would soon emerge to haunt us – Cell.

Ever since our anniversary gala, RID had sought to put the ills of our past behind us. That included Cell, who had largely plunged our organization into a state of upheaval and paranoia. However, Cell was a devious individual, who relished in the chaos he had created. It was not enough for him to simply fade away into obscurity. He wanted to secure yet another chapter in RID’s history. One day, Cell taunted us in RID’s communication channels, thanking us for welcoming him back into RID. I was mostly bemused by his statements. I said to him, “You’re not getting back into RID, Cell.” He ended up giving a cryptic response, “Did I say my name was Cell? And who said anything about getting in? I am in.” I was still confused. I admitted that he had unauthorized access to our communication channels, but that he would soon be restricted from accessing them. Realizing that I did not fully grasp what he meant, Cell impatiently said, “I don’t see why this is so hard to explain. I am in RID.” He then went on to say, “You’ve already invited me in and accepted me. There, now who could it be? Fenalei? Maybe Phow-jin? Possibly Cerex, or Chardath, or Trieyn?” Mockingly, Cell then said, “Good luck buddy.” It finally clicked. Cell did not merely have unauthorized access to our communication channels; he was actually in RID, indirectly through an associate of his bearing a different name. Through his associate, Cell could witness the intimate inner workings of RID, and incite chaos. Clearly, Cell was trying to stir up another civil war, by having us question the loyalties of our members. Honestly, I was irked by this prospect. What if one of our most valuable members, such as Cerex or Fenalei, was in fact spying on RID on Cell’s behalf? Still, I was not wholly convinced. I replied to Cell, “I don’t know if I could believe you. You have access to the personnel database. How do I know you’re not just spouting names out?” Disturbingly, Cell then revealed information that only an actual member of RID would know. Clearly, he was telling the truth. The question we now had to ask ourselves was, “Who could it be?”

Clearly, the associate acting on Cell’s behalf was a traitor of RID who needed to be discovered immediately. We needed to carefully investigate our roster, and figure out which one was the spy. However, we needed to be cautious, and avoid accusing otherwise loyal members. Fortunately, Cell agreed to send an emissary, a woman by the name of Ayamee Acari, to address our concerns. I deemed it prudent to hold an audience for Ayamee Acari right away. In the chamber of the Fort Oasis city hall, I stood in front of the throne, while Ty’e X’lor stood to my right and Jaysont Neighbor to my left. RID member Klivyn Darksea took a front row seat to observe the conversation with Ayamee, who stood before me. Ty’e, who had been helpful in investigating potential spies during the RID Civil War, was a welcome addition to this meeting. We knew that the member acting on Cell’s behalf had to be one of our more recent recruits. We initially suspected Jaysont, but after speaking to him, we deemed him unlikely to be the disguised traitor we were looking for. So we turned to Ayamee, who seemed willing to string RID along in search of the actual traitor. To our annoyance, she was very coy at first. Clearly, she knew the name of the spy in our midst, but was not willing to divulge the information outright. After querying her further, she chuckled and said, “I’ll give you a clue.” After additional questioning, she emphasized that her last name was Acari, which according to our roster, was also the surname of one of our most recent recruits – Jekks. Shortly after this revelation, Ayamee claimed that Jekks Acari was her brother. However, Jekks was a Zabrak, and Ayamee was a human. Either way, this was all the information we really needed. Jekks Acari was a recent recruit, and was most certainly the agent working on behalf of Cell.

Unfortunately, this revelation could not have come at a worse time. Later that day, RID was just about to host a large celebratory event in Fort Oasis, welcoming a large number of citizens and allies from the Imperial Network. The streets of Fort Oasis were decorated for the event. A competitive speeder track was set up, as well as a lottery droid allowing partygoers to gamble for a chance to win credits. With Bizob’s help, a large number of Imperial allies arrived, including those from BSA, WoE, ROD, -LR-, and others. Erich’ of the XIII was in attendance, as were a number of average citizens who played no role in the Empire. Ramona Garcia of the Farpoint-based entertainment group known as the Neutron Pixies, arrived to entertain guests. Members of RID were among the first to fill the streets, including Ty’e, Fenalei, Jaysont, Warui, Xanus, Phow-jin, Cazic Thais, a Mon Calamari named Ardamil Zorbog, and yes, even Jekks Acari. During the course of the celebration, Jaysont hopped on the stage of the cantina to dance along with Ramona and the other entertainers. Jekks wearing a red Reinforced Insulated Sheath armor helmet, and a red shirt with a black vest and pantaloons, teasingly followed suit. After stepping up to the stage, Jekks danced along, mimicking the motions of playing a musical instrument. After stepping down, Ayamee took his place to dance along with the others. Although I was somewhat amused, I was also quite irritated to see this traitor playfully taking part in RID’s festivities. However, in order to maintain the peace, we decided not to confront Jekks, or reveal his true nature to the rest of RID until after the celebration ended.

Most the attendees seemed to enjoy the dancing and music in Fort Oasis’ cantina. Xanus ended up winning the lottery, earning around 36,000 credits in the process. Phow-jin also won the best time for the speeder race, along a track which took racers through Fort Oasis to a shrine up north, then the Imperial Oasis, Jawa Mountain Fortress, the mountains of the Mospic High Range, and finally the finish line in the streets of our city. For winning the race, Phow-jin received a prize of 100,000 credits. Even after completing the festivities in Fort Oasis, many RID members wished to continue celebrating in an after party onboard Fenalei’s spacecraft, a YT-1300 light freighter. I, Ty’e, Jaysont, Chilled, and another one of our pilots named Kalev Draus boarded Fenalei’s starship for a foray above the planet Tatooine. Onboard the craft, Fenalei piloted the ship through a nearby asteroid field while Jaysont played his Fizzz musical instrument to the tunes of the onboard jukebox. Thankfully, Jekks did not go out of his way to disrupt any the festivities that day. Nevertheless, even though Jekks himself had not caused direct harm to RID, we could not overlook his association to Cell. Not only had Cell destroyed RID’s property, but he also incited chaos, and even killed some of our own during the course of our conflict with CFM. As far as we were concerned, Jekks infiltrated RID, and needed to be held accountable for his actions.

However, much like Cell, Jekks Acari had built a positive reputation for himself while in RID. I could have chosen to unilaterally dismiss Jekks from RID, but this may have been met with some protests. Jekks had made friends with a number of members in RID, especially one of our more recent recruits, a Trandoshan by the name of Leviathen Tirak. Furthermore, a large number of our members were not even around during the time of RID’s Civil War and our conflict with the Crimson Fist Marines. Few remembered the harm Cell had caused us, and may not have really understood why Jekks should be dismissed at all. In order to educate our members to the true nature of Jekks, and respect the sensibilities of his friends in RID, I instead elected to set a trial date for the Emergency Judgement Council. It would be up to the Council of three members to review evidence, and make a judgment regarding Jekks’ guilt.

Cleaning up the Galaxy

It would be a matter of days before we could organize the actual proceedings for the Emergency Judgement Council against Jekks Acari. In the meantime, we had other matters to attend to. Following the festivities, TIO welcomed me to one of their organizational meetings within the auditorium of their Imperial Tactical Center. Later on, I also conducted combat activities on Tatooine with Ty’e, Bizob, John-B, and another new recruit. In keeping with our promise to assist the Imperial Network on Naboo, me, Jaysont, Clank’ and another member named Opasish Sodiveb gathered in the Thalnax cantina to prepare for an offensive against a Rebel military complex, a short distance east of Thalnax. Much like the offensive against Trinity City, this army of Imperials consisted of a sizeable contingent from TIO, and a number of other Imperial allies, including those from Armed and WoE. After preparing our forces, we embarked by speeder to the Rebel complex consisting of five heavily defended Detachment Headquarters. After reaching a wooded hill overlooking the complex, we hopped off our speeders and surveyed the area. From our elevated position, we began firing on the rightmost tower turret of the closest Rebel facility. While we did succeed in destroying the turret, our operation was largely unsuccessful. Unfortunately, many of our forces were defeated by the installation’s other defenses. Malaydra of the CATS even intervened to slay many Imperials attacking the base. Although the CATS were greatly diminished in size by then, and none seemed to be accompanying her, Malaydra was still as skilled at combat as I remembered.

Although the operation was a bust, it would not be the last major offensive on Naboo. Meanwhile, I decided to take a brief tour of Dantooine to inspect the Dark Marauders’ city of Nar Shadda. Sadly, the city was a ghost town, and was beginning to deteriorate into ruins. This did not come as much of a surprise to me. In the weeks prior to my visit to the city, I had noticed that Kurke, Fingolfin, Zrinity, and the other members of DM were nowhere to be seen. Clearly, the Dark Marauders had collapsed. RID had lost a vital ally, but we still found solace in the fact that we remained friends with the many organizations of the Imperial Network. Also, Kurke occasionally emerged to keep in touch with RID in our communication channels. Although he was no longer a leader or mayor, I nevertheless welcomed Kurke’s occasional input regarding our organizational matters. However, I never pressed him regarding the details of what led to the demise of the Dark Marauders.

Back on Tatooine, Bizob and Fenalei looked to a city southwest of Bestine known as Sahara Moon. Unfortunately, the city was proving to be yet another strong Rebel enclave on the desert world, and consisted of multiple Rebel installations. However, Bizob and Fenalei were skilled fighters. They noticed that a residential house was located about sixty meters in front of one of the Rebel bases. Using this residential house for cover, the two of them managed to destroy at least one turret defending the installation. However, when they looked towards the second Rebel base, they realized it did not have a structure nearby to provide cover. Bizob knew that if the two of them attempted to attack that base’s defenses, they would likely be killed. That is when Bizob had the clever idea to construct a temporary safe house near that second base, allowing the two of them to attack the base from a defensive position. However, because this second base was within the city limits of Sahara Moon, the safe house had to be constructed to the side of the installation. Nevertheless, this provided the cover they needed to attack and destroy the base’s east side turret. In all, Bizob and Fenalei had successfully destroyed three turrets defending the bases of Sahara Moon. After their successful operation, Bizob repositioned his mobile safe house on the west side of the base between Sahara Moon’s Forward Outpost and Detachment Headquarters. Bizob informed me that this safe house would be useful for any future attacks on their city. Later, Bizob returned to Sahara Moon with a larger squad consisting of Fenalei, Cazic and a member of TIO named Oworo. This time around, they successfully destroyed the last of the large tower turrets defending the Forward Outpost, in addition to a large dish turret defending one of their Detachment Headquarters. They even fought off several Rebel commandos, and almost destroyed yet another large tower turret defending their Detachment Headquarters, before leaving the area to get some rest. Destroying turret defense systems was still an important step before launching a full scale offensive assault on a Rebel’s military base. This prompted Xanus to propose the creation of a “turret squad,” which I soon referred to as the “strike squad.” I had pledged to make the creation of this strike squad official, with Fenalei in charge as its captain, yet the proposal never really took off.

Trial of Jekks Acari

After making the necessary preparations, the day of Jekks’ trial had finally arrived. This would be the first actual application of the Emergency Judgment Council, because the last one was merely a ruse to dismiss Zerow from RID. Ordinarily, the three commanders of RID would act as the members of the Judgment Council. However, Gounk was the only commander who could make it that day. Because of this, I selected Xanus and Kuiloo to act as the backup councilmen for the trial. I appointed Ty’e as the prosecutor on behalf of RID, while Leviathen, the Trandoshan friend of Jekks, volunteered to act as his defendant. I had somewhat suspected that Leviathen knew of Jekks’ true identity all along, but Leviathen denied this assertion. In any case, Leviathen was beneficial member of RID, and there was no need to make unfounded accusations. On the day of the trial, me, Jekks, Ty’e, Leviathen, and the three councilmen filed into the Regal Headquarters in Fort Oasis. The three councilmen, Xanus, Gounk and Kuiloo, were seated at a long conference table. With the exception of Xanus, who was wearing a full suit of bounty hunter armor, the other two councilmen were wearing black Imperial uniforms. Before them were two smaller desks. The left side desk belonged to Ty’e, the prosecutor, while the right side desk belonged to Jekks and his defendant, Leviathen. Behind these two desks were an additional twelve chairs, open to any other RID members who wished to observe the trial. These other RID members would merely spectate the trial, and be called up as witnesses if necessary. Fenalei, Jaysont, Chilled, Keelok, and two other RID members, one of whom was named Yokozuna Lizard, attended as spectators.

When the trial began, Ty’e made it clear that Jekks was being tried for a variety of charges, including treason against RID and the Empire, infiltration, and destruction of Imperial property. During the course of the trial, Ty’e emphatically explained why Jekks should not remain in RID. He reminded the Council that Cell was responsible for the destruction of our prized Imperial Forward Outpost, and had intentionally fostered internal division amongst our ranks. While Jekks was technically not directly responsible for these treasonous acts, Ty’e emphasized that Jekks and Cell were both close associates, who differed only in name. Ty’e pointed out that Cell had purposely installed Jekks in RID for nefarious purposes. Indeed, after we recruited Jekks, Cell chose to mock RID, by insinuating that we had a spy in our midst. However, by neglecting to reveal the identity of this spy, Cell hoped that RID members would once again be pitted against one another.

On the other hand, Leviathen insisted that Jekks had proven himself to be a valuable and loyal member of RID and the Empire. He insisted that Jekks truly wanted to help RID, and had only withheld information regarding his association to Cell, because he knew he would have been denied membership otherwise. However, this argument was highly suspect. Ty’e pointed out that if Jekks truly wished to serve RID, he would not have had Cell and Ayamee hint to his true identity. If Jekks had just kept quiet, we would have been none the wiser and he could have continued to serve RID peacefully. However, he not only joined RID under false pretenses, but he had worked in tandem with Cell to reignite yet another internal insurrection. Jekks also argued that the destruction of the Forward Outpost operated by Cell was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Jekks pointed out that RID now had countless Imperial installations in and around Fort Oasis. However, this was also viewed as something of a weak argument. True, Forward Outposts were not as costly to us as they once were, but that did not negate the fact that it was wanton destruction of our property.

After hearing both arguments, the Judgment Council finally took a moment to announce their decision. I faced Xanus Kriegor and asked him what his ruling was. He shouted, “Guilty!” with enthusiasm. Gounk, who was seated in the middle, matter-of-factly said, “Guilty.” The two “guilties” were enough to issue a punishment against Jekks, as a two out of three consensus was all that was required. Nonetheless, as a matter of course, I asked Kuiloo for his ruling. Kuiloo had prepared a long statement, and concluded it by saying, “I will offer this guy a new chance to show his loyalty to the Emperor, my Master.” After saying that, Kuiloo continued, “Having said that, here is my decision. Not guilty!” Despite the divided Council, Jekks was still found guilty by the majority. I turned to Jekks, and informed him that in accordance to our laws, he would be immediately discharged from RID. Jekks turned towards the councilmen and said, “I’d like to thank you, Kuiloo.” Leviathen gave his farewells, and assured Jekks that he still considered him to be a great friend. Fenalei had also turned to Jekks, and saluted him out of respect. After formally being dismissed from RID, Jekks was escorted out of the Regal Headquarters. In the weeks or months that followed, Jekks joined up with an organization known as the Vessen Law Firm. Finally hoping to put this entire diversion behind us, I turned to the Council, thanked them for their service, and rallied all of RID for the battles that awaited us. “Long live RID and the Empire!” I shouted.

Battle for Naboo Heats Up

At Commander Bizob’s urging, I agreed to amass a force of RID soldiers to once again assist The Imperial Order on Naboo. Bizob informed us that he would be unable to join us for the combat operation, but insisted, “It is very important to the Empire that we regain control of Naboo as soon as possible.” Shortly following the trial, I ordered RID to prepare for combat. After organizing the bulk of our forces in Fort Oasis, we travelled by way of transport to Bestine, and then Naboo’s capital of Theed, before finally travelling to TIO’s city of Thalnax. Once we arrived, our forces, including myself, Fenalei, Ty’e, Jaysont, and Keelok, marched into Thalnax’s cantina. Cazic also arrived later on. Upon doing so, I announced to all the other Imperials that RID was “reporting in.” Irritated by their recent defeat against the nearby Rebel military complex, Colonel Aresius Helmet, who was now the official leader of TIO and Thalnax, ordered that the Imperial Network launch a counterattack. To prevent yet another failure, the Imperial Network this time fielded a much larger army. This time, Imperial forces from THM, XFOR, NOVA, BSA, Armed and TEH were all mobilizing for combat. This was definitely a much more impressive show of force, which stood at least some chance at decimating the Rebel military complex. As always, TIO fielded large numbers, including not just leading officers such as Grutch and Rogue, but also soldiers such as Russo, Rivaan, Threx, and even Laico and Lyah, who had both since left DW to enlist with TIO. Head Mistress Avalucia, and one of her Twi’lek officers named Xalya Shadowalker had even arrived to personally oversee the fighters of THM. Ezekeal, the leading official of Armed, had also returned to Thalnax to oversee his forces. In short, there were many more Imperials, and it seemed very likely that TIO would succeed in finally securing the region east of Thalnax.

After taking a moment to relax in Thalnax’s cantina, the combined forces of the Empire finally stepped outside to equip their weapons and divide into separate squads. After many minutes of waiting, some soldiers were growing restless, anxious to finally start fighting. Eventually, the order to “move out” was shouted, and all of our forces travelled by way of speeder towards the Rebel complex. Once we reached the wooded hill overlooking the complex, we hopped off our vehicles and prepared to attack the closest of the five Rebel Detachment Headquarters. This was the same Detachment Headquarters we had attempted to attack before. Its rightmost tower turret was still destroyed, but three others defending this base remained. To safeguard our slicers, we ordered them to remain on the hill, while the strike team focused on destroying the leftmost turret defending the front of the installation. Our massive force of Imperials made quick work of this turret, destroying it completely. Imperial forces then made their way around the back of this base, quickly destroying the last two remaining tower turrets. After the defenses were taking care of, the slicers and other Imperial soldiers pushed inside the installation, eliminating the base’s defense forces. Finally, the slicers succeeded in initiating the ten minute countdown for the base.

After exiting the base, we watched as the first of the Rebel’s five Detachment Headquarters exploded. The attack seemed to be going well, but it was too early to be complacent. The remaining four Detachment Headquarters were each defended by four large tower turrets. We would have to destroy all sixteen of these turrets before being able to eliminate the complex entirely. By nightfall, we succeeded in destroying the four turrets defending the next base. Unfortunately, by that point, the Rebel Alliance was aware of the Empire’s presence. Malaydra of the CATS was among the first to arrive, aggressively slowing the progress of our Imperial soldiers. Nevertheless, we pushed inside the Rebel’s second Detachment Headquarters, and our slicers were just about to initiate its destruction. Before they could do so however, additional Rebels came to Malaydra’s aid, including Sanus Artanus and ChaJomin Kacela of SoA, XHSW of Rebel Squadrons, a Rebel of UR, and a violent Rebel dead-eye named Justino Sparacino. Together, these skilled Rebel warriors managed to defeat our Imperial forces within the tight confines of the Detachment Headquarters.

Injured after this major setback, I took leave, unable to further assist in battle. However, the Empire was undeterred, and regrouped for another strike. Unfortunately, the Rebel counterattack reached Thalnax, preventing any further strikes against the remaining four Detachment Headquarters. By this point, the Empire was on the defensive, as loyal troopers rallied in defense of TIO’s city, the heart of the Empire on Naboo. Intensive fighting ensued in the streets of Thalnax until the attacking Rebels were finally killed or driven back. Although the Empire had succeeded in destroying one Rebel Detachment Headquarters and eight large tower turrets, four bases and twelve turrets remained. This was by no means a success, especially considering the fact that we had a very large army of Imperials. Through their fierce skill and will, the Rebels had managed to save most of their Rebel military complex.

The major battle attracted attention on the Galactic HoloNet, and I was asked by a reporter for my testimony. In my testimony, I explained in detail the events leading up to the battle, and the progress of the battle until I took leave. In the days following the battle, the HoloNet report titled “Battle for Naboo Heats Up” also included a public statement delivered by Colonel Aresius Helmet of TIO. When asked about the battle, Aresius said, “Days ago, the Rebels made a cowardly attack on the loyal Imperial citizens of Thalnax, harassing and terrorizing them. Imperial forces responded quickly and brought order to the city once again. Heed this warning Rebel scum: Those who fly the flag of Terrorism above the great Imperial cities will know pain when the Imperial Legions come to lay waste to their homes, families and all sympathetic to their pitiful cause justified by turmoil and anarchy! They cannot silence a million voices! The time for this terrorism to end is NOW! Loyal Imperials: We have more than proven the standard of security in the galaxy that only the Empire provides! The iron gates of Thalnax are open to you, my friends.” The closing remarks of the HoloNet article had this to say in response to Aresius’ statement, “A rousing speech, to be sure, but the battle has shown that the Rebel Alliance has settled on Naboo, and that it will take a huge effort of the Imperial armed forces to take Naboo back from them. Time will tell if The Imperial Order and its allies are capable of achieving this, but we can be sure they will do their best, or die trying.”

Legions of the Empire

Following the lackluster battle on Naboo, the Imperial Network regrouped. Cairne Cantasi, who had by now transferred from ISF to TIO, welcomed me to an Imperial meeting in Thalnax. Within the confines of their city was the Thalnax embassy, a medium-sized dwelling featuring the artistic style of typical Nabooian architecture. When I entered the building, I walked upstairs to a quaint meeting room featuring a square silver table with a plate of cigars. The table was flanked on each of the four sides with similarly styled bench chairs. The rose colored walls were plastered with Imperial propaganda posters, including those of Lord Vader and of an Imperial stormtrooper. Cairne and I were the first to arrive for this meeting, and we sat across from one another. Eventually, Grutch BrokenSkul, a leading official of TIO, and a Zabrak from TIO named Icyus entered the room and took a seat.

After greeting one another, Cairne began the meeting. “Here is my idea, gentleman,” Cairne began. Unfortunately, no written record of the meeting exists beyond that, so the exact content of our conversation is unknown. However, it was during this meeting that we discussed the future of the Imperial Network. More specifically, it was around this time that Cairne proposed the creation of “Imperial Legions” to help quell the Rebel Alliance. Naboo, Corellia and Tatooine were the three worlds of the galaxy that the Imperial Network was heavily fighting on. In order to secure these worlds, Cairne announced the appointment of stronghold city’s one each of these world’s to act as “capitals” of the Imperial Network. Thalnax was designated the Imperial Network capital of Naboo, and Tenebrae was appointed as the Network capital of Corellia. Much to my surprise and delight, Cairne wished to select Fort Oasis as the official Imperial Network capital of Tatooine. Cairne, commending my leadership and eagerness to aid the Galactic Empire, also wished for me to serve as Commander of the newly formed Imperial Legions of Tatooine. I was more than honored to accept this opportunity. RID had come a long way, and was finally being recognized by the Empire as the preeminent Imperial organization on Tatooine. Legion commanders would also be appointed for Naboo and Corellia, and it would be each of our responsibility to coordinate with neighboring cities and Imperial leaders to retake our respective worlds. For instance, Tatooine was home to Imperial organizations such as the Thirteenth Infantry. It would now be my responsibility to more closely coordinate with the XIII, to better eliminate Rebel activity on Tatooine. As part of Cairne’s newly proposed “Legion” system, the nearby world of Lok would also fall under my close supervision. This would require RID to maintain a more active presence on that world, while at the same time fostering ties with the various Imperial leaders of Lok, such as Sylestra of the Black Star Alliance.

After concluding the meeting, I joined Grutch on a brief tour of Thalnax. During the tour, he wanted to show me an impressive symbol of The Imperial Order, a monument in the form of a solid stone pillar, surrounded by three beige colored sentinel statues. On the top of the gray pillar was a small pit from with a bright flame emanated. Much like the mysterious eternal flame of Flame’s Hold on Talus, Thalnax was built around this monument, the existence of which predated TIO. Near the monument, Grutch pointed to a lone Prophet of the Dark Side, wearing a light brown cloak. This mysterious Prophet roamed the area around the monument, serving as its protector, and as yet another symbol of The Imperial Order’s might on Naboo. I was always impressed with TIO, and their massive Imperial metropolis. In many ways, I looked up to them as an example to which RID should strive to be. Not only did they have large numbers, but they also had the patriotic spirit for the Empire which I valued. I saw them as true leaders of the Empire, worthy of the galaxy’s respect.

Leading the Network

Despite the productive meeting, and the recent implementation of the Imperial Legions, the success of the Imperial Network was largely dependent on the leadership of Cairne Cantasi. However, Cairne recognized that the survival of the Network depended on the active involvement of other Imperial leaders. Indeed, just a few days after the meeting in Thalnax, Cairne sent me a message expressing his desire to make me an official leader of the Imperial Network. He commended my loyalty, and considered me a “gifted” leader. “You have seen what I can do,” Cairne told me. “Now imagine what I can do with TIO and select Imperial leaders behind me.” Cairne went on to say, “I want to groom you as my Second [in Command], I am thinking.” My interest piqued, Cairne continued, “Big commitment. But listen, I need to speak with Ryleigh, leader of BSA.” I was humbled by Cairne’s interest in appointing me as one of the highest ranking officials of the Imperial Network. “That would be a true honor,” I told him.

Unfortunately, citing a number of personal reasons, Cairne Cantasi abruptly announced his retirement. This was a distressing announcement that would surely test the strength of the Imperial Network, but Cairne offered his assurances to everyone. “Look, you all can organize the Empire without me,” he said. “You just need to step up, all of you, and make it happen.” Clearly, Cairne had a deep love for the Galactic Empire, and the Imperial Network he had a close hand in creating. He certainly did not want to see the Imperial Network crumble following his retirement. “You need to learn to do this without me. And right now!” he insisted. “I have already left you with the plan you can follow to victory. Build the Legions. Organize yourselves… and just talk with each other!” In his resignation letter, Cairne offered a final directive, “Expand the Network… Become the Empire in actuality, as well as [in] name, and you will succeed.”

As disappointing as Cairne’s imminent departure may have been, the content of his resignation letter left one thing for certain – the Imperial Network was larger than one man, and could soldier on without him. It was what Cairne wanted, and I intended to follow his example by expanding the Network and the Imperial Legions. Bizob also expressed his disappointment with Cairne’s departure, but agreed with me that RID must continue to help lead the Imperial Network to victory. In any case, despite Cairne’s insistence that he would never return, I still held out hope that he may one day reemerge from retirement to help lead the Empire once more. Until that day, I took it upon myself to assume greater leadership authority over the Imperial Network. Due to Cairne’s sudden announcement, I was never officially appointed as his right-hand man, but I did not need to be. I was still the Leader of the Regal Imperial Defenders, and the Commander of the Tatooine Legion. With this in mind, I decided to conduct a series of meetings and combat operations. First, I met with members of the Thirteenth Infantry in the Regal Headquarters in Fort Oasis, including a woman named Allawellyn D’Arandoriel and the Zabrak named Tyral Skyfire. You may recall that Allawellyn was once an influential member of SHC, pivotal during their organizations’ early days. Later on, I embarked on an attack against a Rebel military complex on Tatooine with RID members Bizob, Fenalei, Ty’e, Phow-jin, Shriker, Mi’ke, and two others. After assembling near the Bestine spaceport, we embarked by speeder to the complex, attacking several of its defensive turrets. We started by destroying two of the large dish turrets defending one of the complex’s Rebel Forward Outposts. We then destroyed a large dish turret belonging to one of their larger bases, before proceeding to destroy a large block turret and a large tower turret belonging to yet another Forward Outpost. As an aside, I also later fought alongside Phow-jin, Shriker, and Gounk on the world of Talus, attacking Rebels in a Weapons Depot nestled within the Aegeyn Foothills.

However, we needed to do more to build up the actual Tatooine Legion. I had already met with members of the XIII, but I still needed to strengthen our ties with BSA. To achieve this, Bizob and I met with Sylestra and Evanie Othewy of BSA in the Fort Oasis cantina. Tyral Skyfire and Force’ LightWeilder of the XIII also joined the meeting to discuss plans to achieve Imperial dominance over Tatooine. Sitting in blue sofa chairs around a circular glass table near the stage of the cantina, the meeting began. Calmly, Tyral said, “Good to see we have representatives from every unit here.” Sylestra nodded in agreement. Indeed, this meeting between the official organizations of the Tatooine Legion, including RID, the XIII and BSA, was the first of its kind. During the meeting, it was suggested the The Honored Maidens ought to be included in our Legion, as we had jurisdiction over Lok. “Yes, THM would be a nice addition,” I said during the meeting. “I hear they got a slice team now.” I was referring to THM’s supposedly new team of slicers, skilled at destroying Rebel installations. On the topic of destroying Rebel installations, I challenged our Legion to secure Imperial control over Tatooine in three weeks, by the sixteenth day of the next month. I had selected this day for mostly arbitrary personal reasons. In any case, I believed that three weeks would be enough time to destroy as many Rebel holdouts across Tatooine as possible. The members of the Tatooine Legion agreed to help achieve this ambitious goal. Tyral said, “Until the sixteenth, we need to be hot and heavy on the takedowns.” Our plan would be to destroy as many Rebel bases leading up to the sixteenth, and then construct a multitude of Imperial facilities around Fort Oasis in one fell swoop. I believed that the Rebel Alliance would be stunned by this quick and coordinated effort to secure the planet Tatooine, ensuring Imperial supremacy over the world for a long time to come. However, we also had to be wary. Because the Imperial Network was now largely focused on maintaining control over Naboo, we could not rely on them as much for assistance on Tatooine. One of the meeting goers warned me, saying something along the lines of, “Everyone else is worried about their own worlds, so we are on our own.” Indeed, the Imperial Network had helped us in the past wonderfully; however we now had to think independently in order to defeat the Rebel Alliance on Tatooine.

On that note, we concluded the meeting, but we did not part ways quite yet. After the meeting, I travelled with Bizob, Force’ LightWeilder, Tyral Skyfire, and Evanie Othewy to the Bestine cantina. While there, we joined up with another member of the XIII, Soulz of DLW, and three other RID members, including Xanus and Shriker. We prepared our forces, and enjoyed a dance performance by a Twi’lek member of Rogue named Ek’efe Ohaho. Raijin Entreri of the XIII, and another unaffiliated Imperial named Zevon Lightningstar later joined up with our attack group. Once we were ready, we embarked on our journey across Tatooine to eliminate pockets of Rebel resistance.

RID’s focus was to definitely to secure Tatooine, however the Imperial Network was larger than RID and the Tatooine Legion. We still needed to maintain our ties with the other Legions and organizations of the Galactic Empire. On their homeworld of Talus, Bizob, Shriker and I met up with members of the StarHawk Conglomerate, including an assassin named Corath Darkleaf, an individual named Lot’ho, and a soldier named Jaygoe Nova, who had since left BSA to join SHC. Just as RID had been busy destroying Rebel resistance across our homeworld of Tatooine, SHC had been doing the same across the pastoral world of Talus. Lot’ho reported that SHC had destroyed about twenty-five Rebel bases within the past three days. Lot’ho lost track of how many turret defenses they had destroyed, but Jaygoe surmised it was somewhere close to forty. Together, the joint team of RID and SHC would add to that number, after we attacked at least one large tower turret belonging to a Rebel Forward Outpost near the Talusian village of Valhala. Activities such as these were encouraging, as it strengthened my belief that the Imperial Network could survive the loss of Cairne Cantasi.

Disbanding the Legions

Much to my chagrin, the leader of The Imperial Order, Colonel Aresius Helmet, sent me a communiqué announcing the disbandment of the Imperial Legion system. I disagreed with this decision, as I believed that the Imperial Network could better divide its attention if we had specific Legions focusing on different worlds. However, I was told that the Imperial Network was always meant to be a communications network, not an official extension of the Imperial Military. In many ways, it was believed the Legion system was overstepping the Imperial Network’s original purpose to simply coordinate combat operations between multiple Imperial associations. Although Aresius was the one to break this news to me, I soon learned that Cairne apparently had a say in eliminating the Legions. This came as a surprise to me, given that Cairne had already announced his retirement. In any case, I did not let this news get in the way of our plan to secure Tatooine by the sixteenth of the next month. I also spoke with the Thirteen Infantry, and they told me to just ignore Aresius’ declaration, at least until the completion of our operation on Tatooine.

Xanus asked me, “So as I understand it, Aresius Helmet is now in charge for the time being?” I did not really know how to answer his question. “To be honest, I don’t know,” I told Xanus. “The Network supposedly isn't supposed to have a leader, but orders and initiatives have to come from somewhere. If there was no leader, the Legions wouldn't have existed in the first place. I wouldn't mind if there was a leader, I just wish they'd say who it is.” Indeed, it seemed that Cairne’s retirement would cause more trouble for the Imperial Network than I had originally expected. The last thing the Network needed was unnecessary power struggles. However, Aresius Helmet was a crafty individual, and I somewhat believed that his disbanding of the Imperial Legions was a way for him and The Imperial Order to secure greater unilateral control over the Imperial Network. Aresius had always been something of an enigma to me. Although he officially led TIO and their city of Thalnax, he always lurked in the shadows, rarely participating in battles or public spectacles. Grutch BrokenSkul always acted as the public face of TIO, and as the warrior who would fight alongside them on the battlefield. Nevertheless, like I told Xanus, I would not have had an issue with Aresius acting as the new top coordinator of the Imperial Network, so long as he was forthright about it.

In any case, I did decide to somewhat go behind Aresius’ back, and maintain control over the newly growing Tatooine Legion. After speaking with members from both the Thirteen Infantry and Black Star Alliance, they too agreed to make an effort to keep the Legion. BSA was also still planning to invite THM to the Legion, so that we could field even more numbers during our attacks. I admitted that if Aresius found out we were still trying to maintain the Legion, he would probably protest the decision. Regardless, we all agreed that if we showed him the success of the Tatooine Legion, he may consider keeping it as an integral component of the Imperial Network.

Fort Ironwolf and the XIII

It had been a little over a month since RID and the Imperial Network launched their relentless attacks on the city of Fort Alliance on Tatooine. Finally, the declining city collapsed entirely, restoring Fort Oasis’ status as the only major city around the mountainous areas of northwestern Tatooine. With Fort Alliance officially wiped off the map, I declared that Sahara Moon would now be recognized by RID as the main enemy city on Tatooine. However, the collapse of Fort Alliance presented yet another excellent opportunity for the Empire. Our allies in the Thirteenth Infantry had long since called Tatooine home, yet they never had a city of their own. With Fort Alliance gone, the planetary authorities allowed the XIII to construct a city just west of Mos Vegas, which they named Fort Ironwolf. Bizob noted the irony. It was Erich’ of the XIII who was pivotal in Fort Alliance’s downfall, and now thanks to his efforts, the XIII had an outpost to replace the fallen Rebel stronghold. Although RID did not have any direct control over Fort Ironwolf, I declared to RID that it would be recognized as a secondary Imperial stronghold on Tatooine. Instead of just constructing Imperial bases around Fort Oasis, we would now also construct them around Fort Ironwolf. In keeping with our decision to maintain the Legion and our ties to Fort Ironwolf, Ty’e, Xanus and I met up with the Thirteen Infantry, including Allawellyn, to follow up on our plan to secure Tatooine.

Doubling Our Efforts

In the meantime, I spent much of my time honing my combat skills during hunting expeditions on the world of Lok. With my friend Com Cypher, we joined hunting parties to destroy large numbers of gurk lairs throughout the northern region of the Nym Protectorate. Wielding an Imperial Special Tactical Forces Berserker rifle, I attempted to improve my skills as a rifleman. However, the sixteenth was fast approaching, and much work still needed to be accomplished. With Phow-jin, Chardath, Warui, Maulic, and one other RID member, we attempted to disrupt Rebel activities on Tatooine. Later, I also fought alongside a group of six RID members, including Phow-jin, Keelok, Kuiloo, Shriker and Orrykamikalla. Together, we successfully destroyed a Rebel Forward Outpost northeast of Sarlacc City. However, satellite readings still reported an overwhelming number of Rebel holdouts on Tatooine.

The day of our self-imposed deadline was fast approaching, and it seemed that we would need more time to truly secure Tatooine. Nevertheless, RID one day diverted their attention to the planet Naboo. The Imperial Network was launching an aggressive push to destroy multiple Rebel complexes across the grasslands of the lush, green world. The aggressive assault on Naboo was a resounding success, bringing Naboo under majority Imperial control. With Naboo effectively liberated, more attention could now be focused on Tatooine. However, time was still running out. I sent a memo to all members of RID and select members of BSA, the XIII, and THM, urging them to prepare for the initiative to retake Tatooine. I advised all members of the Tatooine Legion to tear down as many Rebel bases across Tatooine as possible, and stockpile defenses for the many new Imperial installations we planned to construct around Fort Oasis. The day I sent the memo, our forces gathered near the Bestine cantina. With Tyral of the XIII, and at least four other RID members, including the likes of Ty’e and Rusakallabirrl, our forces launched attacks on at least one Rebel Forward Outpost and Tactical Center on Tatooine.

However, TIO and the Imperial Network were still dead set on wiping out further Rebel resistance on Naboo. Despite the planet’s liberation, Rebels still posed a threat on the world, and needed to be kicked into submission. Although the Rebel complex east of Thalnax was apparently largely obliterated by this time, there was still at least one Rebel Detachment Headquarters around this area defended with four large tower turrets. To attack this facility, Imperial forces organized around a well defended Imperial Forward Outpost on Naboo. Ty’e, Chilled and I were among those representing RID. However, the army of Imperials also included TIO, NoS, Exodus (or EXOD), Armed Response, and at least one member of the Imperial Hunters Legions, known as IMPHL for short. However, when we marched towards the Rebel Detachment Headquarters, we were met with fierce Rebel resistance. Malaydra of the CATS once again showed up to deter us, as did other Rebels, such as Giles Deathstalker of the Trinity Republic, Sairnath Denali of the Galactic Liberators, Eegerah Tsu’lema of UR, and Roan’Sonic’ Bishop of one of our old enemies, Saberwing. Even Sena Dawnbreaker of REIGN was fighting against us. REIGN, once a premier combat arm of the Galactic Empire, had by then defected almost in its entirety to the Rebel Alliance. Bloody fighting ensued, and while much of the Rebel resistance was defeated, it came at a great cost. Many Imperials fell around us, defeated by the skilled warriors of the Rebellion. Due to a lack of records, it is not clear if the Empire successfully destroyed the Rebel facility that evening. One thing was for certain, however. The Empire’s grip on Naboo was slipping yet again. The Rebellion was once again gaining a slight edge over the Empire in terms of the numbers of Rebel bases across Naboo. It seemed as though the Imperial Network could not help us on Tatooine quite yet.

Battling for Tatooine

Finally, the day of reckoning had arrived. RID and its allies had done their best to destroy as many Rebel facilities on Tatooine leading up to this day. It was now finally time for the Tatooine Legion to follow up on their massive construction initiative. That day, Tatooine already had numerous Imperial facilities across Tatooine, including twenty-eight in and around Fort Oasis, and sixteen others elsewhere across the planet. Following our intense construction campaign, the Tatooine Legion added at least ten new bases to this collection. However, most of facilities were cheap Forward Outposts. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, the campaign to secure Tatooine was rather anti-climactic. While our initiative did succeed in securing greater Imperial control over Tatooine, satellite readings still indicated a strong and overwhelming Rebel occupation.

In a desperate attempt to ensure the Empire’s unquestioned dominance over Tatooine, me, Bizob, Fenalei, Shriker, ‘Kurupt’, and at least two other RID members destroyed around ten Rebel bases on the planet, including a few Forward Outposts, a couple Field Hospitals, and even a Detachment Headquarters. Sylestra of BSA generously provided intelligence as to the whereabouts of these bases, allowing us to locate and destroy the facilities with ease. Bizob commended the excellent teamwork RID exhibited during the attempt to secure Tatooine, even though our goal of completely controlling the world by the sixteenth had fell short. Nevertheless, the deadline was always an arbitrary date. We were still committed to securing Tatooine from Rebel forces, even if it was it going to take longer than we would have liked. Bizob suggested that instead of funneling our resources into the construction of small, cheap Forward Outposts, we would be off building larger Detachment Headquarters.

Over the next few days, even more Imperial installations were constructed across Tatooine. I met with Telemchus Argus in Fort Oasis, and tasked him with the responsibility of enacting the construction of a few of these bases. Little by little, the Empire was securing even greater control over Tatooine, pushing the Rebels into submission. It was clear this would need to be a gradual process, rather than a quick and shocking takeover like we had originally envisaged. A few days later, our forces gathered in Bestine, including me, Bizob, Phow-jin, and a newer member named Sajuuk Kharr. Finally willing to focus more attention on Tatooine, Ezekeal of Armed Response and several members of TIO came to our aid in rooting out Rebel activity. Stormodo Osobo, a former member of RID, witnessed this display of Imperial power, and mentioned that he had regretted leaving us. Willing to give him another chance, I allowed for Stormodo to reenlist with RID. Our unified efforts were finally putting a strain on the Rebel Alliance. Feeling the pressure, the Rebel retaliated by destroying at least one Imperial facility, including a large Tactical Center near Fort Ironwolf operated by a member of the XIII. The destruction of this useful facility delayed our progress somewhat, but it was not a significant loss. To aid the war effort, Kuiloo had generously contributed two payments of 500,000 credits to allow for the funding of new Imperial facilities. Leviathen also pledged to contribute one and a half million credits for defenses. Leviathen also oversaw the construction of a top-secret complex of Imperial bases on Tatooine, which he nicknamed “Fort Leviathen.” Imperial domination over Tatooine was inevitable. We just needed to be patient.

Tatooine is Ours, Briefly

Many days had passed, and the struggle for Tatooine and the other worlds of the galaxy continued. In Naboo’s city of Theed, Rebels attacked the forces of the Empire, prompting a violent battle to erupt in the streets of the otherwise peaceful capital. After quelling the insurgency, the Empire retaliated by marching into Moenia, the southern city of Naboo which held sympathies for the Rebellion. Meanwhile, I had even forced my Rebel friend Com Cypher to assist RID in our war effort. Meeting him in a dark corner of the Regal Headquarters in Fort Oasis, the sullen looking Com Cypher reluctantly traded me the locations of some Rebel bases on Tatooine. The next day, we amassed a contingent of Imperials in Bestine, and launched an attack on at least one or two Rebel Detachment Headquarters, one of which was defended by at least three large tower turrets. Over the course of the next few days, Imperials launched even more attacks on Rebel bases across Tatooine. One day, RID and the Empire launched an aggressive push to take Tatooine. Taking an interest in our progress, Aresius Helmet of TIO asked me how the war effort was coming along. After taking a look at the planet’s satellite readings, we got the news we were looking for. The Galactic Empire had finally quelled the Rebel Alliance on Tatooine, securing the world. Rebel holdouts remained, but for the first time in a long while, the Empire had unquestioned dominance over the largely forgotten, Outer Rim world. I excitedly told all of RID, “We have Tatooine!”

Following the announcement, I called on RID to gather in Fort Oasis for an impromptu meeting. A large number of RID members arrived, including Ty’e, Jaysont, Kuiloo and Chardath. Erich’ Ruhl had even left the XIII to rejoin RID once again. Three members of the Neutron Pixies also arrived to dance during the celebratory meeting. As I took the throne in Fort Oasis’ city hall, the members of RID filed in to salute me and congratulate me for leading the Empire to victory on Tatooine. “All hail RID!” one of them proclaimed. As the members of RID took their seats, I cheerfully exclaimed, “Hello fellow Imperials!” I began the meeting by explaining in detail the recent “liberation of Tatooine,” as I called it. With Jaysont and Ty’e standing beside me, I told RID, “We have scored many battles on Tatooine, and will continue to across the galaxy.” Although me and RID were very excited about the Empire’s recent victory, we all knew more work needed to be done. The Empire only now had a tenuous grip over Tatooine, and Naboo was still embroiled in warfare. The Imperial Network would have to remain vigilant. If we were to get complacent, the Rebels would strike back, and everything we had fought for would be in vain.

To further entrench the Empire’s dominance over Tatooine, RID continued striking against additional Rebel holdouts. After gathering in Bestine a force of about seven RID members, including Bizob, Ty’e, Erich’, Keelok and Remoe Tovee, we launched an attack against at least one Rebel Forward Outpost. Due to our continued actions on Tatooine, satellite readings continued to indicate the diminishing strength of the Rebel Alliance on our beloved homeworld. The Rebels did retaliate somewhat, successfully destroying the Forward Outpost we operated right next to Fort Oasis’ city hall. Despite this attack, Tatooine remained under Imperial control, for now. Little did we know that this was just the beginning of a ruthless counter-attack by the Rebel Alliance. Unfortunately, we underestimated the military strength and coordination of the Rebellion. Despite our best efforts, the Empire’s dominance over Tatooine was short lived. Satellite readings indicated that the Rebellion was once again gaining an edge over the Imperial forces of the desert world. The fight for Tatooine continued.

MEK Unhinged

As disheartening as it was to lose our grip over Tatooine, the Empire was still better positioned than ever before. In addition, thanks to The Imperial Order, virtually all Rebel resistance on Naboo was finally eliminated, essentially securing that world under almost complete Imperial control. With that accomplished, more effort was focused to securing the world of Dantooine. Fighting alongside our fellow Imperial forces, we managed to destroy a large Rebel installation on Dantooine during a torrential downpour. Not willing to give up on our homeworld, we also continued to battle the stubbornly resistant Rebels of Tatooine.

Meanwhile, a brief incident with the Mabari Eternal Knights had occurred around this time. MEK launched a major combat initiative against seven different organizations. According to their rules of engagement, this war of theirs was meant to be restricted to the world of Rori, and was not intended to include attacks against RID. Although we considered MEK supporters of the Rebel Alliance, our two organizations had a ceasefire when it came to direct combat operations against each other. However, Cannar of MEK made an error, and mistakenly authorized his soldiers the ability to attack members of RID on sight. This sparked something of a diplomatic incident, when a non-combatant member of ours named Alsoa Bri, was attacked by MEK in Fort Oasis. Not only was RID not supposed to be involved in MEK’s war, but they had also violated their own rules of engagement by fighting on Tatooine. Reportedly, this prompted an escalation of the conflict, when RID responded by violently attacking MEK in return. Kuiloo had also reported to me an incident, where he was attacked by a soldier of MEK (possibly named Draconiz) all the way on the remote world of Dathomir. Although MEK was home to a number of “loose cannons” so to speak, Cannar Corlin liked to promote the image of MEK as an honorable group of soldiers. Viewing MEK’s wanton attack on peaceable members of RID as a public relations fiasco, Cannar had actually sent his direct and sincere apologies to me and all of the Regal Imperial Defenders. In response to this incident, Cannar oversaw the creation of a better trained sister organization named MEK-L, which would specialize in combat activities with a greater amount of discipline.

Empire Day Grand Imperial Ball

The Galactic Civil War raged on, but that did not mean we did not have time for some respite. To celebrate the birth of the Galactic Empire, the Imperial Network announced an Empire Day Grand Imperial Ball, which would take place in TIO’s city of Thalnax. RID was invited to attend the grand spectacle, as were a large number of other Imperial associations, including NOVA, SHC, THM, ISF, TEH, Armed, XFOR, SG, NoS and the IXth. For the occasion, the streets of Thalnax featured a fleet of Imperial vehicles on display, including at least a couple large, four-legged All Terrain Armored Transports, several AT-STs, and at least one Lambda-class shuttle and TIE Fighter. The ball itself was to be held inside one of Thalnax’s large association halls. My entourage of RID included Jaysont, Idfig, Xanus, Pescai Stasea, Haroog Enlans, Cheapshot Inyamout, and even Oien LightStrider, the former official of the controversial Europa Network. The association hall was filled with members of the many other Imperial organizations, including Ezekeal of Armed Response and multiple Imperials from TIO, including Grutch. Members of The Honored Maidens also stood in organized rows, wearing their distinctive blue uniforms.

As we greeted our fellow Imperial allies, we were surprised to see Captain Thrawn, a leading Chiss officer of the Galactic Empire, enter the building. The large number of Imperials stood at attention, saluting Captain Thrawn as he stepped towards the back of the room. When Thrawn turned around, he began to deliver a speech to his loyal Imperial followers. “It is good to see so many other dedicated Imperials here tonight,” he began. He continued, “During these celebrations of Empire Day, we must keep alive the memory of the deceit and treasonous actions of the former Jedi Council.” During the closing portion of his speech, Thrawn reminded us, “It is this kind of sacrifice and devotion we honor at this time.”

Battle of New Horizon

The Empire Day Grand Imperial Ball reaffirmed the unity of the Galactic Empire and its Imperial Network. Unfortunately, the Tatooine Legion had by then largely faded out of existence. Although BSA remained as a modest sized contingent of Imperials, the Thirteenth Infantry had mostly collapsed. Erich’ had already rejoined RID, most likely as a result of this fact, and assumed control over their small outpost of Fort Ironwolf. Because of this, Fort Ironwolf was officially recognized as a subsidiary territory of the Regal Imperial Defenders. We hoped to safeguard Fort Ironwolf and expand it to a metropolis-sized fortress, much in the same way as Fort Oasis. Meanwhile, the Imperial Network focused some amount of energy on fighting the Rebellion on Talus, the homeworld of SHC. RID members Cerex, Oien, Pescai, Buhi and Kyubi Maduzi were among those fighting for the world. However, despite the loss of our Legion, the Imperial Network did not forget about Tatooine. After securing Talus, forces of the Empire travelled to Tatooine to launch an attack on at least one large Rebel facility.

Although I often viewed the swamp world of Rori as a lost cause, as the festering moon played host to a plethora of cities loyal to the Rebellion, the Imperial Network nevertheless began focusing some attention there as well. One noteworthy battle erupted in the city of New Horizon, a Rebel stronghold of the Rori Mudflats. When Imperial forces from RID, TIO, Armed and TEH organized in the northern city of Restuss, we marched into New Horizon to occupy its city hall. RID members Ty’e, Xanus, Kyubi and Malignant Payne were among those marching alongside me and our Imperial allies. Even Aresius Helmet of TIO had emerged from his seclusion to fight alongside his fellow comrades. However, the Rebellion obviously did not take kindly to the sight of a massive force of Imperials occupying the streets of New Horizon. After securing a defensive position in front of the city hall, a large wave of Rebels emerged from the mist to fire upon us. Aresius Helmet shouted, “Target! Maximum firepower!” Astonished by the sight of the incoming Rebels, Xanus shouted, “Right side. We’re getting flanked!” The incoming army of Rebels largely composed of those from the Shards of Alderaan, and another large organization known as The Revenant Guard of Alderaan, or TRGA for short. At least a few Rebels from RS and Saint were also fighting against us. During the heat of the battle, no further information was recorded. It is not clear how exactly the battle concluded, but in the end, the Rebels ultimately secured the city of New Horizon.

Battle of Fort Tusken

The Battle of New Horizon was merely the first of many pitched battles between soldiers of the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance. Instead of merely destroying each other’s installations in quick hit-and-run skirmishes, we were now starting to more and more clash on the battlefield in large, epic conflicts. Indeed, it was soon learned that an army of Rebels would be amassing in northern Tatooine, amidst the confines of Fort Tusken. In a bid to eliminate these Rebels, forces from RID, including Kyubi and Gesro Hawk, and Imperials from TIO, AE and NoS amassed an armada of V-35 Courier landspeeders in Fort Oasis to be used as improvised troop transports. Imperial soldiers boarded at least eight or nine of these landspeeders to be used for the somewhat lengthy drive north towards Fort Tusken. Other soldiers hopped on their own individual speederbikes, as there was not enough room on all the landspeeders to accommodate the sizeable army of Imperials. By the time the twin suns emerged above the horizon of Tatooine, the fleet of V-35 landspeeders and speederbikes launched from Fort Oasis and headed north. After reaching the base of Fort Tusken, which was nestled atop a short, yet steep mountain peak, our forces disembarked from our vehicles. After doing so, we regrouped, and prepared ourselves for the dangerous climb to Fort Tusken.

The first Rebels to die were those foolish enough to be patrolling the base of the mountain. Vulnerable and outnumbered, these Rebels were quickly killed by our forces. However, as soon as we reached halfway up the mountain, the large army of Rebels began firing down on us. This was not the best position to be in. Not only did the Rebels have the high ground, but they were also protected by the fortified walls of Fort Tusken. Although Fort Tusken was also home to the violent, native Tusken Raiders, most of them had already been pushed out and killed by the army of Rebels. As soon as we reached the front gate of Fort Tusken, violent fighting ensued between our two opposing armies. The details of the battle are murky after this point, but after about thirty minutes of fierce fighting, the Empire had finally managed to push inside the fortress and defeat the Rebel occupation force. However the fight against the Rebellion was not completely over yet. After briefly celebrating at Fort Tusken, most of our Imperial forces relocated to Bestine to prepare for an offensive on Anchorhead. During the midst of all this, there were also reports of Rebels lurking throughout Fort Oasis. They knew that the Imperials were using Fort Oasis as a rally point that day. Fortunately, these Rebels were low in numbers and quickly eliminated.

After arriving in Bestine, our forces once again regrouped. We were even met by Darth Vader, who had landed in Bestine to greet our forces and issue out orders to kill members of the Rebel Alliance. Finally, after preparing our forces once again, we headed to Anchorhead. When we arrived, we marched into Tosche Station, just next to the town, and began firing on the Rebel forces. The intense fighting continued as the twin suns set below the horizon of Tatooine. Despite the valiant efforts of our Imperial soldiers, this follow-up battle in Anchorhead was not as decisive as the one at Fort Tusken. Anchorhead was a safe haven for the Rebels. They knew it well, and could quickly regroup to repel our forces. It appeared as though this battle would mostly be a stalemate. After a number of Imperials were killed, the last of us pulled out of Anchorhead and Tosche Station to escape the perpetual fighting.

Battle of Rogue Island

In the waters east of the Gold Beaches of Corellia, there was an island inhabited by deserters of the Corellian Security Force. Rogue Island, as it was sometimes called, consisted of a fortified base belonging to members of these so-called Rogue CorSecs. In the days following the recent Battle of Fort Tusken, the Galactic Empire was called upon to occupy the island and defend it against a planned invasion by soldiers of the Rebel Alliance. After hearing news about the upcoming battle, I notified RID and encouraged them to come to the Empire’s aid. Gesro, who had by then been appointed as a captain of our ranged combat personnel, eagerly looked forward to participating. On the day of the battle, Imperial forces were encouraged to amass in the Corellian city of Doaba Guerfel, and then proceed by vehicle to Rogue Island. Rogue Scot of TIO, despised by many members of the Rebel Alliance, acted as one of the commanding officials for this defensive operation. To antagonize the Rebels who despised Rogue, forces of the Empire mockingly declared that the base on Rogue Island would be renamed to “Rogue Scot CorSec Base.” Meanwhile, to prepare for an attack on the island, forces of the Rebellion amassed in Corellia’s capital city of Coronet.

I travelled to Rogue Island alongside at least five other members from RID, including Gesro, Kyubi and Abso Zero. We also travelled with Timit, who made the decision to rejoin RID. Imperials from AE, AXIS, EXOD, NoS, Armed, TIO and other organizations had also arrived to occupy the island and mount a defense. The infamous bounty hunter named Maura, wearing her distinctive purple colored Mabari armor, and wielding a light lightning cannon, was spotted roaming about the island. Although she sympathized with the Rebel Alliance, she was not actively engaged in either side of the Galactic Civil War. It appeared that she was mostly interested in witnessing the impending spectacle. In the meantime, the Imperial forces wielded their weapons, and positioned themselves at different locations of Rogue Island. Unfortunately, I was unable to remain on the island to command RID and participate in the impending battle alongside our Imperial allies. Gesro assumed charge in my stead, just as forces of the Rebel Alliance were beginning to approach the island. When Rebels were spotted in the distance, one of the Imperials yelled, “They’re storming the beaches!” Gesro and the other Imperials were expecting a large Rebel force to attack from the north. However, this initial Rebel attack consisted of a comparatively small group of enemy soldiers moving in from the south. Suspecting it was a diversion, the Imperial forces were ordered to hold their positions within the relatively safe confines of the Rogue CorSec Base.

In spite of the order to hold their positions, some undisciplined Imperials soldiers scattered in an enthusiastic bid to root out the incoming Rebels. Witnessing this display, Rogue Scot on several occasions commended RID, Armed and TIO for exhibiting discipline by holding their positions. Nevertheless, the disorganized nature of some of the Imperial troops did not spell disaster. As it turned out, the small number of Rebels from the south was not a diversion. It was in fact the entirety of their invasion force. Although the incoming force of Rebels would be considered modest on a normal day, it was diminutive in comparison to our larger army of Imperials. Fierce fighting ensued after the Rebels stormed the beaches of Rogue Island, but they stood no chance against the large and well armed occupation force. In the end, the Rebels were quickly eliminated in a decisive victory. Following the victory, Kyubi cheerfully reported to RID, “The Rebellion terrorists stood no chance; total massacre.” Kyubi also commended Gesro for his “outstanding” leadership skills during the course of the battle. Following the Battle of Rogue Island, Gesro released a brief report detailing some aspects of the conflict.

Fort Mirage

In the days prior to the Battle of Rogue Island, Xanus Kriegor, who had at times been viewed as one of our more controversial commanding officials, made the decision to leave RID and transfer to TIO. About five days after joining The Imperial Order, Xanus claimed that TIO purchased the large city of Imperia Galaxium on Lok, as Thalnax was unable to accommodate the construction of many new domiciles. Just as TIO was looking to expand their territory, so was RID.

The inclusion of Fort Ironwolf to our portfolio inspired a few of our members to set forth and establish new cities in the name of RID. However, most of these efforts were doomed to failure. Most of our members lacked the resources they needed to properly establish new RID outposts. Furthermore, RID was not the largest of Imperial organizations, and could not commit so many citizens to build up new settlements. Although Fort Oasis was still considered a large metropolis, we were witnessing an overall reduction in the number of citizens and taxpayers. The last thing we needed was to spread ourselves thin. Nevertheless, there was one newly constructed RID outpost that survived where others failed. This outpost, named Fort Amerfole, was constructed on the planet Lok by Sajuuk Kharr, one of our newer members.

This new settlement was located in the sandy plains region known as the Grendin Waste. Following the Battle of Rogue Island, Sajuuk made the decision to rename Fort Amerfole to Fort Reconciliation, as he believed the original name sounded “too weak.” However, the outpost’s identity as Fort Reconciliation was short lived. Feeling as though the name of “Reconciliation” was not suitable for a RID town, he once again renamed the outpost, this time to Fort Mirage. He believed that the name “Mirage” fitted more with the surrounding desert scenery of Lok. Under Sajuuk’s direction, Fort Mirage was kept afloat thanks to a decent core of helpful citizens. One of these citizens was a member of ours named Si’dhol Kran, who had since been appointed by Sajuuk as a member of Fort Mirage’s militia. Although Sajuuk continued to govern Fort Mirage as mayor, Militiawoman Si’dhol quickly stepped up to help grow the outpost and administer local affairs. Despite not being mayor, she was quickly becoming recognized as the primary regulator of Fort Mirage. By this time, Fort Mirage amassed at least twenty-three citizens. Although it was still a humble outpost, it was by then very clear to me that Fort Mirage was here to stay. I announced our intentions to expand Fort Mirage, alongside Fort Ironwolf on the planet Tatooine. However, I instructed RID to refrain from creating new settlements, at least until these two new fortresses were suitably developed.

Exiles of Mabari

By this time, RID was reaching a pinnacle in terms of size and strength. Many new Imperials were joining our ranks, bolstering RID’s image as a growing institution of the Galactic Empire. In Fort Oasis, we held one of our larger organizational meetings, attended by at least eighteen members of RID, including Cerex, Gesro, Si’dhol, Buhi, and a newer recruit named Spenk Echuu. Meetings such as these continued to serve as an excellent opportunity to keep RID unified. With my followers seated before me, I could speak to them directly, and inspire them to keep up the fight against the multiple cells of the Rebel Alliance, including TRGA, SoA, ASF and MEK – the Mabari Eternal Knights.

The Mabari Eternal Knights, always something of a Rebel organization in our eyes, still considered themselves to be “officially neutral.” Nevertheless, by Cannar’s own admission, the balance of power within MEK had suddenly shifted more towards the Rebel Alliance. Their Rebel squad had surged in numbers, and a few of their Imperial sympathizers were even beginning to formally enlist with the Rebellion. Despite all this, Cannar still held RID in high regard, and proposed a series of “war games” between our two organizations as a peaceable way to practice for actual combat. In a sense, Cannar was proposing a pact between RID and MEK. Personally, I wished to keep “friends” in the Rebel Alliance to a minimum. With extremely few exceptions, I typically chose to only communicate with Rebels who stood to benefit RID and the Empire. I was hesitant for RID to cozy up too much with MEK. Although I myself did not disdain Cannar and MEK in the same way I did most other Rebels, they were still responsible for attacking Fort Oasis and harming several of our members. Our morale in battle depended on us viewing all members of the Rebel Alliance as enemies who needed to be swiftly defeated. If we got too friendly with MEK, it could have weakened our resolve, and even resulted in the growth of pro-Rebel sentiments among our ranks. Nevertheless, I did entertain Cannar’s proposal to engage in friendly war games. By establishing clearly defined “battle zones” and sensible rules of engagement, our soldiers could improve their skill in battle by partaking in these simulated combat activities.

While a few members of RID were open to Cannar’s proposal, most were somewhat skeptical. Others, such as Ty’e and Alsoa were vocally opposed to MEK, and considered them to be violent, hypocritical thugs. Alsoa for instance, had not forgotten how MEK viciously attacked her while she was peacefully roaming about the streets of Fort Oasis. Following these sorts of incidents, Cerex was also known to harshly taunt MEK. If war games were to ever take place between RID and MEK, it seemed quite possible that the “games” would devolve into actual, bitter warfare between our two forces. Furthermore, Cannar himself began to view RID in a more negative light when he discovered that RID had recruited at least a couple of MEK’s “exiles.” As it turned out, Sajuuk Kharr, the mayor of Fort Mirage, was actually a former member of MEK. According to Cannar, Sajuuk had been dismissed from MEK on two occasions for exhibiting some form of disruptive behavior. One of our other members, Shaunik Mentar, had also served as a Rebel in MEK before defecting to the Empire and joining RID. Cannar viewed Shaunik as a traitor, and considered it an insult that he was now one of our members. Cannar began to accuse RID of recklessly recruiting these supposedly “low quality” individuals in a desperate attempt to boost our combat strength.

Feeling as though any kind of amicable pact between RID and MEK would be fruitless, Cannar called off his war games proposal. His accusations against us, and the increased tensions between our two organizations only served to bolster our perception of MEK as a ruthless, untrustworthy Rebel organization. I was aggravated by Cannar’s accusations against us. As far as I was concerned, we had every right to recruit defectors such as Sajuuk and Shaunik. As of yet, neither one of those members had done much to antagonize RID in any way. Cannar acknowledged that there was “bad blood” between RID and MEK. For now, Cannar abandoned his efforts to communicate with us. As far as we were concerned, Cannar and MEK remained unequivocal enemies of the Empire.

New Europa

In Fort Oasis, RID hosted a well attended party in our cantina. Many members of RID, including Shaunik, Gesro and Timit attended, as did allies from other Imperial organizations. Even though he was now in TIO, Xanus also stopped by to chat with his friends in RID. Most of RID enjoyed these types of festivities, but there was still a thirst to engage in more combat activities. Although war games between RID and MEK would not take place, many of us still saw merit in testing our combat skills. We proposed launching an outright war against the Rebels of the Shards of Alderaan. The Rebels of SoA had already fought against us during our many battles against the Rebel Alliance. After working with Cerex, we proposed rules of engagement, and outlined plans to launch a siege on SoA’s city. While a war against SoA did take place, details about this conflict are unfortunately very limited. What is known is that the war only lasted a short while, and resulted in our defeat, largely due to the fact we were outnumbered by SoA soldiers. Many members of RID were not willing to volunteer for this war, and a few even made the unfortunate decision to desert our ranks to avoid potential conflict. Nevertheless, the Rebels of SoA had actually fought honorably, and properly observed the rules of engagement by avoiding attacks on RID’s non-combat personnel. However, our many ambitious plans against the enemies of the Empire would soon be interrupted by the emergence of an organization we had long thought to be gone for good – the Europa Network.

Oien LightStrider had already been in RID for a good while. Even though I knew of his past history with Weifert and the Europa Network, I viewed Oien as a humble and kind individual. Although he usually kept to himself, he still helped to fight alongside us during our many battles against the Rebellion. Oien and I never really talked much. However, one day he suddenly contacted me, and asked me to travel with him to the planet Lok for a “surprise.” Intrigued, I accepted Oien’s invitation and travelled to the spaceport at Nym’s Stronghold on Lok. After meeting up with Oien, we took a seat on our speeder bikes, and I began following him on a long quiet journey to the middle of nowhere on Lok. Finally, Oien slowed to a stop, for we had apparently reached our destination. We hopped off our speeder bikes, and surveyed the desolate expanse of nothingness. We were in a flat field of dust dotted by a species of canine known as kusaks. Amidst the nothingness was a notable landmark in the form a small, humble abode. Oien led me to the door slowly, beckoning me to enter. As soon as the door opened, I was greeted with the sight of Weifert Lionheart, the former leader of the infamous Europa Network!

Weifert had the appearance of royalty, wearing a deep, red colored ornamental robe. The vibrant specter of Weifert was juxtaposed against the bland colored walls of his small abode, and the surrounding landscape of Lok. Weifert looked upon me, and warmly greeted me. He then asked me, “Ready to start Europa again?” Viewing me as one of his few friends left, Weifert humbly extended an invitation to RID to help create “New Europa.” I did not know what to say. I was still amazed to even see Weifert again. However, I felt as though I was in an awkward position. Apparently, Weifert had still believed that RID and I were loyal to Europa. He never learned of the fact that I had worked with Terlo against his former Network. I was hesitant to pledge my full support to Europa. I admired his ambition, but the memory of Europa’s past actions was not yet forgotten by most of the galaxy. Could RID truly align with Europa without facing severe backlash? RID’s true allegiance laid with the Empire and the Imperial Network. Could RID serve both the Empire and Europa? Vall, one of Weifert’s fiercest of enemies, was still an active leader within the Galactic Empire. Vall resented Europa, as did Cairne and other members of the Imperial Network. It seemed to me that this posed a substantial conflict of interest. However, I was hesitant to decline Weifert’s offer outright. I did not believe Weifert could take “no” for an answer. If I declined his offer, would he view us as enemies, and attempt to subvert RID and Fort Oasis? The Europa of old made it a goal to conquer most of Lok. RID now managed Fort Mirage on Lok. Would Weifert insist on it becoming a subject of New Europa, whether we agreed to it or not?

Given all these questions, I did what I felt was the best option at the time. I gave Weifert a non-committal response. I told him that RID would seek to join New Europa as soon as it became firmly established. I told Weifert that Fort Oasis would not carry the banner of Europa, but that any new RID settlements would be considered for membership in his new Network. I was confident that it would be a very long while before Weifert could build up this so-called New Europa. I felt as though this would buy RID enough time to avoid an immediate confrontation with Weifert. Fortunately, Weifert seemed satisfied with my mostly ambiguous pledge of support, and so the meeting was concluded. I left Lok, certain that we would not have to worry about Weifert and his New Europa for a long time to come.

Conference of Tal Kyrte

Elsewhere on Lok, along the northeastern reaches of the Nym Protectorate, THM’s capital of Tal Kyrte continued to stand strong as a symbol of Imperial might on the harsh, barren world. In yet another show of unity for the Galactic Empire and its Imperial Network, THM invited multiple organizations to attend an Imperial conference within the confines of their home city. For the conference, the streets of Tal Kyrte were decorated with banners of the Empire. A couple parked TIE Fighters and an AT-AT walker were also positioned within the city as a show of force. While I was invited to speak during this conference, I was unfortunately unable to attend. Nonetheless, other members of RID, including Gesro, Si’dhol, Phow-jin and Timit attended the conference on my behalf, and a detailed account of the meeting was recorded.

After the many Imperials filed into Tal Kyrte for the conference, Head Mistress Avalucia called the meeting to order. In her distinctive accent, Avalucia proclaimed, “Bonjour! And welcome to Tal Kyrte, the ‘ome of the The ‘onored Maidens. We are very proud of the 'onor that was afforded to us to 'ost this event, and welcome all of you into our city. I am Doctor Avalucia Versailles, Colonel in the Imperial armed forces, and 'ead Mistress of the 'onored Maidens. I will also be acting as the Mistress of Ceremonies for this event. Before I proceed with the formalities and introductions, I would first like to call attention to the driving force and instigator of this event, and the similar ones that 'ave preceded it… Mademoiselle Issele of TIO! Please give 'er a big applause of ‘thank you’ for 'er continued and tireless efforts!” The many attendees took the time to applaud the prominent Imperial Twi’lek by the name of Issele Eshiw, who had since transferred from NOVA to become an esteemed member of The Imperial Order. Avalucia then continued, “Now, on to the main events… Four speakers will stand before you today, just some of the many, many people that 'ave been instrumental in the fight against the band of terrorist rabble that call themselves the Alliance. We are 'ere to stand in unity, to show our might as Imperial officers and soldiers. To show that we may be of separate organizations, but our loyalty to the Empire, to the Emperor, is unwavering and as strong as ever.” Avalucia then slung her blaster carbine, and said, “Once the speakers 'ave concluded, there will be a special message broadcasted to us live from the Emperor 'imself! And now, without further adieu… I give you Inquisitor Quinos, of Armed Response”

With that, Avalucia stepped aside to give Quinos Daken the opportunity to address the crowd of Imperials. As Quinos stepped up, he confidently said, “My fellow Imperials. For months we have fought and preserved peace and order throughout the galaxy. We have demonstrated our effectiveness and coordination on Naboo. Countless times the Rebels have tried to take it back in force, but we have countered their feeble attempts, and even outnumbered we have prevailed in many situations. Our actions have been recognized [throughout] the galaxy, on both sides. We have inspired Imperial citizens to take up arms against the insidious Rebellion. And we have brought awe and fear into the midst of the Rebellion, demonstrating the full capability of the Empire!” Throughout the rest of his speech, Quinos decried the Old Republic and its fallen Jedi Order, and lauded Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader for their guidance. Quinos concluded his speech with, “I am proud to be an Imperial, and I am proud to be here today! We shall have order in the galaxy!”

Avalucia thanked Quinos for his time, and then asked Zachris Coaraban of ISF to speak. After taking a moment to thank Avalucia and Issele for organizing the Imperial conference, Zachris declared, “I think this is a good time for Imperials all across the planets, as we see the scores turning in the favor of the Emperor. Through the efforts of NOVA, TEH, SHC and ISF, I have personally seen to Dantooine staying in favor of the Emperor…” Zachris then went on to say that, “[His] life would have to be taken, before [Dantooine] falls to the Rebels again.” Zachris then went on to honor Sophy of ISF for her commitment to the Galactic Civil War. “She has taken credit for taking out over 300 Rebel turrets over many planets and also coordinating the destructions of over 100 bases.” In his concluding statement, Zachris proclaimed, “Stand tall and be proud to be Imperial.”

As soon as Zachris stepped aside, Flight Lieutenant Resha Skyslider of the IXth was invited to speak about the Empire’s war efforts in space. Unlike Zachris, Resha painted a less glowing picture of the Empire’s progress. “Colonel Zachris mentioned the Star Destroyers as proof of the Empire’s might watching over us in space… well… let me tell you all, up in space, things are not well. We are stretched thin. While people down here talk about how mighty we are, just a few pilots are actually out there patrolling systems and battling Rebels. I have been fighting in space for months now, nonstop, and the Rebels have grown stronger and stronger. They muster more fighters, more pilots and more aces. Just this weekend, we suffered a defeat in [the] Lok and Tatooine systems. We were outnumbered by fifty percent, and over half of us were rookies fresh out of the academy who have never battled Rebel aces for real.” Exasperated, Resha asked, “Where is the Imperial Navy?” She then went on to say, “We need to focus again on the Empire’s key virtues: Discipline, organization and sacrifice. If you are not ready to die in space, don’t fly in it, but don’t talk [about] how mighty we are either.” She then went on to encourage more Imperial Army forces to enlist with the Imperial Navy. She insisted that the Rebels were acquiring resources in deep space, which they then used to construct Rebel installations on the many worlds of the galaxy. She believed it was imperative to devote more time to training Imperial pilots. “Show your commitment to the Empire with deeds,” she said, “not words.”

Avalucia thanked Resha for her candor, and then called up Xalya Shadowalker of THM. As Xalya stepped up, she proceeded to deliver a lengthy, rousing speech, espousing the virtues of the Galactic Empire, and violent nature of the Rebel Alliance. Towards the end of her speech, Xalya emphasized, “The Rebellion's war, the war started in the name of protecting ‘innocent' life is the cause of more bloodshed than the galaxy has seen since the Republic was purged and formed into our mighty Empire. Their fight for freedom is not so, it’s merely a fight to line their own pockets, to return themselves to their place of power. But one man saw the lies of the Republic, the greed, corruption, and evil it contained… and it is because of him that we here do not forget. It is in the name of his vision, a vision of a New Order that we fight. I present to you, His Excellency, Emperor Palpatine.” Suddenly, the ghostly specter of Emperor Palpatine’s hologram emanated in full view of all the attendees. Via his telepresence, Emperor Palpatine addressed his loyal subjects by saying, “I have heard much of your exploits. Lord Vader is very pleased with your progress so far, but there is much yet to be accomplished. This war cannot be over until every last Rebel is destroyed.” The Emperor pounded his fist into his palm, cursing the Rebels, and announced, “Even now they plot and move against the Empire. Control of cities that are important to our command and control lines are teetering on the brink of Rebel control. This cannot continue. You have done well in the past, but now I expect more from this command. Base by base. City by city. Planet by planet. You are to wrest control from these traitorous Rebels regardless of the cost. The people living in the systems under your command must be taught the power of the Empire. They must be turned or destroyed. Either way, dissent is not to be tolerated. I expect great things. Do not disappoint me. You act as an extension of my will. Continue to serve well and the Rebellion shall be crushed beneath the weight of your loyalty. I leave you now with this… Rule by fear of force, rather than force alone. My apprentice will arrive with orders. I expect total loyalty from each of you. Long live the Empire.”

As the hologram of Emperor Palpatine faded out of view, Xzusarius Alucarde shouted as a reminder, “Everyone please remain seated or inside. Lord Vader shall be arriving shortly.” Avalucia then announced, “THM… at attention! Move out to receive our Lord Vader. Lord Vader’s shuttle will arrive momentarily. Please make your way to Athena Square.” Soon enough, Lord Vader’s shuttle arrived, and he marched into the conference to deliver yet another speech to the gathering of Imperials. “Loyal soldiers of the Empire,” he began. “For too long the Rebellion has survived in our midst, but no longer will such an affront be tolerated. Order must be restored. The Emperor is depending on you to keep his Empire strong. Dominate the cities and crush all resistance! Even now the Rebels control Coronet. This ends today. Your orders are to assault Coronet and secure it for the Emperor. You are to purge the city of Rebel traitors. Any who survive are to be taken into Imperial custody. Your command has a list of known Rebels. These are to be sought out and captured." An Imperial named ‘Cade’ yelled alertly, “Got no such list here, sir.” Darth Vader responded with, “Your commanders have your detailed orders. Dismissed.” With that, Darth Vader departed Tal Kyrte, leaving the mass of Imperials to follow through with his orders. One of the Imperials among the crowd, named Chaad Losan, exclaimed, “Hail Lord Vader.”

Not willing to deny Lord Vader’s desire to secure Coronet, Jon’ Alamar yelled, “Everyone raid Coronet now! Let’s go!” The frenzied crowd of Imperials excitedly cheered and rallied one another to prepare for an assault on Coronet. “Seize Coronet!” Avalucia shouted. Aresius Helmut followed suit, saying, “Legion, move out to Coronet, by the Emperor’s will.” Amidst all the yelling and excitement, the sizeable army of Imperials exited Tal Kyrte, and arranged for transport to Coronet City on the planet Corellia. As soon as the Imperials arrived, a lengthy battle erupted when they encountered about two dozen Rebels patrolling the streets. As soon as these Rebels were killed, wave after wave of more Rebel troops arrived in an attempt to repel the Imperial forces. Although Gesro later privately confided in me and the rest of RID that Lord Vader’s order to attack the Rebels of Coronet amounted to little more than a “pointless” suicide mission, it was still something of an inspiration to see the Galactic Empire so united. From The Honored Maidens of Lok, to the StarHawk Conglomerate of Talus, and The Imperial Order of Naboo, it seemed as though nothing could divide the all powerful might of the Galactic Empire and its Imperial Network. Unfortunately, we would soon realize that even the most powerful of organizations could be the most fragile.

The Imperial Disorder

The Imperial Order was a mighty Imperial organization which had stood the test of time. Ever since their humble origins on the picturesque world of Naboo, TIO had expanded to become one of the largest and most renowned of institutions. They had built a grand metropolis in the form of Thalnax, fought in countless battles against the Rebel Alliance, and worked tirelessly to keep the Galactic Empire united. However, even TIO was not immune from the internal politics that could shred these sorts of organizations apart. Ever since he joined TIO, Xanus continued to communicate with RID, and he acted as something of a liaison between our two organizations. Thanks to Xanus, we gained some extra insight regarding the internal issues TIO was dealing with. Indeed, Xanus one day reached out to me to make a startling claim – TIO was falling apart.

Xanus and other members of TIO filled me in on the details concerning what was happening. However, because of several ambiguous details, it is difficult to piece together a truly accurate account of what transpired. According to what I heard, Aresius Helmet, the leader of TIO and mayor of Thalnax, was being criticized by many members of The Imperial Order for being an ineffective and inattentive leader. Apparently, this prompted key members of TIO’s council to vote for Aresius’ demotion to a lower position within TIO’s hierarchy. The consensus was to have Grutch BrokenSkul assume leadership authority over both TIO and Thalnax. Grutch was reported to have told Aresius, “Sir, you were a great leader. I hope I can be half as good as you were.” Aresius respected this ruling in public, but conspired behind the scenes to wrest back full control of both The Imperial Order and their thriving metropolis. According to Bizob, Cairne Cantasi was a close friend of Aresius. Even though Cairne had announced his intentions to retire, he had yet to truly do so. Through an associate of his named Bishen Sienar, Cairne continued to oversee the internal affairs of both TIO and the Imperial Network. Like Cairne, Bishen was a close supporter of Aresius. Likewise, other members of TIO, including Drax, and possibly Threx, both supported the status quo. In their minds, letting Grutch assume complete control over both TIO and Thalnax was not a sensible decision.

In a show of defiance, Aresius reneged on his pledge to respect the council’s decision. He locked down electoral processes in TIO, thus securing himself as the unquestioned leader of The Imperial Order. In yet another controversial move, Aresius registered for election in Thalnax, and secured the necessary votes to reinstate himself as mayor. This was all done swiftly, to prevent Grutch from entrenching himself as the new leader and mayor. Unsurprisingly, Aresius’ aggressive attempt to maintain control over his dominion only served to further outrage the many members of TIO who opposed him. Several exasperated Imperials made the decision to simply resign from TIO. Others remained in TIO, yet continued to fiercely protest what they perceived to be the dishonest and immature actions of Aresius. Although Aresius still had a number of key supporters, his actions resulted in a growing divide between the two factions of TIO. Members such as Anitaa Blake, Issele Eshiw, Xanus Kriegor, and Rogue Scot were among those who continued to support Grutch as the new leader of TIO.

Personally, I did not hold a very high opinion of Aresius. I rarely communicated with him, but when I did, I always got the impression that he was a curt and occasionally undiplomatic leader. He had even unjustly blacklisted at least one member of RID from using public services in Thalnax. On the other hand, I worked well with Grutch. Whenever RID and TIO reached an impasse, I could always count on Grutch’s calm and steady hand to resolve the issue. But did my opinion truly matter? I was the Leader of RID, not a member of TIO. Under normal circumstances, this internal dispute would be resolved by TIO, and TIO alone. However, these were not normal circumstances. Xanus and other pro-Grutch supporters encouraged RID to get involved in the effort to “save TIO from Aresius.” I feared that if TIO were to collapse completely, it could threaten the integrity of the Imperial Network, and impede the war efforts of the Galactic Empire. I saw TIO as a pillar around which many other Imperial organizations coalesced. With this in mind, I agreed to provide some measure of support to the pro-Grutch members of TIO. This was not an easy decision to make. I had a great deal of respect for Cairne, yet he and Bishen were fervent supporters of Aresius. Although Aresius had secured control over TIO, it was still possible to reclaim control over Thalnax, which operated under an independent election system. With this in mind, I travelled to the planet Naboo to assess the situation. As soon as I disembarked the shuttle at Thalnax, I was met with the sight of a number of citizens swarming the streets to protest Aresius.

During my time in Thalnax, I began speaking with both Anitaa and Xanus, who continued to keep me informed on what was transpiring within TIO. Because Grutch was not present, it was agreed that Anitaa Blake should register for the election in Thalnax against Aresius, and act as an interim mayor. Although Aresius had done much to secure unilateral control over TIO, he had neglected to purge Thalnax of its militia. As it turned out, Anitaa was a member of the militia. She therefore had a great deal of power over Thalnax, and stood a realistic chance at ousting Aresius as mayor. Not willing to see TIO and their beautiful metropolis collapse, I agreed to actively support Anitaa in her campaign to run for mayor. While roaming the streets of Thalnax, I attempted to rally the citizens by shouting, “Citizens of Thalnax, vote for Anitaa so peace will be restored!” Because of her influential status as a militiawoman, Anitaa had even agreed to grant citizenship to a few members of RID. One of these members was Phow-jin, who agreed to travel to Thalnax in a bid to actively vote for Anitaa. Meanwhile, Anitaa stood in front of Thalnax’s city hall, and beckoned citizens to vote for her. Many flooded the ballot box, and it seemed as though the effort to install Anitaa as an interim mayor would be successful. She was leading in votes, with Aresius coming in second. During the chaos, other citizens, including Serafim Hymn and Reinhard Von-Tubingen also registered for election in opposition to Aresius. However, these two individuals trailed in votes behind Anitaa and Aresius.

When I returned to Thalnax a second time to assess the situation, Bishen Sienar contacted me, rather alarmed that RID was getting so intimately involved in their election process. I told him that TIO had reached out to RID for support, and we were merely attempting to safeguard them and their city. However, Bishen was not very pleased with this answer. He told me and RID to stay out of Thalnax, as this was an internal matter. As he was an associate of Cairne, I respected Bishen’s wishes. I requested that the few RID members who had moved into Thalnax revoke their citizenship, and allow TIO to resolve the election independently. During my time in Thalnax, I had even bumped into Aresius, who entered the city hall to monitor the election process. Wearing a blue R.I.S. armor helmet and dark cloak, Aresius actually greeted me warmly, despite the fact that RID had been actively working to depose him. He seemed unfazed by all the chaos unfolding around him, and thanked me for making the decision to pull RID out of Thalnax. However, he later made the claim that the election against him was “illegitimate,” partly due to our involvement. Most of RID was supportive of Grutch, and agreed with our efforts to safeguard TIO and Thalnax. However, Ty’e X’lor was vocally opposed to our involvement. “No, we shouldn’t be involved in their internal matters, to the extent that we were trying to sway the vote by voting,” he said. “Put it this way. Would we want TIO to come in and vote against our leader? It is best to let them get through it on their own, just like we got through our own civil war on our own.” Ty’e made a good point. However, from my perspective, the legitimate leaders of TIO included Grutch and their council, and they had reached out to RID for support. Unlike RID, TIO had a different leadership structure, and it was not as though Aresius was the original founder and leader of The Imperial Order. I believed that our involvement was justified, yet I admitted it would be better for us to step back and let TIO handle the issue independently.

In any case, it seemed as though Anitaa would win the election against Aresius. It also seemed as though Grutch and his supporters could soon abandon Aresius to create a “new TIO.” Indeed, the next day, Xanus announced that he and the other supporters of Grutch had resigned from TIO to establish a new Imperial organization named SHBF, which stood for, “Strength, Honor, and Brotherhood, Forever,” the motto of The Imperial Order. Xanus was even appointed to the position of “Co-Officer of Public Relations.” However, the creation of SHBF was not without substantial controversy. Xanus revealed that Reinhard, who had originally supported Grutch, “backstabbed” SHBF and made the decision to side with Aresius instead. Bishen, angered at Issele for abandoning TIO to join SHBF, declared to the Imperial Network that “she could no longer be trusted.” Meanwhile, SHBF remained committed to the goal of retaking the city of Thalnax. However, they would not be successful. About six days after the founding of SHBF, Aresius enacted the demolition of Thalnax’s city hall, along with its many other public structures, including their shuttleport, banks, garage, parks, and employment kiosks. Thalnax, one of the largest metropolises of its time, ceased to be recognized as an actual city. All that remained was a collection of unadministered and unprotected private domiciles.

Yet why did Aresius decide to enact such a drastic and destructive action against TIO’s beloved home city? I originally suspected that Aresius commissioned the razing of Thalnax when it became evident that he would lose the election against Anitaa. However, Xanus insisted that this was not the case. According to Xanus, Aresius was actually successful in turning the tide of the election against Anitaa, but decided to enact the fall of Thalnax anyways. It is not clear why he did this. Perhaps it was simply because of Aresius’ erratic and unpredictable behavior. Perhaps it was to send a message that insubordination would be met with destruction. Perhaps he felt that winning future elections would be untenable, and that it would be easier to simply construct a new city elsewhere. The latter possibility is the most likely. Many members of the newly formed SHBF still lived in Thalnax as citizens. Even if Aresius were to win this election, there was no guarantee that he could continue to win future elections. Whatever reasons Aresius may have had, his actions led to the collapse of one of the mightiest, most historically important Imperial strongholds on Naboo. The “Jewel of Naboo” was no more.

Because of our support for Grutch, RID maintained something of a positive relationship with SHBF. However, our ties with TIO were mostly in shambles. Hit hard by the loss of Thalnax and the large exodus of their members, the remnants of TIO made the decision to leave Naboo for its moon of Rori. South of Narmle, close to Rori’s Imperial Encampment, they eventually established a new outpost named Fort Thalnax, which eventually grew to become a modest sized city. Although Bishen continued to act on Cairne’s behalf to help maintain the Imperial Network, the recent schism weakened the Network considerably, and Bishen was no longer as amicable to me. In the past, I was considered to be a trustworthy confidant and supporter of the Imperial Network. Now, me and RID were looked at with some measure of suspicion. Later, Bishen even ended up interrogating me. He had heard rumors that we were actually spying for the Rebellion. I assured him this was not the case, and although he did apologize for troubling me, I felt saddened that our loyalties were being called into question. In any case, it made no difference. In the months that followed, TIO gradually faded from existence, leaving us only with the stark realization that even the mightiest coalitions of the Galactic Empire can collapse in mere days.

A Galaxy United

Although our war against the Shards of Alderaan was not very fruitful, we continued our efforts to directly engage individual Rebel organizations. The Alliance Special Forces continued to be one of our biggest enemies. They were believed to have been responsible for at least one major attack on Fort Oasis, and although they were primarily based out of Solaria on Rori, they continued to present a very real threat to the entire Empire. With this in mind, RID officially declared war with ASF, and sporadic fighting ignited in various corners of the galaxy. Like the war against SoA, details concerning our war against ASF are very limited. However, it is known that the war against ASF was not a very productive endeavor. Although rules of engagement were defined, ASF was ruthless, and chose not to adhere to them. Non-combatant members of RID were being regularly attacked by agents of ASF, while others were aggressively assaulted in medical facilities. In a bid to demoralize us, ASF also ruthlessly mocked our commanders, and attempted to paint an image of RID as an inept institution. Many Rebels already held an exceptionally low opinion of RID. When news of the war spread, some members of the Rebel Alliance actually enlisted with ASF, for the sole purpose of fighting against us. All of these actions resulted in at least a few of our members deserting RID.

Viewing this as a meaningless and disheartening conflict, Si’dhol petitioned me to officially cease the war with ASF. Si’dhol, who still served as a member of Fort Mirage’s militia, did not officially hold mayoral office. Sajuuk still held that distinction, despite not being as heavily involved in administering the settlement. Neverthless, by this point in time we treated Si’dhol as the de facto mayor of Fort Mirage, and she even referred to herself as the “Mayor of Fort Mirage” in public correspondences. With that said, she was a fine leader, and I always took the time to listen to her arguments. She believed our war against ASF was not only hampered by inadequate preparations. In her mind, it was irrelevant whether or not RID were to win or lose the war. The reprehsenible actions of ASF only served to embolden the Rebel Alliance, and weaken our resolve. “The war on SoA may have been a war we lost,” she said. “However, they adhered to the rules unlike this bunch.” Indeed, unlike those in ASF, the Rebels of SoA at least fought honorably, and observed civilized rules of engagement. RID stood little to gain by directly fighting ASF. Ultimately, after the brief amount of fighting, the conflict against ASF was brought to a quiet ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the predicament with Weifert Lionheart and his so-called “New Europa” was not coming to an end. In fact, it was becoming a serious concern. I originally believed it would take a very long time for Weifert to rebuild Europa. However, I was astonished to see New Europa already secure control over three sizeable cities on Lok. East of the Sulfur Lake Pirate’s hideout, Europa had established a capital named Europa – New Europa. Although this capital was only still a modest sized township, it was on track to become a thriving metropolis. A short distance west of the capital, the city of Rogue’s Haven, allured by Weifert’s promises, pledged their support to New Europa. As a show of their loyalty, Rogue’s Haven was renamed to Europa – Rogue’s Haven. Much further to the north, south of Nym’s Stronghold, Europa had also secured control over Europa – Daventry City. Between these three Europa cities was none other than Fort Mirage, RID’s only fledgling village on Lok.

I originally hoped to simply ignore the sudden expansion of New Europa, but this was a naïve notion. Weifert declared publicly on the galactic HoloNet that the “Europa Empire” was back, and that they had gained the full support of the Regal Imperial Defenders. Most of the galaxy was surprised and angered to see Europa return from the ashes. They had not forgotten the maliciousness of Weifert and his cronies. Many were also bewildered by Weifert’s assertion that RID was supporting New Europa. Many citizens saw RID as a mostly virtuous association, and were mystified as to why we would choose to join them. After Weifert made his announcement, I recall Vall Ion of the Black Star Legion reached out to me privately. Vall and his fellow Imperials in BSD and BSA were pivotal in enacting the downfall of the first incarnation of the Europa Network. Although Imperia Valens had since collapsed, the cities of Imperia Vall Tiberius and Imperia Galaxium continued to stand on Lok. The “Imperia” cities of Lok had once stood in direct opposition to Europa’s cities in a volatile cold war that split the world in two. Even now, Weifert had not forgiven Vall and his loyal Imperials for impeding the efforts of the original Europa Network. Vall was an esteemed Imperial leader, and someone I considered to be a close friend of RID. He asked me if Weifert was telling the truth. He wanted to know if RID was truly a supporter of the reborn Europa. I was by no means willing to turn my back on the Galactic Empire. I assured Vall that RID was not actually interested in joining forces with Europa, but that we feared repercussions if we were to reject Weifert’s wishes. Vall understood my concerns, but assured me that the Imperial Network would stand behind us. Feeling confident that RID and its territory would be protected by the Empire, I decided to finally put the issue to rest. We announced publicly to the galaxy that RID would not be aiding New Europa, and that we respectfully declined Weifert’s invitation to join his Network.

Publicly, Weifert responded to my announcement graciously. Privately however, Weifert was enraged at my renouncement of Europa. He felt I had lied to him, and humiliated him in front of the entire galaxy. After our meeting on Lok, Weifert believed that New Europa would have the full backing of RID. Now, he felt deceived and betrayed by what he perceived to be my sudden change of heart. In retrospect, it may have been better if I had spoken to Weifert before publicly renouncing New Europa. However, I wanted to quickly clarify to the galaxy that RID’s true loyalties were with the Galactic Empire. In any case, Weifert continued to express his disappointment in me. Privately, Weifert told me, “You know me Lexx, you could have spoken to me.” I simply told Weifert that RID did not feel truly comfortable with joining New Europa, but that we could devote one new city to his Network as a “present.” Weifert found this to be insulting. “Are you brain dead?” he asked. “Have you lost all of your sanity?” Weifert continued, “I do not want a present from you. I want your help or not.” I simply told Weifert upfront, “Unfortunately, I cannot assist you. I’ll tell you that.” This only further incensed Weifert. “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “You have hurt me. I was wrong about you. Want to know what brought me this far? Do you seriously want to know? You did.” Weifert told me that if I had never led him to believe that RID would help Europa, he would never have even bothered to try to rebuild it. In an attempt to further guilt me, Weifert said, “I forgive you, but I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry for what you are made of. I feel sorry for what you now represent in my eyes.” I told Weifert that I was “sorry,” but that things changed. I told him that RID had gained respect in the galaxy, and that we were not willing to risk losing that. “Well, I will tell you something,” Weifert began. “If you are willing to trade your friends for your pitiful fame, I will tell you, that you are lost. You are no leader.”

I was growing angered by what I viewed to be Weifert’s comtemptible attitude. He should have just respected our wishes and grown New Europa without us. However, the two of us continued to pointlessly bicker. Weifert told me, “Europa will outlive you Lexx, remember that.” He told me that New Europa had established a new and fair “Trading System” for the betterment of all people. He denied people’s claims that Europa was interested in some form of “galactic domination.” He continued to express his disappointment in me for lying to him, but my patience was wearing thin. “You have the spark, use it,” I told him. “You don’t need us for Europa. It should be well off on its own.” Weifert told me, “No, I wanted a friend to run it with me. You were that friend. What you have done is unforgettable. You put faith in me, just so you can destroy it.” Weifert continued, “Have you forgotten what I told you long ago? My exact words were, ‘People like to be shocked.’ The more ‘Europas’ they see, the more they will want to be a part of it.” Truthfully, I still admired Weifert’s ambition. A vision of a vast Europa Network securing control of many cities, and fostering trade for most citizens seemed like an exciting notion. If only Weifert were more diplomatic, perhaps RID and the entire Galactic Empire could have worked more closely with him. “Europa was supposed to help Fort Oasis benefit,” Weifert told me. “We were supposed to be very good friends.”

However, it was now too late for us to be “good friends.” Weifert continued to disparage my decision to disown New Europa, and rambled on about the greatness of his Network. He also insisted that Oien LightStrider was very displeased with my decision, and would soon be leaving RID to join Europa in earnest. I did not know if Weifert was telling the truth, but it was now clear to me that keeping Oien in RID would be problematic. After hearing Weifert’s remarks, I made a unilateral decision to immediately expel Oien from RID. Weifert continued to lament my “betrayal,” before the two of us finally stopped argueing. By this point, it was abundantly obvious to me that Weifert would brand RID as a clear enemy of New Europa. Fearing for the security of RID, Fort Oasis, Fort Ironwolf and Fort Mirage, I called on Erich’, Sajuuk and Si’dhol to limit executive powers to themselves, and only a few other trusted representatives. Much of RID, and Gesro in particular, was confused by my sudden decision to expel Oien from our ranks. Howeer, I assured everyone that I would soon explain the situation in detail.

Much of the galaxy, including Imperials and even some Rebels, and traders and fighters, were uniting against New Europa. However, the New Europa Network was also gaining a great deal of followers. In addition to their three major cities on Lok, including Daventry City, Rogue’s Haven, and the colloquially named New Europa, the Network was also gaining the support of multiple organizations. Two major supporters of the New Europa Network included an organization named IRON, and the so-called “Europa Imperial Vanguard,” or EIV for short. Weifert was a leading official of EIV alongside Tip Terenson, who was mayor of Europa – Daventry City. There were also smaller, lesser known organizations flocking under the Europa banner. One of these was UG, based out of the city of UnderGround on Rori. To express their support, the mayor renamed the city to Europa UnderGround. Jenaka Truefate was a leading official of UnderGround, however it is not clear if she served as mayor when UnderGround joined the Network. Gounk Sharpblaster had also left RID to rejoin his former leader as a citizen of Europa – New Europa. He served under Weifert as a member of the township’s militia alongside Etrox, Furrl and Whistler. Oien also ended up becoming an official citizen of Europa – New Europa. In short, the New Europa Network comprised of many cities, organizations, and individuals. It was quite simply a force to be reckoned with.

LynxxClan

Much of the galaxy was uniting against New Europa, but did RID truly have anything to gain by opposing them completely? All we were concerned about was ensuring the stability of RID, its capital of Fort Oasis, and the two fortified villages of Fort Ironwolf and Fort Mirage. Unfortunately, Weifert was not willing to forget RID’s transgressions against his newly reborn Network. In an attempt to undermine us, Europa set their eyes to Fort Mirage. Knoxikov Vladimir was a citizen of Europa – New Europa, and either a close friend or associate of Weifert himself. Much to our dismay, Knoxikov had managed to infiltrate Fort Mirage, becoming an officially registered citizen in the process. This was a disturbing turn of events, as it meant that Europa could realistically launch an electoral coup and take over our fledgling Lokian village. But how did Knoxikov manage to infiltrate Fort Mirage? At the time, we suspected Sajuuk Kharr, the original founder of Fort Mirage, of betraying RID and willingly collaborating with New Europa. Although we suspected Sajuuk of insubordination, we did not take any immediate action against him. Doing so might have caused him to further compromise the security of Fort Mirage. In any case, with Knoxikov legally recognized as a citizen of Fort Mirage, we were not willing to take any risks. RID was not interested in prolonging a conflict with New Europa. We wanted a truce.

In Fort Oasis, RID redesigned the cantina to double as a dojo for friendly dueling competitions. To put this newly redesigned cantina to use, RID invited citizens from across the galaxy to witness a spectacle in the form of a dueling tournament between a lineup of fierce warriors. RID members Cerex, Gesro, Phow-jin and Shaunik were among those who attended the tournament. Many individuals from other organizations were also in attendance, including Jaygoe Nova, who had since left SHC to join an up and coming Imperial organization known as Lasombra’s Wake, or WAKE for short. Even those loyal to the Rebellion quietly filled the cantina to view the tournament, including Budah Kwan, a Trandoshan member of the CATS, Feldo Feld of ASF, and Marker N’ildon of GALIB. Ordinarily, suspected members of the Rebel Alliance roaming about Fort Oasis would be persecuted with impunity, but events such as these were meant to serve as an opportunity to unite the galaxy together. During the course of the dueling tournament, a number of warriors fought each other within the confines of our cantina’s dojo. Standing atop an auto-loomed blue rug placed before the cantina’s stage, a skilled pikeman named Potin Eupeve of the Dim-Side organization engaged in a duel against a field surgeon named Blub-Blub. The two of them clashed, with Potin wielding a polearm in the form of a Wookiee heartlance, and Blub-Blub wielding a fiersome power hammer. Spectators gathered around the blue rug, giving Potin, Blub-Blub, and the other duelists the space they needed to battle one another effectively. I stood to the side, helping to ensure that the tournament went smoothly. However, I was also distracted by other matters.

During the course of the dueling tournament, I stepped aside to privately establish communications with Weifert Lionheart and Tip Terenson of the New Europa Network. It was my hope that we could officially agree to a truce, and persuade New Europa to withdraw Knoxikov from Fort Mirage. After establishing communications, I greeted both Weifert and Tip. Thankfully, it seemed to me that the two of them were acting diplomatically. I had high hopes that we could put emotion aside, and establish a worthwhile peace agreement between RID and Europa. After taking a moment to discuss our grievances, we finally established the wording for a legal pact that the three of us would swear to abide by. The peace agreement contained wording that promised to have “Knoxikov leave Fort Mirage.” The agreement also contained wording which promised that “Europa would no longer have anything to do with the community of Fort Mirage.” Likewise, the peace agreement also contained wording which forbade RID and its followers from engaging in hostile activities against New Europa, including any attempts to “take over their cities.” In an attempt to safeguard Fort Mirage, I was more than willing to agree to these terms. The three of us, including me, Weifert and Tip, repeated the words of this peace agreement, and each proclaimed to “hereby agree” to it. With that, we concluded our discussion, and I oversaw the conclusion of the dueling tournament in Fort Oasis.

However, it was naïve of me to believe that Weifert and his New Europa Network would ever agree to respect the terms of our contract. Mere days after agreeing to the conditions of our so-called “peace agreement,” Cerex and I confronted an individual who had sneaked into Fort Oasis’ city hall, and was accessing the computer terminal which contained records on the name’s of Fort Oasis’ citizens. The individual sleuthing through the information on Fort Oasis’ computer console was a man named LynxxClan LightStrider. Clearly, LynxxClan was a member of New Europa. He even shared the same surname with Oien LightStrider, so perhaps they were also related in some respect. As Cerex and I approached LynxxClan, he immediately turned towards us and began taunting us. I attempted to speak with LynxxClan diplomatically, but he only continued to make threats against RID and Fort Oasis. Finally, LynxxClan stepped outside the office room of Fort Oasis’ city hall to the main chamber where RID would host its many organizational meetings. He walked up the steps of the auditorium chamber to the platform containing a display dedicated to Emperor Palpatine. From the top of the platform, LynxxClan stared down in a vain attempt at intimidation. He put his hands on his hips and proclaimed, “Europa was the creator of RID.” This was of course a brazen lie. LynxxClan then stepped down from the platform of Fort Oasis’ auditorium chamber to the throne that I would sit in during our organizational meetings. He mockingly sat on the throne, and continued to look down on me whislt spouting diatribes against RID and Fort Oasis.

When the rest of RID was made aware of LynxxClan’s presence, a number of them stormed into the city hall to help control the situation. However, LynxxClan was unfazed as Gesro Hawk, Uliqq Croma, Xorg XIII, and at least two other loyal members of RID entered the city hall to confront him. I told the loyal RID members gathering around me to say “aye” if they were in favor of having LynxxClan immediately exit Fort Oasis’ city hall. Sure enough, all the RID members present said “aye.” Everyone agreed that Europa was overstepping their bounds, and that LynxxClan should immediately leave Fort Oasis. However, LynxxClan sarcastically rejected our vote to excise him from our city hall, and declared, “I’m here to give a message to all. And I am not leaving this building ‘till my job is done.” RID had already made their voices clear. The citizens of Fort Oasis did not want LynxxClan in our city hall. Seeing as how LynxxClan was not willing to respect our wishes, I told him, “That means you don’t like democracy.” LynxxClan chuckled at what he perceived to be my ironic statement. “You are a dictator,” he told me. Indeed, the Galactic Empire was no democracy, and I myself held unilateral control over RID. However, I still depended on the support of my followers. Coming to my defense, Gesro told LynxxClan, “If we chose, yes chose to live under a dictator, if he is one, then we will. It’s not your place to decide for us.”

It now seemed clear to LynxxClan that he could not turn RID against me. “Expect a Europa Embassy here tonight,” he threatened. For Europa, the word “embassy” was a euphemism for “garrison.” Not willing to show fear in the face of LynxxClan’s threat, I told him, “Bring your pathetic embassy here.” I stood atop the platform of Fort Oasis’ city hall, this time looking down at LynxxClan and my loyal entourage of RID members. I shouted, “Europa crumbled once, and it will crumble again!” LynxxClan retorted, “Europa crumbled because Vall took advantage… Europa was the power back then.” I then told him, “Europa was never a power. You can’t have power without support.” Uliqq was growing tired with LynxxClan’s persistence. “The people of RID have spoken. You need to leave or apologize,” Uliqq told him. “Apologize for what?” LynxxClan asked. “Your leaderless leader?” LynxxClan then went on to emphasize that Europa had the direct support of hundreds and hundreds of people, and control of ten cities. Finally, after saying everything he wanted to say, LynxxClan exhausted his purposes in Fort Oasis, and exited our city hall by his own volition.

However, this would not be the last of LynxxClan and his fellow cronies in the Europa Network. Soon, members of RID, including Gesro, were being offered bribes to turn against me and abandon RID. To make matters worse, LynxxClan, now with a complete list of names of Fort Oasis’ citizens, began sending propaganda messages which claimed RID was “evil” and must be fought against at all costs. It seemed abundantly clear to me that Europa was attempting not only weaken RID, but also enact a coup in which our control over Fort Oasis would be threatened. I urged RID and the citizens of Fort Oasis to ignore Europa’s lies. I emphasized not to transfer ownership of their domiciles to members of Europa, as doing so would allow Europa loyalists to become registered citizens of Fort Oasis, increasing the possibility of a hostile takeover. I informed RID to document all threats and bribe offers from Europa, and to even make attempts to extort credits from Europa by feigning interest in betraying RID. I viewed all of Europa’s recent actions as a violation of the truce Weifert, Tip and I agreed to not so long ago. In my eyes, Europa had reneged on their promises, and was now taking direct and aggressive actions against our members and our cities. The cold war with the New Europa Network had begun.

Wavelighter-X

Perturbed by Europa’s efforts to destabilize our control over Fort Oasis, we decided to enact covert actions to weaken their Network. As mentioned earlier, the New Europa Network was known to control at least three major cities on Lok, including Europa – Daventry City, Europa – Rogue’s Haven, and Europa’s capital, Europa – New Europa (which was soon renamed to Europa – Lokian Sun). Both Europa – Lokian Sun and Daventry City were unwaveringly loyal to the New Europa Network. However, Europa – Rogue’s Haven was different. Unlike the other two Europa cities on Lok, Rogue’s Haven merely joined the Network for the supposed economic and social benefits. The city was also largely loyal to the Galactic Empire. I believed it would be foolish to attempt any action against the cities of Europa – Lokian Sun or Daventry City, but if we could sway the citizens of Rogue’s Haven to our side, it could be enough to weaken the New Europa Network.

With this in mind, I decided to investigate the leadership of Europa – Rogue’s Haven. I discovered that their mayor was a human named Wavelighter-X, a leading official of COHR who also oversaw a militia including the likes of Treue Fey’hade and Ritter Adelskap. I decided to schedule a private meeting with this mayor, with the intention of persuading him to secede from the New Europa Network, and join our cause against them. I traveled to the city to meet with Wavelighter-X inside their city hall. After greeting one another, I urged Wavelighter-X that the contents of our meeting must remain top-secret. I did not want to risk Weifert or any other member of New Europa finding out about RID’s attempt to outright sabotage their Network. We wanted to undermine Europa, not antagonize them. If they learned of this meeting, it could prompt the Network to use Knoxikov to take over Fort Mirage. I did assure Wavelighter-X that even if he declined to join our cause, we would respect his decision and leave him be. Wavelighter-X agreed to these terms, and assured me that he would not divulge the details of our meeting with anyone else. He then asked me to explain my side of RID’s dispute against the New Europa Network. I started by telling Wavelighter-X the past history of Europa. I told him how Europa had participated in morally questionable acts, including doctoring an image of a political opponent, and ruthlessly launching hostile takeovers to gain control of Lok and other cities scattered throughout the rest of the galaxy. I urged him to join the anti-Europa movement before he and his citizens became taken advantage of by Weifert.

Unfortunately, Wavelighter-X seemed rather unfazed by my arguments. He told me he was already aware of Europa’s past history. He also assured me that Weifert had changed, and was no longer engaging in the corrupt practices witnessed under the Europa of old. I soundly rebuked this notion, emphasizing that Weifert and his newfound Network were still threatening us and our allies. Regardless of what I had to say, Wavelighter-X made his decision. He wished to have Rogue’s Haven remain under the purview of New Europa. Although I was disappointed with his decision, I respected it. With that, I gave my farewells and departed his city.

Lost Horizon

Later on, I received distressing news from Si’dhol. The small fortified village of Fort Mirage was being taken over by Europa! We immediately set out to investigate the situation. Although we often treated Si’dhol as the actual mayor of Fort Mirage, that distinction still belonged to Sajuuk, who held de jure power over Fort Mirage’s administrative actions. This meant he could manage the militia, grant zoning rights for the construction of private and public domiciles, and ban individuals from using public services, among other things. Sajuuk was already responsible for welcoming an agent of Europa named Knoxikov Vladimir into Fort Mirage. This act alone was already enough for us to view Sajuuk as a suspected insurrectionist. After all, he did have a past history as a supporter of the Rebel Alliance, and as a troublemaker within the ranks of the Mabari Eternal Knights. Nevertheless, it was until now that we were certain Sajuuk had betrayed RID and sold out Fort Mirage to New Europa. According to what we learned, Sajuuk agreed to appoint Knoxikov to Fort Mirage’s militia! This meant that Knoxikov would now have the power to grant zoning rights for construction, and even ban individuals such as myself from using Fort Mirage’s public services or entering their civic buildings. Indeed, that is exactly what happened. Soon enough, I found myself locked out from Fort Mirage’s city hall, as I was no longer legally allowed to do so. To make matters worse, Sajuuk apparently revoked Si’dhol’s militia powers. This prevented us from using Si’dhol to move in loyal RID citizens in an attempt to overthrow Sajuuk. In almost an instant, Fort Mirage was virtually under the complete control of a treasonous mayor and a corrupt member of the New Europa Network.

Soon enough, Sajuuk even conceded the mayoral election to Knoxikov, which would allow him even greater control over Fort Mirage. Si’dhol and I realized any further attempt to recover control over Fort Mirage would be futile. Even if we could muster votes against him, Knoxikov would soon have the ability to move in swaths of pro-Europa citizens to keep him in power. There was simply nothing that could be done. Nevertheless, in one final effort to regain control of Fort Mirage, we attempted to negotiate with Knoxikov. We asked him if he would concede the election in exchange for peace. He found our request to be amusing, and mentioned that he knew of the “games” we had been playing. Perplexed, I asked him to clarify. He then referred to my recent attempt to defect Wavelighter-X and the city of Rogue’s Haven to our side. I was shocked that Wavelighter-X had told Weifert about our meeting. Apparently Wavelighter-X had even held an organizational meeting with his citizens regarding their involvement with the Network. According to Wavelighter-X, after discussing in length with Weifert and Vall, it was determined that there was no physical evidence implicating New Europa with any wrongdoing. Wavelighter-X even told his people to report any attempts by RID or BS-IV to change their minds or bribe them. Clearly, Weifert had done a better job manipulating Wavelighter-X. RID never even made attempts to bribe anyone to our side. Regardless, it was pointless to feign innocence now. New Europa may have started the war against RID, but now they had proof that we were trying to undermine them. Peace was no longer an option.

In a last ditch attempt to impede New Europa’s efforts, I gave Si’dhol the authorization to relocate all loyal RID citizens of Fort Mirage to an undisclosed location on Lok. There, we could establish a new outpost, free from the influence of New Europa. We also hoped that moving loyal citizens out of Fort Mirage would lead to the eventual decay of the settlement. If we could not maintain control over Fort Mirage, then we sure were not going to let New Europa have it. However, as expected, New Europa wasted no time moving loyal citizens into Fort Mirage, meaning it would continue to remain standing. Nevertheless, Si’dhol succeeded in founding a new outpost on Lok named Fort Serenity. This time, Si’dhol would serve as the actual mayor, and because we kept the location of Fort Serinity secret, we were confident New Europa would not quickly learn of its location. Fort Serenity was nestled away in a remote part of Lok, just south of the Westerly region, and north of the planet’s Sulphur Hills.

Unfortunately, it did not take very long for New Europa to learn of Fort Serenity’s location. It is not clear how they learned of its location so quickly. Either they had a spy in RID divulge its location, or Fort Serenity was simply discovered through skilled scouting on behalf of Europa’s agents. Although the New Europa Network publicly spoke in support of the Galactic Empire, they conspired with the Rebel Alliance to construct two Rebel Forward Outposts on the western edge of Fort Serenity. One of these bases was armed with two turret defense systems. Inbetween the two Rebel installations, a small domicile was constructed, with a sign reading “Europa Embassy.” The Network also constructed “Europa Mining Refineries” around the limits of the outpost. A supporter of Europa named Preatorex was one of the individuals helping to surround the settlement. Should Fort Serenity ever expand its territorial holdings, the Rebel bases, mining refineries, and so-called “Europa Embassy” would also be included as part the settlement. Evidently, New Europa was setting their eyes on capturing Fort Serenity. Nowhere on Lok was safe.

Meanwhile, the election in Fort Mirage finally came to a close with Knoxikov assuming mayoral control. Fort Mirage, by then considered a township, was renamed to Rebirth Europa. However, New Europa neglected to look after the once prized RID fortress. Soon, Rebirth Europa decayed in size to that of a small village, and was renamed once again to Europa – Lost Horizon.

Rogue's Haven Goes Rogue

It almost seemed useless to continue the cold war against the New Europa Network. Our attempt to sway Wavelighter-X and Rogue’s Haven to our side backfired. All we had to show for it was the loss of Fort Mirage. Even the newfound Fort Serenity was under siege, surrounded by Europa military and industrial assets. While we weakened, New Europa appeared to be growing in strength. At one point I had even stumbled upon a New Europa conference in the cantina of Europa – Daventry City. Weifert and Tip addressed a crowd of Europa loyalists, including Jenaka Truefate, Micca Saitre and Roysh Builder of the Rori-based city, Europa – UnderGround. Also in attendance was Emoc Hatebringer of EIV, Fivedeadly Venoms of -BSE-, and a geneticist named Endoric Briggs.

Although the sight of many Europa loyalists was demorilizing, we did not give up our struggle against New Europa. It was not as though they had stopped targeting us. We would need to continue fighting back, lest we risk the integrity of our additional footholds, including Fort Oasis, Fort Ironwolf and Fort Serenity. Around this time, we also acquired control over two additional properties, including a small, village-sized settlement on Talus named Fort Talanel, and another settlement named Nal’Shaadar governed by RID member Dak’Won Jasp. The historical details regarding these two RID settlements are scarce, but we undoubtedly feared that New Europa would target these two footholds as well. Following the conference in Daventry City, I privately reached out to Jenaka of Europa – Underground in attempt to persuade her and her people to abandon the Network. Jenaka was receptive to my pleas to leave New Europa. She claimed she was not very close to the Network, and that she would speak to the other leaders of UnderGround regarding the possibility of leaving. She was aware that the New Europa Network was gaining a bad reputation throughout the galaxy, and she claimed she did not want UnderGround to suffer because of that. However, I was not certain if Jenaka was being truly genuine, or she was merely offering empty lip service.

Meanwhile, Wavelighter-X was becoming increasingly alarmed at the growing outcry against New Europa. On the galactic HoloNet, more and more citizens of the galaxy were making their displeasure with New Europa known. People were pledging to boycott Europa shops, and to forbid Europa loyalists from entering their own cities. The galaxy was uniting against all those affiliated with New Europa, even those who were not closely loyal to Weifert. There were many, like Vall did with me, who encouraged Wavelighter-X to abandon the Network. They assured him that he and Rogue’s Haven would have the galaxy’s support. Although I had already attempted to sway Wavelighter-X to our side, and was perturbed by the fact that he had betrayed my trust, I still sensed he was conflicted. When it came down to it, Wavelighter-X was loyal first and foremost to the people of COHR and the citizens of Rogue’s Haven. If the disadvantages of being a part of New Europa outweighed the benefits, he would surely secede. However, it seemed as though Wavelighter-X feared retribution from Weifert and New Europa should they abandon the Network. I decided to assure Wavelighter-X that we felt the same way, but that leaving New Europa was simply the right thing to do.

Wavelighter-X thought about what I and many others had to say. He recognized it was not politically opportune of him to affiliate with the glaringly unpopular Weifert. Growing weary of all the anti-Europa sentiment, Wavelighter-X declared COHR’s withdrawal from the New Europa Network. Europa – Rogue’s Haven dropped the Europa banner, and returned to its original name of Rogue’s Haven. However, Wavelighter-X and the rest of his people simply desired neutrality with New Europa. This meant that they would neither support nor attack New Europa. A great many people applauded Wavelighter-X’s leadership decision, including myself. However, it was naïve of them to believe that New Europa would let them leave the Network so easily. In exactly the same manner as with us, members of New Europa launched a campaign to sway Wavelighter-X and his citizens. The Network began offering bribes to the residents of Rogue’s Haven, and also sent out propaganda messages espousing the virtues of New Europa, and calling RID “evil” and calling me a “madman” and a “destroyer of cities” who could not be trusted. However, these desperate attempts to sway the citizens of Rogue’s Haven back to New Europa’s side fell on deaf ears. Weifert attempted to downplay Rogue’s Haven’s secession from New Europa, emphasiszing that he and Wavelighter-X were still close friends, and that they were in talks about having Rogue’s Haven officially rejoin the Network. According to Weifert, Rogue’s Haven was still considered a subsidiary of New Europa, even if they did not carry the Europa banner. Personally, I believed Weifert to be delusional. Although he continued to claim that Wavelighter-X was a “friend,” and that Rogue’s Haven was still a part of New Europa, this was simply not the case. Soon enough, Wavelighter-X and his people were targeted as outright enemies of the Network. Threats were sent to to the people of Rogue’s Haven, and Europa bounty hunters were unleashed to incite chaos throughout their streets.

Clearly, Wavelighter-X, COHR, and the people of Rogue’s Haven could not remain neutral in the face of this retribution by New Europa. Wavelighter-X decided to work with me in more closely opposing New Europa. To this end, I provided Wavelighter-X with hard evidence revealing the aggressive nature of Weifert and New Europa. This included images, meeting logs, and other accounts which shed New Europa in a bad light. Wavelighter-X took all this evidence, including his own and other’s, and formed a universal anti-Europa collection of evidence, released publicly so as to garner further opposition against New Europa. Wavelighter-X declared that his people were now in full scale ware against the New Europa Network. Our goal had been accomplished. We had succeeded in swaying a Europa city to become our ally. It was a striking blow that would lead to the inevitable collapse of New Europa… or so we would hope.

Infiltration of Fort Oasis

One of our newer members, a seemingly humble Rodian by the name of Kumatay Yunagrgh, requested ownership of a domicile in Fort Oasis. Given the fact that New Europa was actively attempting to infiltrate Fort Oasis and our other settlements, I was very hesitant to indulge in Kumatay’s request. We were on high alert, and could not be sure that new individuals attempting to gain citizenship in our cities were not spies sent by New Europa. Still, it was necessary for us to welome newcomers to Fort Oasis, both to strengthen our metropolis and to expand our tax base. I decided to entertain Kumatay’s request to become a citizen of Fort Oasis, but only if I could be fairly sure he was not a spy for New Europa. I asked him if he was familiar with RID’s cold war against New Europa, but Kumatay was confused. Apparently, he did not know what “Europa” was, and was unaware of any struggle against them. I found this to be highly suspect. I told Kumatay we would not grant him citizenship in Fort Oasis until the state of emergency with New Europa came to an end. As a compromise, I did refer him to Dak’Won, so that he could possibly become a citizen of Nal’Shaadar.

However, Kumatay was not interested in this. He assured me was a loyal member of RID who had already been a citizen in Fort Ironwolf. Still, I was not willing to risk letting Kumatay become a declared resident of Fort Oasis. We were concerned of a possible plan by New Europa to rig an election in Fort Oasis through the use of an unresolved loophole in the electoral system. I told Kumatay to familiarize himself with RID’s struggle against New Europa, and to approach me again when the conflict comes to an end. Finally, Kumatay decided to come clean, and said he had a secret he wanted to tell me. I assured Kumatay, that as his leader, he could trust me with anything. Kumatay then revealed that Weifert approached him with a mission to infiltrate Fort Oasis. Kumatay also claimed that there were already nine other spies in Fort Oasis working for Europa. Kumatay suggested that he could work as a double agent, pretending to work for Weifert while actually remaining loyal to me. Kumatay also claimed that Weifert was offering bribes, including possessions such as a full suit of combat armor. I immediately asked Kumatay for the names of the other nine spies. He told me he did not know the names, but that he would try to get them for me. However, Kumatay said that he would need to ask Weifert for the names of the other spies, and that the only way he would divulge that information is if he gained Weifert’s trust. Kumatay said that if I allowed him to become a citizen in Fort Oasis, Weifert would trust him, and reveal further information about the plot against me.

Kumatay offered to meet with me in person. I told him to meet with me in the Fort Oasis cantina. At that moment, I was already engaging in idle chitchat with Ty’e X’lor. Although he was on the verge of retirement, I asked Ty’e if he’d be interested in a “nice little interrogation, for old time’s sake.” I explained to Ty’e that Kumatay was on his way to the Fort Oasis cantina to discuss his involvement in a plot to infiltrate Fort Oasis. Ty’e agreed to accompany me to the Fort Oasis cantina to meet with him. Together, I believed we could question Kumatay, and uncover the full nature of New Europa’s plot against Fort Oasis. Ty’e, Kumatay, and I nestled into one of the booths of the Fort Oasis cantina, and got down to business. “Okay, let’s discuss,” I began. “So Kumatay, Weifert asked you to become a citizen of Fort Oasis?” Kumatay simply replied, “Yes.” I continued, “Eventually, you got second thoughts and told me.” Kumatay then said, “I did.” I appreciated Kumatay’s forthrightness. “Before we say more, I want to thank you greatly for your loyalty,” I said. “Yes, thank you,” Ty’e added. Kumatay simply said, “You’re welcome.” I then introduced Kumatay to Ty’e. I explained that Ty’e was a former combat commander, who despite retiring soon, would help me reach a decision on what to do next. I explained to Ty’e that Weifert wanted Kumatay to become a registered citizen of Fort Oasis. I then asked Ty’e if he felt it would be wise let Kumatay become a citizen, in order for him to gain New Europa’s trust. Aside, Ty’e privately told me that Kumatay should be allowed to become a citizen. However, he quickly backtracked and said, “I think it’s suspicious.” Ty’e asked me why Kumatay would come clean about his involvement with New Europa, only after I had denied him the right to become a citizen of Fort Oasis. How come Kumatay did not reveal to me his involvement in the plot right away? Ty’e believed that the whole story about Kumatay working as a “double agent” was simply a desperate last ditch effort to convince me to change my mind. Ty’e made a very good point. Still, I operated under the belief that Kumatay could be used to our advantage. He seemed to be a very simpleminded, easily manipulated individual. Ty’e and I doubled down on Kumatay, forcibly telling him to work with us and uncover details about Weifert and his plot against us. However, Kumatay seemed to become increasingly agitated by our attempts to have him work against Weifert. Resignedly, Kumatay said, “Maybe you should let him win… his rule can’t be that bad.” Ty’e and I were speechless. “What are you saying?” I asked. “He’s a spy!” Ty’e exclaimed. I told Kumatay Fort Oasis was a RID city, not a Europa city, and that too much work has been spent keeping it that way. “I don’t know what to believe,” Kumatay said, with a hint of despair. It was clear to me that Kumatay was not a quality RID member. However, I was not so quick to think of him as a malicious spy working against us. I saw him as a conflicted fool easily swayed by bribes and false promises. For whatever reason, I still felt we could use Kumatay in our struggle against New Europa.

Although I was on the verge of outright denying Kumatay’s request to become a citizen of Fort Oasis, I had a sudden change of heart. I granted Kumatay the zoning rights to construct a domicile in Fort Oasis. Upon the completion of his home, he registered himself as an official citizen of Fort Oasis. In retrospect, this was an inexplicably irrational decision on my part. Kumatay was not an easily manipulated fool who could be used to our benefit; he was in fact a loyal agent of the New Europa Network. After become a declared resident of Fort Oasis, Kumatay met with another one of Weifert’s loyal underlings, a man named Kaelzstrom Hellraiser. Kumatay then transferred the ownership of his domicile to Kaelezstrom, allowing him to register as a legitimate citizen of Fort Oasis! Our worst nightmare had been realized – our capital city of Fort Oasis had been infiltrated by the New Europa Network. With a loyal Europa member holding citizenship in Fort Oasis, prospects appeared grim. There were still the rumors of New Europa rigging an upcoming election through the use of a possible loophole.

I never saw Kumatay again, but he was immediately discharged from RID for treason, without trial. However, before news could spread to the rest of RID about his treasonous act, he registered as an official citizen of Fort Ironwolf (whether he had already been living there before, is unclear). He then proceeded to enter the mayoral election against Erich’ Rhul. Fortunately, Erich’ was slated to win the election by a landslide. There was only one vote in favor of Kumatay, which was his very own. Fort Ironwolf would remain secure for the most part, as Erich’ had wide support from his citizens and his fellow militia, including such individuals as Chardath Windriver, Rapture Antross and Cerex Hendrix. Unfortunately, Cerex made the decision to leave RID, due to relentless harassment from New Europa.

Europa Emboldened

Weifert was emboldened. One day he cheerfully invited me to meet with him in the city hall of Europa – Lokian Sun. I was reluctant to meet with him, but I was deeply demoralized about the recent developments in Fort Oasis. I agreed to travel with him to Lokian Sun, if only to attempt in vain to urge him and New Europa to leave to Fort Oasis. When we arrived to Lokian Sun, Weifert beckoned me into his office. As I looked around, I could see that Lokian Sun had expanded in size. It was once only a modest sized township, but had since grown to become a respectably sized city. Inside the city hall, Weifert took a seat behind his desk. I was forced stand before him, as there was no chair in front of the desk. “I’d give you a chair, but I am redoing the entire city,” Weifert told me. Growing impatient with Weifert, I asked why he brought me to Lokian Sun. “So, what is it that you need?” I asked. “Not what I need. What you need. This is your final stand. Tell me what you need.” Obviously, Weifert felt as though he was in a position of power over me. He recognized that I was afraid to lose control of Fort Oasis. “Don’t mean to come off as rude, but I was wondering if we could come off non-vague today,” I told Weifert. “What I need for you, and all your Europa sympathizers, is to please leave Fort Oasis, and let there be peace once and for all.” Weifert was amused. “So… you admit to being beaten?” he asked. I was not willing to indulge Weifert by admitting defeat. Weifert then told me he was not looking for the chaos to end. RID was merely the first of many victims in his eyes. He told me once RID collapsed, he would set his eyes towards the other organizations which interfered with New Europa’s vision.

Weifert then continued to bemoan how I and RID had “backstabbed” him. He then threatened that if Fort Oasis refused to carry the Europa banner, I would lose my control over the city. I was growing tired of Weifert’s threats, and stepped outside his office into the main antechamber of the Lokian Sun city hall. The city hall was not unlike Fort Oasis’ in many respects. There were rows and rows of seats positioned before three seats intended for the leading officials of Europa. Like the city hall in Fort Oasis, this one was also used to host large organizational meetings. Weifert stepped outside his office to join me. “These chairs were actually filled yesterday,” he told me. “Some even standing up. Do you know why so many sat here?” he asked. “No,” I curtly told him. “Because, -D S-, IRON, EIV, UG, -BSE- may become one super power. All thanks to you and Vall,” Weifert gleefully declared. I simply chuckled, and said, “This how you thank us?” “Well, yes,” Weifert answerd. I looked towards the middle of the three leadership chairs positioned in the city hall. I remembered how LynxxClan, one of Weifert’s lackeys, had mocked me and RID by barging into the Fort Oasis city hall and sitting on my throne. In a show of defiance, I took a seat in the middle of Lokian Sun’s three leadership chairs. “Well, I’m honored,” I said after seating myself. “That chair you are sitting on is a chair for leaders,” Weifert said. “Much responsibility must be kept to sit in that chair,” he continued. I smiled at him, and as I stood up to begin walking out of the city hall, I told Weifert, “I assure you, as far as leaders go, you’re the worst. Nice day, Weifert.” However, Weifert was not done with me. As I began strolling towards the front entrance of the city hall, he said, “Walk back, please.” “Why?” I asked? “So I can listen to your lectures?”

Weifert exited the city hall to join me outside. I looked towards one of Lokian Sun’s monuments inscribed with the words, “Power of Europa.” I uttered the words to myself. “That’s correct,” Weifert said. “Anyone who follows you is weak,” I said. “Anyone who’s fit to lead the weak, is weak themselves.” Weifert turned to me and asked, “So… -D S- is weak? IRON is weak?” I answered him, “You seem to think that because they can fire a blaster towards someone’s head, that qualifies as strong. What about friendship? What about integrity? Those don’t matter to you or Europa. That is why you are not a leader. That is why you’ve failed.” Weifert chuckled at my remarks. “Although you may not know it now,” I told him, “you will in time.” Weifert still needed the last word. “My friend,” he began, “-D S- and IRON are allies. We are united. We are all friends. Say all you want, you are wrong. You have failed. And now, Fort Oasis has too. You just ensured your own demise.”

Europa Crumbling

I left Europa – Lokian Sun to return to Tatooine and oversee the security of Fort Oasis. After all, Kaelzstrom was still nestled within our fortress as a legally recognized citizen. He wasted no time inciting turmoil. He started by accusing RID for attempting to infiltrate EIV through an Imperial friend of ours named Jon’. “It’s not nice to to have your pet troop Jon’ try and infiltrate Europa guilds… you have just retarted the war,” Kaelzstrom threatened. He then registered for election against me, the first time anyone had been recorded to do so since Fort Oasis’ founding. I urged all of Fort Oasis’ citizens to vote, and emphasized that a victory for Kaelzstrom would result in the outright destruction of our prized fortress. Fortunately, I was in a considerable lead for votes, but the possibility of a rigged election kept us on our toes. We theorized about a possible loophole in which multiple members of Europa could falsify citizenship in Fort Oasis, and therefore vote against me. We firmly believed that New Europa had tricks up their sleeves which could pose a serious and real risk to our capital. Nevertheless, prospects seemed hopeful. Even our Imperial allies were willing to mobilize personnel into Fort Oasis to monitor the election and ensure a fair continuation of power.

However, I was later contacted by a member of EIV named Hellfire’. According to Hellfire’, he wished to incite a coup within EIV, and take control of their capital. He asked for my help in achieving this. At the time, I strongly suspected Hellfire’ was working as an agent provocateur. I did not want to fall into the trap of providing New Europa more ammunition to impugn RID. I called off Jon’s initiative to infiltrate EIV, and downplayed any of his involvement with RID. I told Hellfire’ that we could not help him, and that RID was no longer interested in conspiring against New Europa. However, I did wish him luck in his attempt to overthrow the leaders of EIV.

Although I suspected Hellfire’ of being a loyal agent of Europa, I could not help but wonder if he was actually being genuine in his desire to overthrow the leaders of the Network. Indeed, there were alleged reports of many ordinary rank and file Europa members speaking out against Weifert and his aggressive, undiplomatic approach. Indeed, quickly after registering for election against me, Kaelzstrom sent me a cryptic message, “You win this round,” and withdrew from the election. At the time, RID believed this was yet another ruse. We remained on high alert, and even proposed “Plan-Z,” which would involve razing Fort Oasis to the ground, and rebuilding it at a later date. This plan would only be executed as a last resort, if it became clear to us that Fort Oasis would fall into New Europa’s hands. Fortunately, such drastic measures would never be necessary. It turned our Kaelzstrom had truly abandoned his efforts to overthrow my control over Fort Oasis. Reports began to emerge that authorities had actually convicted Weifert and his associates for their part in disturbing the galactic peace, and were suitably reprimanded. Whether these reports were genuine, is impossible to say, but the leaders and other Europa loyalists, including Weifert, Knoxikov, LynnxClan and Kaelzstrom all went into hiding, and vanished from the public eye. In almost an instant, most of New Europa’s leaders were nowhere to be found.

It is no surprise that the mysterious disappearance of New Europa’s leaders led to the quick collapse of the Network. The loosely affiliated Europa members who were not unwaveringly loyal to Weifert simply abandoned the Network. This included the city of UnderGround on Rori, which dropped the Europa banner and any pretenses of being a part of the Network. The de facto Europa guild of EIV lingered on, but eventually fell in the weeks to come. Perhaps Hellfire’ had succeeded in launching his coup against them. Europa – Lokian Sun, the capital of the New Europa Network, quickly collapsed. Europa – Daventry City continued to stand, but only as a mere shadow of the once large and thriving Network. Europa – Lost Horizon, formerly Fort Mirage, continued standing. I one day visited the derelect settlement, looking upon it from a nearby hill. I was saddened by what it had turned into. I believed it would only be a matter of time before it too faded away into the dusts of Lok. However, this did not matter anymore. Europa had fallen. There was peace!

A New Galaxy

I took a moment to formally announce the fall of New Europa, and urged all of RID to take a moment to celebrate. Finally, RID could regroup and refocus on their true ambitions – defeating the Rebel Alliance in the Galactic Civil War. However, much rebuilding needed to be done. Fort Serenity was still surrounded by derelict Europa structures, and many of our other properties were in a state of stagnation or decay, due to the fact that we had turned away many fresh newcomers out of fear of them being Europa spies. For instance, Fort Ironwolf was still a fledgling outpost which struggled to expand. After speaking with Si’dhol, we considered simply abandoning the beleaguered Fort Serenity of Lok, and moving its citizens to Tatooine to help Fort Ironwolf expand. Meanwhile, Dak’Won Jasp went missing, resulting in the decline of the settlement of Nal’Shaadar. The lesser known village of Fort Talanel on Talus continued to stand. Because of its stability, we looked to it as a prime candidate for expansion. However, due to a lack of records, it is not clear who managed the fortress. In any case, New Europa did not only negatively impact RID’s finances and territorial holdings. They also negatively impacted our morale. A number of RID members, including Cerex, were greatly demoralized by the actions of Weifert and his malicious Network of followers. Cerex had already left RID because of all the turmoil. Fortunately, following my announcement that New Europa had collapsed, Cerex reinlisted with RID and rejoined us in our struggle against the Rebellion.

Indeed, RID wasted no time getting back into the fray of the battlefield. On Rori, RID members, including myself and Kuiloo, fought alongside our Imperial allies on an attack on at least one Rebel installation. Later on, I, Cerex, Chardath, Azalin and at least one other RID member were joined by their allies in SHBF for further attacks on Rebel bases on our homeworld of Tatooine. According to Cerex’s battle report, Grutch and his loyal soldiers in SHBF assisted us in the destruction of more than ten Rebel installations throughout the course of that day. Due in part to this combat initiative, Imperial control over Tatooine was wrested back from Rebel forces. Indeed, many other worlds of the galaxy, including Corellia, Talus, Naboo, Rori, Dantooine and Lok were all brought under the strong influence of the Galactic Empire, at least for a time. The Galactic Civil War was growing in intensity, and control over worlds was become more tenuous than ever before. In fact, despite the Empire’s recent successes, the loss of TIO and the chaos unleashed by New Europa all led to the fragmentation of the once mighty Imperial Network. Even Bishen was no longer anywhere to be found, and SHBF – the last surviving remnant of TIO – was wavering. There were few Imperial organizations left to carry on the memory of the Imperial Network. Instead, a new batch of Imperial organizations was rising to glory, while many of the mighty Imperial organizations of old were slowly slinking into obscurity. A new Imperial Network would need to be built from ground up, in order to unite this new generation of Imperial organizations together.

For now, RID took the time to focus on itself. To strengthen our resolve and combat readiness, RID launched a series of hunting excursions, including those against the fierce creatures on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, and against the krayt dragons of the planet Tatooine. Furthermore, to commemorate RID’s upcoming second anniversary, we hosted a celebratory event in Fort Oasis’ cantina. During the festivities, we took the time to prepare work on a recruitment video which we hoped would entice a new batch of Imperials to join our ranks. The recruitment video featured a number of RID members, including Erich’, Kuiloo, Klivyn and Krelo. The video, and other new initiatives, succeeded in attracting new Imperials to our ranks. Even Zetagala Skylos had reemerged from retirement briefly to rejoin RID and reacquaint himself with the new faces of RID. As you may recall, Zetagala was one of our earliest members, and was influential during the early months of RID’s existence.

The galaxy had changed significantly since RID’s last anniversary. Still, despite everything that had happened, RID stood strong. We looked to the future, ready to take on new challenges, and rebuild from the ashes of our recent conflicts. We would reunify the Empire, and assist in their quest for galactic domination!

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR THREE

Battle at the Imperial Oasis

As time went by, RID continued to recruit new members, including a well-known Imperial named Issele. She was once a member of TIO, before having joined SHBF during their internal conflict. She ultimately decided to leave SHBF and join RID to aid in our endeavors. In the meantime, RID was concerned with having to capture three Rebels and a lightsaber wielding Force sensitive in Mos Eisley. Erich' was instructed to form a group of mercenaries to search and capture the four enemies. They did so quickly, moving the prisoners to the Imperial Oasis. Upon news of their capture, it was confirmed that a Rebel army would be en route to the Imperial Oasis, with the intention of saving the captives. A large force of Imperials was brought to the Imperial Oasis to aid in defending the oasis from the Rebel invasion. Our primary objective was to ensure that our captives did not fall into enemy hands. To assist us that day was the infamous bounty hunter, an assassin droid named IG-88.

While the Imperials prepared themselves, the Rebels did the same, assembling in the nearby Jawa Mountain Fortress, just to the south. After a considerable amount of time securing the perimeter, we received confirmation that the Rebels were initiating their attack plan. In minutes, we saw the massive Rebel force march over the rocky terrain of the Mospic High Range, and race down the steep mountainside directly towards us! As soon as they came within range, a massive fire fight erupted. Fortunately, the Imperial forces managed to suppress the first wave of Rebels, but not without considerable losses on our side. Now a final wave of Rebels were coming in, once again from the south. This time the Empire feared certain defeat, as the Rebels had inflicted significant damage to our forces in the first conflict. When the Rebels once again came within range, another battle erupted. Though not as massive in scale compared to the previous battle, this firefight was nearly just as violent. The Rebels continued to push us into the small confines of the Imperial Oasis, forcing many Imperials into the bunkers within the outpost. It was only a matter of time before the entire facility was surrounded, and the Imperials were silenced.

The Rebels had succeeded in freeing their prisoners, and brought them back to the Jawa Mountain Fortress. The few Imperials that remained regrouped in Fort Oasis, as our final line of resistance. In a desperate attempt to recapture, or even kill the prisoners, what was left of the Imperial forces assembled on a mountain ridge overlooking the Jawa Fortress. The dozens of Imperial soldiers that protected the Imperial Oasis were now reduced to a mere eight. Despite this, we charged down the mountain fearlessly, attacking the large amount of Rebels that had regrouped there. It was no use however, as within a matter of seconds, our small group was quickly defeated. The Empire was confident that they were going to be victorious that night. We would have sent the prisoners to The Honored Maidens for trial and execution. Instead, the Empire had been defeated. To add to damage, Issele ended up being captured by the Rebels, and imprisoned in the city of Revanence on Lok. This city was managed by the Rebel organization known as The Reverent Guard of Alderaan, or TRGA for short. The city was heavily guarded, making it highly dangerous for any wandering Imperials. For the moment, Issele would have to remain imprisoned in the city until a proper rescue team could be formed.

Freeing Issele

After days of planning, a small task force was formed. This force comprised of a few RIDs, as well as Stormtroopers from another Imperial organization. Our task force cautiously entered the city of Revanence. The streets were eerily quiet, with no Rebels in sight. Our squad was ordered to fan out, and search the entire city. It did not take long before Issele was spotted on the balcony of one of TRGA's structures. Our squad regrouped and filed into the building. Just as we were about to rush upstairs to free Issele, a group of Rebels rushed out of nowhere and surrounded the prison facility. A trap we thought! We were vastly outnumbered, and faced certain defeat. Yet we could not just stand there. Our troops began firing on the Rebels while we freed Issele. We rushed outside the building in an attempt to escape with Issele, but it was no use. Our squad was being picked off one by one by the larger Rebel force. Then, mysteriously, we saw a group of Rancor creatures rushing towards our location and attack the Rebels! The Rebels re-focused their fire on the creatures, providing us with a long enough diversion to allow for Issele's escape. As soon as the creatures were brought down, the battle between the Rebels and Imperials continued. We were being killed off, and had no choice but to retreat from the city. Though much of our task force was killed, it was a mission accomplished. Issele had been rescued.

Expanding Our Influence

Meanwhile, on the desolate planet of Lok, another RID foothold had been acquired. Leviathen, our loyal Trandoshan RID member, gained control of a small outpost and named it Fort Leviathen. The small outpost grew quickly, and become a widely recognized RID city. Also, on Talus, another city named Fort Talanel was established. Unfortunately, it remained rather small, never rising above village status. Elsewhere on Talus, the mayor of Sparks Hold was contacted. He became interested in linking relations with other RID cities, so that we could join forces against the Rebellion. The city was renamed to Fort Sparks Hold, and continued to be managed by the StarHawk Conglomerate, or SHC for short.

After a short time passed, the mayor of Familia Urbanis on Lok expressed interest in becoming a member of RID and declaring Familia Urbanis a RID city. We agreed to his proposal, and welcomed him to RID. Soon thereafter, he renamed the city to Fort Familia. With the help of RID, Fort Familia gained enough citizens to qualify for the construction of its own shuttleport!

Farpoint Duo

Meanwhile, my cousin Hel'mut Yovel was welcome to RID and appointed as "warlord." He expressed interest in founding a third Farpoint city, near the two already established ones named Farpoint City and Farpoint Valley. This new city would be named Fort Farpoint Naween, and would play an integral role between the two other Farpoint settlements. However, after contacting several Farpoint officials, including the mayor of both Farpoint cities, whom were named Clarissa and Koth' Shra, it was decided that such an action would not be advisable. Clarissa, who was the mayor of Farpoint Valley, felt that improving the two now crumbling Farpoint cities would be a better solution.

Indeed, I was surprised to hear that both Farpoint cities were in a state of disrepair. Ever since I had moderated the election campaign between Sidious and Jacobias, much had happened between the two sister cities. For one, Sidious, the former mayor of Farpoint City, eventually pulled out of office and handed mayorship to Koth' Shra. Koth' was the head of the Farpont City police force, and was apparently viewed as the next best possible candidate. Unfortunately, Koth' was widely unpopular amongst citizens of both Farpoint cities. Ever since being appointed mayor, both cities gradually crumbled. Citizens left the cities to move elsewhere, leaving the sister cities in a state of economic despair. In light of this news, Hel'mut contacted Clarissa, inquiring if she might be interested in having a city alliance with RID, so that perhaps we could assist her people. Clarissa agreed, but she once against stressed that Farpoint Valley was in a large amount of disrepair. She admitted that the Farpoint cities were never the same since the “Sidious days,” and that not much could be done to help them. As the conversation continued, Clarissa offered Hel'mut the option to run Farpoint Valley as mayor. Hel'mut accepted this opportunity, and assured Clarissa that he would benefit the city for the good of the citizens. Hel'mut became a registered citizen of Farpoint Valley and signed up for the election. Clarissa then publicly announced her resignation from office. By now, Hel'mut already had a large number of votes and no opponent to resist him. It would simply be a matter of waiting until the election was over.

Second Try with MEK

Many months had passed since RID had last dealt with MEK. That changed when Jal'hadon, head of the Imperial party of MEK, contacted me. He expressed his interest in forging an alliance between RID and MEK. Even though MEK was unique in that it had members loyal to the Rebellion, I saw value in a potential alliance between RID and their Imperial members. Perhaps this would pave the way to a fully Imperialized MEK, I thought.

To discuss the terms of the alliance, I flew to their capital city on Dantooine, simply named Capitus Meks. Inside their meeting room, I met with Cannar, Jal'hadon, and another MEK official. Essentially, they were mentioning how an alliance between RID and the MEK Imperial party would be beneficial in the fight against the Rebellion. By joining forces, we would have better access to the resources and personnel needed to carry out certain tasks. I was hopeful that such a pact between the two of us would work. I informed the three MEK representatives that RID would be pleased to work alongside their Imperial soldiers. During our meeting, MEK also mentioned their current distaste with the Farpoint cities on Tatooine. They were pleased to learn that Hel'mut was now running for election to change things there. After several minutes of casual conversation, the meeting was adjourned. As I left the capital, I felt that the new agreement between our organizations could usher a brighter future for the Empire.

Tensions with TRGA

TRGA, and their joint organization of TRGAX, were starting to become more threatening to the Empire. The prospect of waging war against them seemed more and more attractive each day. By defeating them in battle, RID would not only earn a greater name for themselves, but we would also weaken the Rebellion considerably. Issele, who now held a high position in RID, agreed that a war against TRGA would be beneficial.

In order to discuss the war with our members, we called RID to assemble in the Fort Oasis city hall. Once assembled, we conferred about the rules of engagement, as well as the strategies we would employ in combat. After deliberating for several minutes, we settled on an agreement. We would officially wage war against TRGA in several weeks from that day. In the meantime, we would start equipping our members adequately for the upcoming war.

Technical Difficulties in Farpoint Valley

Hel'mut continued to lead in the polls in Farpoint Valley. By that time, it seemed necessary to start strengthening a relationship with the sister city of Farpoint City. I contacted Koth', the mayor of the city, on behalf of Hel'mut. I informed him that Clarissa was to resign from office, and that it was agreed Hel'mut would take over as mayor. I expected him to be pleased to establish a stronger relationship between the two cities, but much to my dismay, Koth' was taken aback. He had no idea Clarissa made the decision to resign from office. I was puzzled as to how he did not learn of this news already, seeing as how two cities were supposedly closely tied sister cities. Koth' was rather upset at the fact that someone he did not know very well was taking over his supposed “subsidiary city.” According to him, the two Farpoint cities were essentially one and the same, and were under the jurisdiction of the Black Sun organization. He then went on to say that it would be more suitable of a closer associate of his took office instead. He felt that Clarissa would much rather approve of that instead. Once he suggested this, I simply ended the conversation and backed away. I most certainly was not expecting our meeting to end this way.

When I got a chance, I contacted Clarissa, and explained the conversation I had with Koth'. She apologized for the misunderstanding and cleared up some information. She pointed out that the two Farpoint cities have never been remotely tied since the days Sidious was in office. She also claimed that Koth' rarely made an effort to establish any kind of relationship between the two cities. Clarissa, in fact, held little respect for Koth' at all. I felt comforted that Hel'mut still had the support of Clarissa, and was continuing to gain votes in the polls. Yet we soon faced a problem. An opponent registered for election against Hel'mut. His name was Mul-bi, an agent dispatched by Koth'. Desperate for votes, associates of Mul-bi and Koth' were pulled out of the crumbling Farpoint City, to vote for Mul-bi in Farpoint Valley. Realizing that his opponent was truly threatening, Hel'mut had Clarissa relay a message to all the citizens of Farpoint Valley. The message insisted that Mul-bi would do nothing to improve city affairs, and that Hel'mut had both the expertise and will to change the city for the better. While Hel'mut continued to garner additional support, so did Mul-bi. The numbers in the polls were coming closer and closer together. Still realizing that further action was necessary, Hel'mut asked Clarissa if he could become an official city militiaman. Clarissa approved his request, and granted Hel'mut militia powers. With these powers, he was now able to grant zoning rights to prospective citizens. Mul-bi, however, was also a militiaman. This made the situation much more troublesome, as he himself could mobilize supporters into the city to vote in his favor. Hel'mut launched an enrollment promotion in Mos Eisley, welcoming loyal Imperial citizens into the city of Farpoint Valley. With the growing population of Imperial citizens, votes continued to grow in favor of Hel'mut. After several days, the election finally came to end. The victor was finally declared as Mayor Hel'mut Yovel of the Regal Imperial Defenders!

Fort Farpoint Valley

As soon as he was elected, Hel'mut immediately executed change in Farpoint Valley. The metropolis was renamed to Fort Farpoint Valley, and announced its intentions to become yet another Imperial stronghold on Tatooine. Taxes were dropped indefinitely to thank the citizens of Fort Farpoint Valley. All traces of the Rebellion were swept away, and a celebration was planned for later that night. Imperial flags were planted, and Imperial Stormtrooper's and RID members arrived to parade through the streets of the city and celebrate the Imperialization and growing economic future of the city. Fortunately, it was a relatively non-violent victory for the Empire. Statues and other monuments were raised in honor of the Empire and the Regal Imperial Defenders. Fort Farpoint Valley and its new administration also vowed to attack Aurora Dou, a known Rebel terrorist stronghold on Tatooine. Mul-bi, the Rebels, and other political opponents fled to reside in the sister city of Farpoint City.

When Koth' learned that Mul-bi lost the election, he became very upset. Koth' decided to resign from office in Farpoint City out of frustration. Mul-bi registered for election in Farpoint City to take his place. While there was some controversy concerning our new administration, the galaxy welcome the Regal Imperial Defenders for the most part. Citizens of the Farpoint cities accepted that change was necessary, as both cities were in a severe state of disrepair. With Koth' now out of the picture, Fort Farpoint Valley also attempted to salvage a healthy relationship with the sister city. Mul-bi was actually quite a reasonable individual. It just seemed as though he was used as a puppet by Koth' to ensure that the Black Sun organization continued to control Farpoint Valley.

The CORE

In order to promote the unified organization between all Imperial associations, Issele, myself, and several other Imperial leaders formed a network called the CORE. The CORE was meant to embody the same aspects and principles of the old Imperial Network, yet it was loosely constructed and had several weaknesses. Nonetheless, thanks to the dedicated support of a number of Imperial leaders, the CORE grew, albeit very slowly. Unfortunately, in its young age, the CORE was not nearly as efficient and powerful as the old Imperial Network. Nonetheless, we knew that something had to be done to help strengthen the Empire. We felt that if we remained committed and patient, the CORE would grow both in size and in strength.

IMPHL versus OC

Unfortunately, the newly formed CORE quickly experienced turmoil. Two Imperial organizations which were a part of the CORE waged war against one another for trivial reasons. One of these organizations was the Imperial Hunters Legion, otherwise known as IMPHL. Much like RID, IMPHL emerged from humble origins. They were founded by a man named Reirae Aeki, not long before the birth of RID. IMPHL originally hoped to be based out of Tatooine, but they made a decision early on to instead live next to another Imperial organization on the planet Naboo. While there, they carried out minor hunting excursions to boost experience and morale amongst their troops. They also hoped to build a city with the help of their Imperial neighbors, but when Rebels destroyed their Imperial installations, they simply abandoned the area and left IMPHL to fend for themselves. Despite all this, IMPHL pooled their resources to establish their own settlement on Naboo named Hunter's Legion Outpost. With the help of another Imperial organization named OMEN, which had moved into their town, Hunter's Legion Outpost expanded and soon included four Imperial bases with a total of around fifteen turrets. It was, at least according to Reirae, the first golden age of IMPHL.

However, this golden age was short lived. A Rebel attack decimated their base's defenses, and instead of rebuilding, the owner's of the bases simply decided to decommission the installations altogether. All this was done before IMPHL could react and make a formal decision. IMPHL was struck by other woes during this time. The leader of OMEN disappeared, once again leaving IMPHL on their own. Hunter's Legion Outpost was also now on life support. They lacked a shuttleport, and even if they had one, there was little prospect of turning their base of operations into a thriving economic hub. Hunter's Legion Outpost was unable to sustain itself through taxes alone, forcing IMPHL to rely on donations. In the end, they depended almost completely on a single benefactor named Ipa.

To save IMPHL from slipping into irrelevance or outright collapse, Reirae made the fateful decision of moving his organization to the world of Talus in the Corellian System. There, they built a new city named Corinth which grew rapidly, and even qualified for the construction of its own shuttleport. Reirae surmised that they were now witnessing the beginning of a second golden age. However, this was not yet to be. While their new life in Corinth did provide IMPHL with a stable foundation, many in IMPHL felt that their organization was becoming stagnant. To breathe new life into their organization, others within IMPHL began marginalizing Reirae's control, and assuming greater leadership positions. This new injection of leadership resulted in a tremendous growth of IMPHL's numbers and strength. Overnight, IMPHL went from being a simple Imperial task force to a massive Imperial powerhouse. They went from eliminating small bands of Rebels in some corner of a planet, to eliminating large contingents of them on the battlefield. However, their newfound power came at a cost. IMPHL was originally much like RID, a view that was shared by others in the galaxy. Now, however, they had an aura of arrogance about them. They had an excessive desire to prove to the galaxy that they were the dominant force in the Galactic Empire, even if it meant stepping on other Imperials outside of IMPHL.

The other Imperial organization was Obscurus Circulus, or OC for short. Perhaps as its name suggests, Obscurus Circulus began its days from obscurity. Not much was known about them, except Laico was their leader at the time. However, they too were one of the more powerful Imperial organizations in the galaxy. By looking at the history of IMPHL and their newfound ambitions, we can see that this conflict between IMPHL and OC was likely a ploy to show the galaxy their dominance.

At the time, we were not yet aware of the major leadership changes taking place in IMPHL. We had already established cordial ties with Reirae, who we still believed to be in charge of their organization. Regardless of who was in charge, we still held positive relations with both IMPHL and OC. In fact, members of both organizations got in touch with us, asking for some way to bring the conflict to an end. As a founding organization of the newly formed CORE, we felt that RID should mediate the conflict in some way. After some amount of deliberation, RID offered assistance to both IMPHL and OC, but we were careful not to tarnish our reputation with either one of them. Little of what we did brought an end to the conflict. Nonetheless, IMPHL and OC soon reached peace on their own terms. Following this intra-Imperial conflict, IMPHL and OC actually emerged as close allies. With that ordeal behind us, we felt that the CORE could once again continue to grow.

Trouble with IMPHL

On an ordinary day on Tatooine, myself and a group of RIDs were patrolling Mos Eisley for Rebel activity. While preparing inside an Imperial recruitment station, a group of members from IMPHL stormed on in and surrounded us. Immediately, they began insulting and belittling our troops, calling us weak and pathetic. We were genuinely perplexed as to why a fellow Imperial organization was being so aggressive towards us, especially since we had just helped mediate them in their conflict against OC. In an effort to diffuse the situation I tried to speak with Reirae. He was the supposed leader of IMPHL, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Fortunately, Bumpn, an IMPHL official, stepped up to speak with me privately. After conversing with him, it seemed IMPHL was upset with RID because they felt we were “boasting” as an organization. They apparently misinterpreted statements made by myself in which I denounced infighting amongst Imperials, and that RID would never stoop to such activities. For some reason, they took this as a direct insult against IMPHL, who felt that we were saying RID was better than them. I explained that while the fighting between IMPHL and OC was unfortunate, we did not think any less of IMPHL because of it, and that our comments were directed to enemies in the Rebel Alliance who felt that the Empire was in disarray. After clearing up that misconception, things were quiet, but there would be more to come.

Battle of Revenance

As troubling as the matter was with IMPHL, we had other concerns to deal with. The Galactic Empire was planning a ruthless assault on a Rebel city named Revenance, on the world of Lok. The city was primarily operated by TRGA, so the Empire was quite interested in invading and occupying their city. On the day of the attack, the Empire gathered a massive force on the east side of the city, while the Rebel defense force gathered to the west. With me was a group of RIDs, determined to aid the Empire in their attack. After some amount of preparation, the call was finally issued to advance towards the Rebel base in their city.

The battle was nearly as fierce as the one at the Imperial Oasis. Soldiers on both sides of the conflict fell, as lasers shot by, and artillery was fired. Unfortunately, the Empire was sustaining considerable losses, and so we were immediately retreated eastward to regroup. After more preparation, we once against marched into Revenance. This time, the fight was nearly equal. Many minutes passed by as our troops were pushed back and forth against the enemy. As the fighting dragged on, the Imperials finally gained some ground with the assistance of some Imperial AT-STs and Nova Troopers. With these reinforcements, myself and the other Imperials stormed into the Rebel base within Revenance. The Rebels were now pinned down, unable to fight back. After a few more minutes of desperate struggling, Xaneth, the leader of TRGA, announced that the Rebels had surrendered.

The Empire cheered in the victory, but it was too soon to celebrate. Even though Revenance was now under Imperial occupation, we received reports that Rebels had fled to Anchorhead on Tatooine, killing Imperials in the area. Immediately, we took a transport to Tatooine, and rushed into battle at Anchorhead. The battle was much smaller than the one in Revenance, but still quite violent. Fortunately, the Imperials once again emerged victorious, leaving the Rebels weakened for some time to come.

IMPHL Matters Worsen

After our success in Revenance, we were once again finding ourselves in a conflict of sorts with IMPHL. Apparently they had just overthrown Reirae from leadership, and allowed an individual named Narvok to assume control as leader of IMPHL. This was quite unfortunate for us, because even though Reirae was not easy to get in touch with, he and myself had a cordial relationship. With Reirae ousted, we were unsure if RID and IMPHL could continue to co-exist peacefully. To make matters worse, it was unclear to us for quite some time who was leading IMPHL. It took several days to discover that Narvok was their new leader.

Unfortunately, Narvok was not a benevolent leader, at least not towards RID. Under his leadership, IMPHL was stirring up further trouble with RID. IMPHL announced their discontent with Issele, who was of course a higher-up in RID, and the founder of the CORE. They felt that Issele was trying to become the “dictator” of the CORE, and therefore hold a large number of Imperial organizations on her leash. These accusations were obviously unfounded, seeing as how the CORE had no leader. Even though Issele did work towards founding the CORE, the CORE itself was managed equally by each Imperial organization within it. Still, IMPHL garnered support from Obscurus Circulus, who were now closely allied to IMPHL. OC bought into these lies, and displayed their discontent towards RID and Issele as well. There was little we could do however. It seemed impossible to reach a resolution with a group of people that simply had a personal distaste with RID. The only thing we could do was simply not feed into their animosity, and give them an excuse to trouble us further.

Selinor

On Tatooine, there existed a city by the name of Selinor. Unfortunately, it was stagnating due to lack of activity, and was therefore decaying. The militiamen in Selinor were interested in handing over control of the city to someone interested in maintaining and revitalizing it. We saw this as an opportunity to expand our reach across Tatooine, and so sought out a RID member who would want to become mayor. The search did not take long however. Theep of RID was interested in running the city. Immediately, the militiamen in Selinor granted Theep the ability to own a home in the city, and declare residence. Legally, he could now run for election in the city, without opposition from the incumbent mayor.

Due to Selinor's close proximity to the Tatooinian capital of Bestine, the city could prove to be a suitable economic center. While Theep ran for election, I told him what to do with the city once he became mayor. He was instructed to Imperialize, and rename the city to Fort Selinor, shortly after winning the election. Our plan would be to then build an Imperial installation, and welcome only those citizens who were loyal to the Empire. The plan itself was solid, but Theep had his own agenda. After Theep won the election a few weeks later, he did not follow through with the plan. Instead of renaming the city to Fort Selinor, he renamed it to an “anti-IMPHL name.” This name would be displayed on the public nav-map, and would fuel the flames with IMPHL even further. Unfortunately, IMPHL quickly recognized the listing on the nav-map, and deduced that RID had a hand in this. Fortunately, Theep left RID immediately after his actions, so that RID could save face with IMPHL. It took some time, but we convinced IMPHL that we did not condone Theep's actions, and that he acted on his own accord.

In the meantime, a close friend of Theep, named Apium, was told to take over as mayor of Selinor. Apium Auvair emerged victorious, and renamed the city to Fort Selinor. From that point on, Apium established his estate in the city, and declared its allegiance to the Empire.

The MEK Revolution

As time passed by, we learned of some distressing news. Just when it seemed the Marbari Eternal Knights were completely Imperializing, they suddenly announced their intentions to become a full fledged Rebel organization. All those sympathetic to the Empire in MEK were now ordered to join the Rebel cause. MEK’s abrupt decision was reached in an important leadership meeting, where members felt they should all officially side with just one true faction in the Galactic Civil War. Issele attempted to persuade MEK to instead join the Imperial cause, but they soundly rebuked her efforts. By officially siding with the Rebellion, our alliance between our two organizations was shattered. MEK was now a clear enemy of the Empire, and needed to be stopped at all cost.

The MEK Coalition

The now rebellious MEK soon found themselves experiencing trouble with IMPHL. Like with RID, IMPHL was harassing MEK, perhaps for joining the Rebellion. Of course, this was of little concern for us, as MEK was now no longer an ally of RID. Still, in their strong distaste with IMPHL, they attempted to rally support from both Rebel and Imperial organizations to form an anti-IMPHL Coalition. This Coalition was designed to declare war against the purportedly aggressive IMPHL. MEK understood that RID was having trouble with IMPHL as well, and asked us to join them in their cause.

Despite RID’s negative reaction towards IMPHL, this idea was looked down upon by most of our people. Our members would proclaim, “It is one thing to have Imperials fighting Imperials, but to ally with Rebels while doing so is a step too far.” I too had to agree with this sentiment, and turn down MEK’s offer. This likely came as a surprise to MEK, as they were undoubtedly counting on RID to support them. When MEK realized that assistance for the Coalition was not as expected, the idea faded away. Yet this did not end MEK’s disgust towards IMPHL.

Commander Matron

Matron was an Imperial spy and Commander of the Combat Support Division within RID. Matron led many of the RID combat forces during the Battle of Revenance, and proved to be a skillful and intelligent member. However, one day, Matron told me to meet with him in the Fort Oasis city hall. It seemed he had something important to tell me, so I immediately rushed to the city hall to speak with him. As we sat down in the conference room, Matron confessed to me that he could not deceive RID any longer. He revealed that he was actually Ja’hadon, member of the now Rebel-aligned MEK! Jal’hadon was originally the Imperial Legionnaire within MEK, but when MEK defected to the Rebellion, the position ceased to exist.

Matron did not specifically say why he joined RID, but there were several theories. One was that perhaps Matron was dissatisfied with MEK joining the Rebellion, and that he wanted to serve the Empire a while longer. Another reason was perhaps he was a simple spy for the Rebellion. While this could have been troubling, there were not many secrets that RID had at the time. One final reason—and possible the most likely—was to “persuade” RID to join the MEK Coalition in order to fight IMPHL. This seemed realistic, because Matron tried very hard to push for a war against IMPHL. Even when most other RIDs felt that a war against IMPHL would be a bad idea, Matron kept trying to promote the idea. Perhaps when it became apparent that RID would never wage war against IMPHL, Matron’s purpose in RID was exhausted.

Additionally, IMPHL seemed to know for several days now that Matron was actually a MEK member impersonating a loyal RID member. They even threatened MEK that they would reveal this fact to RID. It is possible that MEK ordered Matron to leave RID before IMPHL informed us, in order to save face, and create a less messy situation.

IMPHL Withdraws from the CORE

Not long after Matron fled from RID, IMPHL publicly announced that they would be withdrawing from the Imperial CORE. Announcing this publicly upset many CORE members, including myself and Issele, as the CORE was meant to be a secretive organization. It made little difference however, as there was now talk of disbanding the CORE altogether. Sadly the CORE was not proving to be very successful, and with IMPHL announcing their departure from the network, we began to feel that ending the CORE was due. In their announcement, IMPHL stated that they felt looked down upon by the CORE. They felt Issele had taken too much control, and that the CORE should have been run equally. While their argument appeared valid, the CORE was by no means dictated by a single individual.

When it was finally announced that the CORE would be disbanded, IMPHL once again voiced their concern. They felt it was completely unfair for the entire CORE to be disbanded by a single person. We then had to stress to IMPHL that the CORE was severely weakened, and needed to be disbanded. The CORE was now becoming so inactive, that quibbling over which person disbanded the CORE was irrelevant. If Issele had not disbanded the CORE, then it would have merely faded away over time. IMPHL remained rather unfazed by our argument, and announced to the galaxy that they would be forming their own Imperial Network. This network, they said, would treat all Imperial organizations equally. While their intentions no doubt appeared noble, it was quite obvious that IMPHL wanted to be regarded as the leading Imperial “powerhouse,” holding all other organizations on a tight leash. IMPHL held an Imperial Summit to speak to other Imperial leaders and their members, but the network never grew. IMPHL did however establish stronger ties with Obscurus Circulus, and another Imperial organization referred to as the Special Forces Command, or SFCOM. While the trio was quite strong at first, it faded over time. SFCOM soon collapsed, and hostilities between IMPHL and Obscurus Circulus ignited.

Loss of Issele

In a very surprising twist, Issele announced to RID that she would be resigning. She did so, not because she despised RID, but because she wanted to defect to the weakening Rebel Alliance. Her decision was still very surprising, because she appeared enthusiastically loyal to the Empire during her time in RID. Unknown to us however, was the fact that she had sympathies to those in TRGA. Indeed, shortly after leaving RID, Issele became a member of TRGA, and aided them in their struggle against the Empire. Even though she had defected, she respected RID, and did not divulge any secrets about our organization.

Unfortunately, Issele’s departure from the Empire only gave IMPHL more fuel. They used Issele’s defection as a propaganda tool, showing the public that Issele was nothing more than a disloyal Rebel all along. Her defection also raised questions as to where RID placed their loyalty. Were we truly law-abiding Imperials, or were we sympathetic to the Rebellion? These were the questions asked by IMPHL, and their close supporters.

An Unsteady Peace

Just when matters were beginning to grow worse between us and IMPHL, we agreed that we should both talk things out, and find out why exactly we were angry with each other in the first place. Several RID members were now forging strong relationships with other IMPHL members, and vice-versa. While this was somewhat detrimental, as it meant some of our members were leaving RID to join IMPHL, it nonetheless decreased tensions between our two organizations. The RID members who ended up leaving to join IMPHL still had a respect for us, and did their best to persuade the leaders of IMPHL that they should not bother aggravating RID.

Eventually, Bumpn of IMPHL decided to openly speak with RID. After having an open forum where we made several heated exchanges, we finally agreed that the squabbles between RID and IMPHL should end. We both admitted that we each had a part in exasperating the situation, and that we should co-exist in our fight against the Rebellion. Our discussion ended the long-standing animosity between RID and IMPHL, but it would be foolish to say that all tensions between our two organizations were erased completely.

Issele's First Rebel Success

As Issele rose higher in rank within the Rebellion, she began planning with TRGA to push out the Imperial forces in Revenance. The battle was planned much in the same way as the previous one, except for the one obvious difference – Issele would now be supporting the Alliance Army. In order to keep hold of Revenance, the Empire was forced to organize in the city, and prepare to defeat the resurgent Rebels once again. I too was asked to participate, and gather as many RID soldiers as possible. Unfortunately, before the onset of the battle, we reached a stark conclusion – we would lose. Unlike the previous battle held in Revenance, our numbers were very low. We were certain that we would this time be overrun by the Rebels, and be pushed out of their city. As expected, we spotted the Rebels on the horizon. They were far more numerous than us, but we still prepared our weapons. As they approached, we opened fire, and the battle ensued.

Though our struggle was valiant, it was short-lived. The Empire was quickly defeated, and we were forced to retreat the remaining soldiers to Nym’s Stronghold on Lok. The Rebels chased us to the Stronghold, picking off more Imperials. Once again, we were forced to retreat, this time off-planet. The few remaining Imperials regrouped in the city of Mos Eisley on Tatooine. Even here, Rebel activity knew no bounds. Fighting picked up in the city streets, where even more of our soldiers were killed. Finally, as our numbers hopelessly dwindled, the few surviving Imperials parted ways, ending further conflict with Rebel insurgents.

Regal Naval Forces

Amongst our ranks was a human individual named Erougn Eomeir. He was loyal follower, and a very skilled pilot. Frequently, he would aid the Empire in battles in numerous star systems, and organize groups to take on Rebel starships. As his time in RID grew longer, he reached the conclusion that RID needed to establish their superiority in space. After having met with myself for approval, he announced his intentions to form a sort of specialized RID squadron within the Imperial Navy, which we simply called the Regal Navy. This Regal Navy would welcome the skilled pilots within RID, and attempt to train those with minimal flight experience. As part of his plan, he commissioned the construction of the Regal Naval HQ in Fort Oasis. The headquarters housed several offices for myself and others who held commanding positions within RID. It also featured a storage room for various spacecraft parts, a briefing room, and a construction room.

Thanks to Erougn’s hard work and dedication in the field of space combat and leadership, RID began to fly in space much more often than before. Almost every week, RID would gather in the Imperial Outpost on Dantooine to brief for space battles against the Rebellion. These battles were quite violent, but the Empire usually emerged victorious.

War with TRGA

As TRGA became increasingly more involved in the Galactic Civil War, it was decided that a direct and official war would be declared against them. For the first time since she left RID a while back, Issele would find herself directly against us. Her respect for us did not wane, yet as far as we were concerned, she and her comrades were clearly opponents, and would be dealt with as such. It was nothing personal, just war. Yet the war itself would not be blindingly aggressive. Between our two organizations, we drafted a general outline for rules of engagement. These rules, though mostly vague, discouraged certain “dishonorable” tactics. These tactics generally included the killing of opponents in public hotspots, such as commercial shuttle landing areas, and the contracting of mercenaries or medics outside of our respective organizations for dubious purposes. These rules of agreement were not necessarily established because we felt any type of relationship with TRGA, but rather because the rules would both work to our advantage. With the drafted set of rules, neither of us would need to protect ourselves from unwanted surprises, such as an ambush shortly after landing at another city.

This war was a short one. Our initial shots were first heard in Theed on Naboo, where RID defeated a number of TRGA soldiers, including Lestat, who was a member of TRGA at the time. The fight later dragged into the city of Coronet on Corellia, with less success on our side. As the war intensified, controversy erupted between several RID and TRGA members. Accusations were being made on both sides that rules of engagement were being broken. The controversy incited more intense violence between our combatants. No longer were either of our members safe in no-combat zones. Despite this growing animosity between our two organizations, TRGA drafted a ceasefire, effectively ending the war. Combat operations against TRGA only lasted about a couple days, with no clearly established victor. It made little difference for us however. RID was not severely weakened after the short conflict, so we simply refocused our combat efforts elsewhere. Shortly after the war ended, Issele left TRGA and the Rebellion to once against sign up for the Empire. Though her frequent changes in loyalty were cause for alarm amongst most Imperials outside of RID, we were nonetheless glad to have her back in the Empire. However, somewhat to our dismay, she chose not to resubmit her application to RID. However, she did keep an affiliate of hers in RID to act as a liaison.

Battle of Aurora Dou

Hel’mut continued to operate Fort Farpoint Valley sufficiently. Eventually, he decided to uphold one of his campaign promises, and plan for a war against the Rebel safe haven of Aurora Dou. Invading this city would further expand the Empire’s reach across Tatooine, and show the galaxy that Fort Farpoint Valley was a powerful Imperial stronghold. After conferring with a number of Imperial leaders, both in and outside of RID, a set date was established for the city’s invasion. As news of the impending invasion spread throughout the city, a number of citizens stepped forward to aid in the battle. Consequently, Rebel forces eventually learned of the upcoming battle, and made preparations to defend Aurora Dou. This was to be expected, so it was of little concern to us. In fact, we wished to draw a large number of Rebels to Aurora Dou, and defeat as many of them as we could all at once.

The Imperials gathered in large numbers at Fort Farpoint Valley. Once all of our forces were organized, we began our march to the Rebel city. As we approached the city, we saw that there was only a small defense force in the streets. Victory for us would most certainly be swift. The call was given to the Imperials to storm into Aurora Dou. Immediately, a legion of Imperials opened fire at the disorganized Rebel opponents. Within just a few minutes, most of the Rebel forces had been extinguished. Garsh, the mayor of Aurora Dou, surrendered the city to the Empire, and renamed it to Fort Aurora. Hel’mut Yovel had led his forces to victory, and it was not over yet!

Our Influence across the Galaxy

By now, a number of interesting developments were going underway in regards to our cities. Erich’, the mayor of Fort Ironwolf, was now no longer around. It was decided that a new citizen of Fort Ironwolf would register for election to replace him as mayor. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, the once strong RID Fort fell apart before a new mayor could be elected. Elsewhere on Tatooine, a new city was founded by a RID member named Ackybar. Upon its founding, it was named Fort Konohonaha. Though its location was conveniently close to the Imperial capital of Bestine, Fort Konohonaha was very small and weak. Due to the inconvenience of running the small outpost, it was simply abandoned.

Meanwhile, on the planet of Corellia, the city of Spartan was unexpectedly won over by a fellow RID member. Soon thereafter, it was renamed to Fort Spartan. However, Fort Spartan mysteriously collapsed, not many days later. On Tatooine, a similarly named city called Sparta, was won over by Roga. Roga was now a close affiliate to Gounk, who was of course in RID at the time. Despite now being directly influenced by a RID member, Sparta was not renamed. This was due in part to preserve Sparta’s historical importance. Sparta was once known as the Trader’s Outpost, and it was the sight of many important events on the planet. In fact, before I founded RID, the Trader's Outpost was where I saw my first force sensitive ever, a man named Elvander who recklessly wielded a lightsaber in front of an astonished crowd. On the world of Talus, Fort Sparks Hold mysteriously withdrew from our network for unknown reasons. It still stood, simply as Sparks Hold, but eventually collapsed in the weeks to come. Another city on Tatooine, named Sahara Moon, agreed to hand over mayoral control to Aleksandrov, one of our veteran members. Upon winning the election, the city was Imperialized and renamed to Fort Sahara Moon, like most cities we took over. Indeed by now, RID had lost several Forts, yet we gained many more new ones in the process. Unfortunately for us, the future of Fort Farpoint Valley was now at stake!

Defense of Fort Farpoint Valley

In order to retaliate for their humiliating defeat at Aurora Dou, the Rebel terrorists organized a force to invade Fort Farpoint Valley. News of this invasion quickly reached our ears, so we immediately made plans to organize a defense force. The citizens of Fort Farpoint Valley, and our Imperial allies were instructed to prepare for the defense. RID, XVI, and even IMHPL stepped forward to aid in the defense. Additionally, elements from several other Imperial organizations set forth to defend our metropolis. As our defense force was being organized, the Rebels were accumulating their forces in the neighboring city of Farpoint City. Farpoint City, in its crumbling state, lacked any sort of security force to repel Rebel combatants. For this reason alone, it proved to be a perfect staging ground for the Rebels to prepare their troops.

After several more minutes of preparation, the Rebel forces advanced towards Farpoint Valley. We raised our weapons as soon as they were spotted rushing in from the north. When they were in range, we both opened fire. Yet again, another hectic battle had begun. While soldiers were being defeated on both sides, the Rebels split up their forces to capture various segments of Farpoint Valley. A group of their forces mobilized to the eastern portion of the city, which was widely vulnerable. Just when the eastern section of the city fell under Rebel control, the western section was being secured by yet another Rebel task force. Defeating the Rebellion now seemed impossible, yet our forces continued to put up a fight against all odds. The majority of the Rebel forces were now pushing their way towards the city hall. By securing this final section of the city, the Rebels would be victorious. We picked off the Rebel resistance gradually, but we could not deter their onward push towards the city hall. Our forces were also unable to recapture the eastern and western segments of the city, which were now being defended by the Rebels.

The outcome of the battle was beginning to appear more and more apparent. Our numbers were now lowered significantly, and the Rebels forces had us surrounded. The city hall was also now under their control. Any further resistance would have been suicidal, so we surrendered the city to the Rebellion. The city was renamed to Aurora Farpoint Valley, and was now going to be under Rebel occupation for quite some time. However, we were not deterred. In two months, we would organize another force to reoccupy the city. Also, Fort Aurora was still under Imperial occupation, so this could be used as a staging ground for future battles.

Election at Fort Sahara Moon

Aleksandrov, the RID mayor of Fort Sahara Moon, was now nowhere to be seen. Though he would turn up again several months later, it was decided that another RID mayor should take his place, and actively maintain the city. Before we could act, however, an unknown citizen of Fort Sahara Moon registered for election. Her name was Teikanna, and she appeared to be a Rebel sympathizer, but we could not prove this. I contacted her, and asked what her intentions were for the city. She claimed that she merely wanted to win the election to legally gain back the property she had in her city. She also claimed that she did not have much of a purpose for the city, and that she would probably just demolish it, seeing as how it was in a state of severe disrepair.

I allowed her to win the election, only under the condition that she would let the city be transferred back to a RID mayor after she gained possession of her items. Fortunately, she accepted these terms. While I waited for her to legally win the election, I decided to scout Tatooine for uncharted cities. During my travels, I came across a city named Fort Knox, just near Fort Tusken. Coincidentally, I later came across a citizen of this city in Fort Oasis. He was apparently a member of a guild called “MOB.” I spoke with him, and he explained that Fort Knox could not advance in size, because other cities on the planet held higher ranks. This was because the planetary authorities would not allow the growth of too many cities at a time. Another city on the planet would either need to be destroyed or decrease in size, for Fort Knox to grow. I thought back to the days that Fort Oasis tried to advance in size, but could not due to the existence of already larger cities. I told him that we could not make any promises, but that we would attempt to demolish a city in order for Fort Knox to legally advance in size. He thanked me, and went his own way.

I contacted Teikanna again, and told her to just destroy Fort Sahara Moon, like she had originally intended. She agreed to do so, but by the time she became mayor, she did not follow through. I went back to the city to see what the situation was. During my visit, I saw that someone else was now running for mayor. The individual also appeared to be a full-fledged supporter of the Rebellion. Was the city being willingly transferred to this person? I did not know, but I planned to find out. I contacted Teikanna again, and asked why the city was not being destroyed. She simply said that she would “eventually demolish the city.” Satisfied, I went about my business for now. I eventually took a quick glance at the planetary nav-map, and saw that Fort Sahara Moon was no longer listed. I was certain the deed was done, but went back to the city’s location to be sure. I was disappointed to see that the city was still standing. The city was simply just not listed on the nav-map. There were only two reasons why this would happen. Either the mayor willingly unregistered the city from the nav-map, or the city shrunk in size. Cities that are below township status are not listed on nav-maps, due to their small size. It was not clear to me whether the city shrunk in size due to internal reasons, or if this was a trick to make it seem like the city was destroyed, when it really was not.

As far as I could tell, Sahara Moon simply dropped in size due to its state of disrepair. However, I did not know why Teikanna did not just demolish the city when she had the chance. This did not bother me greatly, however, for as long as the city dropped in rank, Fort Knox would be able to advance to township status. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Instead, another city on Tatooine advanced – a Rebel city in fact, named Asthenia. Exhausted by this turn of events, I simply decided to give up on playing around with these cities for the time being.

Trouble Brewing in Restuss

In the city of Restuss on Rori, the Imperials were developing a revolutionary, new powerful battery to supply much needed energy to the citizens of the galaxy. Yet the Rebels, in their infinite ignorance, immediately assumed that the battery, code-named Star Core, was to be used in some “all powerful weapon.” The Rebels did not wish to simply destroy the power source, but to instead steal it for their own malevolent purposes. In response, the Imperials built a small field camp just south of the city of Restuss. If the Rebels were to orchestrate a major invasion of Restuss, the Empire would be prepared. However, the Rebels had the same idea, and constructed a field camp on the northern side of the city. Organizations from both factions worked hard to build up their camps, and gain a foothold in a potential conflict over Restuss.

Construction and Destruction

Amaroo, a high ranking official in the Regal Imperial Defenders, established an outpost named Fort D’aroo, just next to the small Imperial camp near Restuss. This was a wise decision, for this outpost would give a specific place for Imperials to rally. Many Imperials wished to become citizens in Fort D’aroo, so the city grew quickly, yet steadily. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the small, nearby encampment that the Empire was building up. The Rebels had completed their camp first. This sudden turn of events was greatly unfortunate, for it forced the Empire to evacuate the numerous number of citizens in Restuss. It was now clear that a large battle over the city would be ignited, in order to gain hold of the power source. After several days, Imperial High Command ordered that a massive force of Imperials march into Restuss to defend the city. We used the medical center as a base of operations. Here, we organized a massive defense force. To our dismay however, we discovered that there would be a considerably larger army of Rebels coming in from all directions. They were not just going to invade the city, they wanted to obliterate us, and severely weaken the Empire.

As the Rebels moved in, X-Wings and TIE Bombers zoomed overhead in open conflict. The Imperials that were scattered throughout the city, attempting to suppress the Rebel invasion, were quickly pushed into the confines of the medical center. After many minutes of fighting, we barricaded ourselves in the medical center, which was now being surrounded by the Rebel soldiers. The medical center was originally supposed to be our base of operations, but it now appeared it would be our casket. As more and more Rebels poured into Restuss, their troops became more daring. The Rebels successfully stormed the first floor of the medical center, forcing survivors into the second floor. It was there where we desperately fended off the Rebels, and it was there we attempted to survive. However, it seemed the Rebellion had already won. They reached the power source, but it exploded due to their recklessness! There was a huge flash and a shockwave of energy that rushed by all of us. When the dust settled, Restuss was left in complete ruins.

The Imperials which were once standing on the second floor of the medical center were thrown onto the ground. The medical center was literally cut in half by the massive explosion. Everything had happened so quickly. Rebels and Imperials alike took a brief moment to appreciate the sheer destruction of the entire city. The once beautiful architecture of Restuss was now reduced to nothing more than a pile of burnt chunks of rubble. Yet, despite all that had happened, the Rebel invaders did not give up on their chance to murder the remaining Imperials. The Imperials who fell from medical center and survived were immediately slaughtered by the Rebel forces. Amazingly, a few managed to retreat to their camp, despite their injuries. They were the few who survived the relentless medical center onslaught. One of these survivors was Apium Auvair of RID. Though the energy source had been destroyed, we were now fighting for something far greater. For the rest of the night, the resolve of the Empire grew stronger. Rally cries were shouted for the rest of the night, and the weeks to come. As the Imperial forces reorganized in their field camp, soldiers shouted, “Remember the medical center!” Despite the Rebel’s initial victory, both factions would fight one another in an endless struggle for the city. The battle had just begun!

An Endless Struggle

After the vicious destruction of Restuss, Imperial forces prepared for yet another massive strike. Though all of our attempts were silenced by the far more numerous Rebel forces, each attempt was fiercer than the last. The battle over Restuss would drag on for many months to come, resulting in the city being controlled back in forth by both Rebel and Imperial forces. It was a never ending struggle, but neither side gave up on their struggle to control the remains of Restuss.

One thing was for sure – both sides continued to fight relentlessly over this seemingly useless pile of rubble, forgetting what they were fighting for in the first place. However, for those who were there on that fateful night, such as RID, me, and many other Imperial veterans, we knew full well what we were fighting for – the livelihoods of our galactic citizens!

Maatt' the Bounty Hunter

In RID, there was a bounty hunter named Maatt’. Maatt’ was a beneficial contributor to RID and worked hard at his attempts to put together a bounty hunter coalition in RID. While his attempts to form this coalition were with good intentions, controversy surrounding Maatt’ heightened. Members were growing suspicious of him with each passing day. According to one member, Maatt’ was aiding a Rebel at a combat zone on Talus. In addition to this treasonous act, many members were growing weary of his arrogant attitude. One member, named Creepella, had enough of Maatt’s attitude, and left RID as a result.

Realizing that something had to be done, I called Maatt’ into the Fort Oasis city hall. I informed him that he would be put on trial for the charge of treason. Maatt’ found the charge ridiculous, however I assured him that if he went through with the trial, chances were he would most likely win. I was confident that if he voiced his side of the story in front of our RID members, it would settle any disputes between our members. Unfortunately, despite being helpful towards Maatt’, he felt that the Council consisted of members who would rule against him no matter what. He did not want to go through with that humiliation, so he walked out of the city hall and removed himself from RID..

Europa Reborn... Again

RID went about their daily business for the most part, aiding the Galactic Empire in their intensifying conflict against the Rebellion. After the Battle of Restuss, the Galactic Civil War exploded more violently on Naboo. Frequent battles were being waged at a Weapons Development facility on this world. The war soon spread to other worlds, such as Corellia and Talus. Here, both factions vied for control over a Tactical Training Facility and a Weapons Depot.

While fighting in one of these battles, I received a familiar message from my arch nemesis - Weifert Lionheart. Needless to say, I was not surprised to see him return once again. When I received his “hello,” I was not the least bit frightened. It was a headache of course, but we had preparations for this. Weifert told me that he had returned, and only went on his little “break” to allow RID to heal over the “beating” Europa had given us the last non-standard year. He continued making threats about harming RID, and said that he would be forming yet another Europa Network. This time, I would not take any chances. The galaxy needed to be warned, and we had to stop the Europa Network before they became fully rebuilt.

Impartial Response

Not long after Weifert contacted me, I immediately went forth to warn the galaxy about Weifert’s return. Unfortunately, most people were not the least bit concerned. Most of the people who had fought Europa in the past were no longer around, or had any influence. Many people did not know who Weifert or Europa was, or simply did not care any longer about his return. Many did not want to get involved, and saw it more as a petty squabble between just RID and Weifert. In fact, support for the Europa Network was actually considerably greater than before. Many skilled soldiers rallied under Weifert to support his cause, and wanted see the Europa Network strengthen.

Weifert summoned me to his space yacht for a meeting. Seeing as how the galaxy would not rally against Europa, I figured that it would be better to diffuse any animosity between our two organizations. However, the meeting was completely useless. During my stay on his yacht, Weifert simply rambled endlessly. He claimed that Europa was formed before RID was founded, and that the Europa Network in fact built Fort Oasis. Obviously, these were all outright lies, and attempts to anger me further. The meeting concluded with him extending an offer to RID to join his Network, even after his repeated threats against us.

A Secret Meeting

Although they were now Rebel, the Marbari Eternal Knights understood the importance of eliminating the Europa Network. Apium and I met with Jal’hadon and one other MEK associate for a secret meeting. Meetings between Imperials and Rebels are highly unusual and discouraged, but this was personal. Nonetheless, we kept this meeting as hidden as possible, so that accusations would not be made against us. Our meeting was to be onboard MEK’s Nova Cruiser. This ship was quite large, and had a meeting room for us to sit down and talk in. As soon as we launched into space, we gathered around the table and got down to business.

During our meeting, we shared information concerning the Europa Network. We confirmed that Europa now had two cities on Lok. One went by the name of “Europa – Daventry City,” and the other by “Europa – New Rising.” Europa – New Rising was later renamed to United Europa Network. We were also surprised to learn that Europa – New Rising was actually our former city of Fort Mirage, which was stolen from us during our last conflict with Europa! Fort Mirage was long suspected to have fallen, but it was in fact standing all along, unbeknownst to us.

Scouting Potential Enemy Cities

The Nova Cruiser came to a landing on Lok’s surface. During our meeting, we suspected that two other Lokian cities, named Ashkelon and Aeternalia, would be joining the Europa Network. We set out to these cities to learn as much information as possible. We started with a visit to the Ashkelon city hall. While here, we looked into different bits of information, such as who was mayor, who lived there, and what faction the city was loyal to. After some amount of investigation, it was concluded that the city had nothing to do with the Network. We then set our eyes towards Aeternalia.

Aeternalia proved to be much more interesting. A visit to their city hall showed that a RID member named Charlez was mayor! Charlez was a new member of RID. During his interview, he mentioned that he ran a city on Lok, but he failed to delve into specifics. He simply mentioned that an opponent was running against him in the election, and that he would simply allow himself to lose. When I took a look at the ballot box, I saw that the person running against Charlez was a member of Dim-Side! Dim-Side, or -D S- for short, was the main guild of this new Europa Network. Weifert and Knoxikov were members of this organization. I knew what had to be done; I would need to contact Charlez, and encourage him to win the election at all cost.

Sparta under the Europan Flag

When returning back to Tatooine, I noticed that our loosely affiliated city of Sparta was renamed to “Sparta – Europa.” I was perplexed by this, as Gounk previously claimed that he did not want Roga to rename Sparta due to its historical value. I looked into the matter, and it seemed as though Weifert told Gounk to rename the city. Gounk had Roga comply, but when I asked him why he did so, he said, “It is only being renamed for a day, just to see what happens.” Just to see what happens? This did not make any sense to me, but I ignored the matter for the time being. Gounk remained in RID, but we watched him closely. We also watched closely to see if Sparta – Europa would be renamed back to Sparta. During this wait, Weifert attempted to provoke me. He wanted me to shout to the galaxy that our cities were being attacked by the Europa Network. It was now making perfect sense to me.

Gounk probably told Weifert that he would only rename the city of Sparta for a day. During that time, Weifert would want us to scream loudly to the public, and make it seem as though RID was being conquered by this newly developed Europa Network. As soon as I caught on, I decided to keep things quiet. We did not want to annoy the public with our petty cries for help. After all, that was exactly what Weifert wanted. He wanted us to appear as though we were weak, and that we had to rely on others for help. Fortunately, Gounk kept his word, and the city was in fact renamed to Sparta the next day. Gounk was still kept with us in RID, but after that incident, we kept him under our close watch. After all, he was once a member of the first Europa Network. However, in a bid to further express his and Sparta's loyalty to RID, Sparta was later renamed to Fort Sparta, and welcomed RID members to settle there.

Cold War or Hot War?

Every time Europa would come into existence, there would be little to no actual combat between either one of us. Would this change? Or would peace terms be reached? In all fairness, this Third Europa Network did not appear to have the same goals as before. The first two Europas were preoccupied with gaining complete control of Lok, and territories elsewhere across the galaxy. While this reborn Europa Network was indeed interested in acquiring cities, it now seemed to be more focused on the prospect of gaining military strength. Originally, the Europa Network was a mere trading network without any real combat activity. Additionally, this new Europa appeared to be significantly smaller, as it only seemed to primary consist of the -D S- organization, and a handful of cities. Despite all this, the Europa Network was in many ways more threatening than before. They were quite aggressive, and had a very real chance at crushing the morale within our organization.

It seemed quite clear that the only way to impede upon their progress would be to declare a war. However, a last and perhaps futile attempt at peace was to be arranged. Apium and I sat in the Fort Oasis meeting room. Here, we welcomed Knoxikov and two other -D S- officials for a meeting. The three of them sat on the other side of the table. Initially, we attempted to propose peace, but Knoxikov would simply reply by boasting about Europa. While he was doing this, his two other associates simply sat there and made fools of themselves. Even after attempting to be sympathetic with them, they continuously boasted about Europa and belittled RID. It was obvious they wanted war, even if they did not say it outright. Apium and I, finally having enough, stood up and told them that peace would be impossible. “You will have your war,” we shouted. As Apium and I walked out of the city hall, we looked towards each other with fortitude greater than before. It was now time to orchestrate a plan of attack.

Vreni Island Conspiracy

Since war was inevitable, we had to strategize immediately. Just after our useless meeting with -D S-, myself, Apium, Toor, Buhi, and Amaroo, all high ranking officials in RID, gathered at a quiet and empty hotel room at the Vreni Island on Corellia. It was here that we would devise plans for undercover and physical combat against -D S-. The meeting was ordered to remain top-secret, until the entire conflict reached a resolution. Apium and I had to fill in Toor, Buhi, and Amaroo about what was going on between us and Europa. They only knew very little about what was actually happening with Europa until we filled them in. Once we were all clear about the situation, we called on everyone to bring forth questions and suggestions. One question that was asked was whether or not this would simply be about capturing Europa’s cities, or actually fighting their supporters. I answered that RID would physically attack -D S-, but that combat would not be the only part of our plan. The idea was that during our combat activities, we would initiate undercover plans to both infiltrate and deceive Europa.

Apium was currently mayor of Fort Selinor on Tatooine. One suggestion was to have Apium’s friend, Theep, pretend to capture the city. In doing so, he would act like a supporter of Europa, and further gain Weifert’s trust. At the same time, we could arrange a staged fight against Fort Selinor, recapture it, and cripple Europa’s morale as a result. A similar plan was suggested for Amaroo’s city of Fort D’aroo on Rori. Avacki, who was an associate of Amaroo, could pretend to capture the city, and pledge support to Europa. In doing so, Avacki could go undercover, and gain intelligence on the Europa Network. We brainstormed on other plans, but none of these ideas were actually put into effect. Not everyone in this secret meeting were supportive of undercover tactics. While they were okay with keeping it a secret, some did not want any part of it. However, by the end of the meeting, we did make some progress. It was agreed that Hasock, a close associate of Toor, would be involved in the infiltration of Europa. The meeting was adjourned, and we went about our business. Our next step would be to arrange a time and date to declare war against -D S-. We would also need to organize a meeting with the rest of RID, and explain to them what was going on.

Rise of Europa Dark Supremacy

We briefly focused our attention back towards Aeternalia. Unfortunately for us, matters appeared to be getting worse in the city. It was at first thought that we could simply encourage Charlez to register for election against the -D S- opponent, gain votes, and be done with it. Sadly, we were wrong. Charlez was very inexperienced politically, and had no interest in running for election. I suggested that demolishing the city would be enough to deter -D S-, but he said he could not do that. I understood, for he did put much work into building up the city. Still, action had to be taken. After speaking with Charlez a while longer, he reluctantly agreed to register for election. All that he would need now was votes in his favor. Charlez even renamed the city to Fort Aeternalia, apparently confident in announcing its affiliation with RID.

However, some time after being renamed, I took a look at the nav-map, and saw that it was renamed to Europa Dark Supremacy! What had happened? I needed answers, so I requested that Charlez meet with me in Europa Dark Supremacy. After inquiring about the situation, Charlez revealed to me that he was asked by a -D S- member to rename the city. It was now completely apparent to that Charlez was either making a fool of me, or was intimidated by the members of -D S-. Just when I was about to convince Charlez to realign the city to RID, a group of -D S- members, including Knoxikov, stormed into the city hall. Infuriated by my presence, they told me that the city was Dim-Side’s territory, and ordered me to leave. I made a final, feeble attempt to persuade Charlez to stay on our side, but to no avail. I was escorted outside the city hall. As soon as I was outside, Knoxikov requested that Charlez speak with him in private. Charlez walked back inside the city hall with Knoxikov. I simply waited outside, anxious to hear the results of the meeting. Soon enough, I saw Charlez walk back outside, turn to me, and say, “Sorry Lexx.” Immediately, he left RID, joined -D S-, and backed down from the election.

My purpose there had failed, so I fled the city. Not wishing to alarm RID, I simply informed them that I myself removed Charlez from RID, for failing to complete a recruitment procedure. After that whole ordeal, I took the time to contemplate our situation. Europa was gaining not only combat strength, but now many more cities. Europa now had four key cities. They were Europa – Daventry City, United Europa Network, and Europa Dark Supremacy. They also gained a new city, Europa Dynastic City. Although I had already seen this happen before, it was still amazing to see Europa grow so quickly. They even had affiliated cities on other worlds, and were now gaining support from other small organizations. It was time for us to become more aggressive.

Attempted Liberation of United Europa Lok

Sajuuk was still a member of RID, and we learned that he was actually a citizen of United Europa Lok. As it turned out, he actually remained a citizen there ever since the fall of Fort Mirage to Europa forces. While he was highly suspected of being responsible for losing the city in the first place, now was not the time to hold a grudge. Sajuuk stood as our only chance at regaining control of the city. I met with Sajuuk to discuss the matters. I told him that whatever mistakes he made in the past would be pardoned, so long as he helped us during this time of need. Indeed, Sajuuk was widely branded as a traitor to RID back when we lost Fort Mirage, but now was his chance to redeem himself. I told him to run against Knoxikov for election in United Europa Lok. Sajuuk agreed to do so, but to our dismay, Europa responded swiftly. Knoxikov transferred citizens over from Europa Dark Supremacy to vote in his favor. As a result of this, Knoxikov was victorious, but the incident angered the Europa Network. Houses in United Europa Lok now had their signs painted with pro-Europa and anti-RID slogans. “Lexx Fails," and “Europa’s Power,” were but two of the many slogans used.

Hasock the Spy

During the Vreni Island meeting, Toor suggested that his associate, Hasock, do a little spy work for RID. Hasock would adopt the persona of a humble trader, and infiltrate the United Europa Network city, and possibly –D S- or the Europa trader’s guild. We wanted Hasock to infiltrate United Europa Network so that he could gain Europa’s trust, become a militia member, and orchestrate an organized siege of the city in the near future. Our only obstacle would be having Hasock come up to Weifert and ask to join his city and organization without coming off as suspicious. To avoid suspicion, we had Hasock gain badges of trust, professional clothing, and other things to appear more reputable. Fortunately for us, Europa was to arrange a dueling tournament in Europa Dark Supremacy. This tournament, which was open to all denizens of the galaxy, was arranged in the hope of garnering further public support for Europa. For us, it would prove to be an opportune time for Hasock to approach Weifert.

Not wanting to compromise Hasock’s cover, I elected not to go directly near the tournament, but to instead set up a camp on a hilltop overlooking Europa Dark Supremacy. Sitting here, with my Dewback named Jub-Jub, I observed the tournament from a distance, and relayed instructions to Hasock. Near the end of the tournament, Hasock delivered some good news. Hasock carried on a long conversation with Weifert, and both of them got along. Hasock told me that he would be allowed to set up a “shop” in the city of United Europa Network. His excuse to Weifert was that he simply wanted to sell his merchandise in an active city on Lok. To avoid suspicion, Hasock did not specifically request to join United Europa Network. We knew United Europa Network was their main trading outpost, and correctly anticipated that Weifert would direct Hasock to that city as planned.

As the tournament came to a close, Hasock set up the small shop in United Europa Network, and declared residency. He was even allowed into the voice communications link used by -D S- and the Europa Network. This would prove to be vital in gaining intelligence for our upcoming war. Thanks to Hasock’s efficient spy work, our infiltration work was complete for the most part. Hasock would now simply relay information about -D S- back to us, until the time for taking back our city was right.

War with Dim-Side

RID knew very little about our full-scale conflict with Europa until we called them to Fort Oasis for a meeting. Instead of coming with their usual Imperial uniforms, they were instructed to bring armor, weapons, and supplies to the meeting. Some got the hint, and knew that RID would be going to war with -D S-. People outside of RID were also contacted secretly to join us as mercenaries, just for the duration of the war. Rebels were of course not accepted. The meeting began, and I stood before a sizable number of RIDs who were heavily equipped for a fight. Even our expert fighters were confident that RID would win a fight with our current numbers. RID was informed that this war would be ruthless, and that there would be no rules of engagement against the Europa terrorists. Battle strategies and supplies were shared amongst our troops. Morale was up, and everyone was anxious for a fight, especially after I went over all the malicious things Europa had done to us. The war was expected to last about four days, give or take. After our meeting, we gathered in front of the city hall, organizing into separate groups.

War was declared against Dim-Side, and as previously arranged, we expected them to accept our terms of war at specific hour. As soon as the scheduled time passed by, -D S- said they were not yet ready to fight. We were bemused by their cowardice, but we were not deterred. Even though they had not accepted war at the time we expected, we knew that they would not completely back down from a fight. However, as more time passed by, our troops were beginning to grow weary of waiting in Fort Oasis. We decided to instead prepare for an offensive assault and form up outside Europa Dark Supremacy on Lok. Unfortunately this was our first mistake, as it would have been easier to wait for -D S- to engage us in Fort Oasis. Nonetheless, we headed over and set up a safe house just outside of their city border. By then, we still had a sizable group of soldiers. Still, Dim-Side kept us waiting; it was obvious that they were trying to accumulate enough fighters to outnumber us. Had we attacked them a while ago, like originally expected, we might have already won and celebrated. Now, victory was debatable.

Fortunately, Hasock was conversing with –D S- on their voice communications link. Thanks to Hasock, we gained certain bits of intelligence, such as how many fighters they had, how many medics they had, and where their current location was. We even managed to gain the locations of various landmines that –D S- placed throughout their city. We marked them down on our nav-maps and made note to avoid them. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Dim-Side officially accepted our declaration our war. Our battle strategy was to first pick off their medics, and then the strongest of their combat forces. With all of those eliminated, they would definitely be defeated. We stepped outside our safe house and advanced towards the city. –D S- members marched directly towards us from the other direction. In seconds, we clashed, and a firefight erupted. We managed to kill one of their medics, but he was unfortunately resuscitated by another one of their medics. At that point, RID was confused as to what their specific targets were. We stood our ground for a good time, but we were defeated as a result of our confusion.

Retreat to Nym's Stronghold

RID withdrew to Nym’s Stronghold. It was there that we managed to kill several –D S- members, but it did not take long for the rest of –D S- to come in full force. RID shot across a long bridge connectng the spaceport to the city proper, and –D S- came in from the other direction. In the middle of the bridge, our forces were defeated, but regrouped elsewhere in the city to begin scattered combat operations against our opponents. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for many of us to escape from Lok and return to Fort Oasis. Dim-Side had the single spaceport on Lok blockaded. We could not get by very easily. One of our mercenaries, and a very skilled fighter, told me to just end this war, “It is going nowhere,” he said. I agreed, but left it up to RID to decide. “No!,” they all responded. They were determined to continue this war.

Attack on our Capital

After much difficulty, our forces managed to escape Lok, and head back to Fort Oasis on Tatooine. Unfortunately, by then our numbers had been thinned out considerably. Despite this, we did our best to regroup our combat forces. We used a bunker in Fort Oasis as a safe house. Here, our medics healed our wounds, and shared more supplies amongst one another. However, it did not take long for -D S- to learn of our location, and head to Fort Oasis. As soon as they entered our territory, we exited our bunker and prepared for a fight.

As -D S- advanced towards us, we opened fire. However, our attempt was futile. As we struggled to fight, -D S- was pushing our forces back towards our bunker. It was here that we were defeated once again. After our defeat, -D S- went to Mos Espa to reorganize their forces. This gave us time to replan our course of action. By this time, we learned that MEK would be waging war against -D S-. Seeing as how MEK were Rebels, we had to try our best not appear like we were allying with them. Nonetheless, we would use their involvement in the war to our advantage. After reorganizing our troops in Fort Oasis, RID and MEK stormed Mos Espa, but little resistance was found. Soon after, we gained intelligence reports that -D S- soldiers were now in the city of Theed on Naboo.

Securing the Theed Palace

After landing in Theed, we learned that a large number of Dim-Side troops were gathering in front of the Theed Palace. Immediately, RID advanced towards the palace, with MEK following behind us. As we converged on the palace, the battle erupted. Unlike the previous battles, this one was more violent, and lasted quite longer, due greatly in part to MEK drawing away a large swath of Dim-Side's forces. While it did result in numerous enemy deaths, it was still a defeat. RID regrouped, but we would not give up just yet.

Guerrilla Warfare

RID could not fool themselves. Conventional warfare was proving extremely difficult against the larger and more heavily equipped -D S- army. I sent a directive to all RID members to disperse throughout the galaxy, and pick off -D S- enemies individually. Fortunately, this directive proved to be highly successful. Our next day at war was a glorious one for RID. RID travelled the galaxy individually, or in small pairs, and tracked down -D S- members while they were alone. By doing this, we managed to catch many -D S- soldiers on their own, when they were not prepared for a fight.

RID raked in kills, and took recorded evidence of each Dim-Side corpse to counteract the Dim-Side’s propaganda. In order to dishearten us, Dim-Side disseminated footage of RID being defeated in a number of battles. Their attempts, however, failed to damage our resolve. We continued searching the galaxy for more enemies to kill. Meanwhile, MEK was still at work against our enemy, but we each focused on our own combat activities independently.

Turning the Tide

RID continued their guerrilla fighting, but we eventually decided to form up as a large group. We understood that conventional warfare against -D S- was risky, but they were now weakened to the point that a large group of us would be more effective. Therefore, we moved as a single unit, city to city, hunting down -D S- members wherever we could. We scouted all of Europa’s cities, but found little enemy activity. By this time, we decided to mobilize to Mos Eisely. Here, we came across a number of MEK members, who were preparing for an armed conflict against Dim-Side. We discovered that a mid-sized group of -D S- fighters were hiding in the junktown, just on the outskirts of Mos Eisley. As its name implies, Junktown was a makeshift town made out of junk. It was primarily inhabited by Tusken Raiders – sand people who were no friend to anyone, RID or -D S- alike. However, for –D S-, it was still a great place organize. By hiding amongst the Tusken Raiders, our scanners would be clogged with excess information. We would have a hard time locating -D S- members amongst the hordes of Tusken Raiders. Though we had no problem killing Tuskens, there was still the concern that confusion could arise. If we focused too much attention on clearing the junktown of Tusken Raiders, -D S- could take advantage of this and ambush us.

We had to instruct our troops to be careful, and keep sharp eye out for -D S- members hiding within the junktown. Either way, we still had the numbers necessary to defeat -D S-, even if complications arose. After organizing our troops yet again, we headed out to the junktown, and engaged the enemy. Amazingly, we managed to kill each and every Dim-Side opponent with efficiency! However, victory was not yet ours to claim. RID’s most glorious battle of the day was still to be had.

-D S- Defeated in Anchorhead

After our victory, we continued our patrol of Mos Eisley. However, our patrol was interrupted by a RID member issuing out a distress call. He was being hassled by a -D S- member in the Rebel town of Anchorhead. Wishing to teach these bullies a lesson, RID immediately sent their forces to Anchorhead, where our best battle of the day would be fought. Upon landing in Anchorhead, we were immediately bombarded by blaster fire. Dim-Side had a whole group of them there! We were certain that defeat would be imminent. We were well equipped to kill one, or even a few -D S- soldiers, but not this many. However, we had no other option but to fight. Soldiers on both sides were being killed in a battle that was dragging on violently. Endless waves of enemy -D S- soldiers rolled in as we fought. MEK was considering sending some of their troops to Anchorhead to relieve us, but they were busy fighting a few other -D S- forces in Mos Eisley. This battle would need to be fought on our own!

We fought on, but we were certain that the -D S- troops would eventually overwhelm us. However, thanks to proficient medical assistance from our combat medics, we managed to remain standing, and keep on fighting. While the fighting continued, spectators not taking part in the war began to gather around. At first they were expecting -D S- to win, but cheered RID on as they saw we were gaining ground. Soon, the last of the -D S- enemies were either being killed, or pushed out of town. Finally, the weapons fell silent. As we looked around, we came to the realization that we had won! Fireworks were launched and we cheered in celebration. Many of the spectators immediately submitted their applications to RID, and our numbers and strength swelled. Yet the war was not yet over, or so we thought. It was expected to go on for a couple more days, or at least until one side chose to yield from the war.

-D S- Fallen

Although the war was expected to continue, it did not. Later that night, after Dim-Side’s defeat in Anchorhead, many -D S- members abandoned their organization to join IMPHL’s sister association named SINHL. SINHL and -D S- were then merged to become SINDS. Since -D S- had technically yielded from the war, it was an official victory for RID! Yet it was too early for us to get excited. The collapse of -D S- did not mean Europa had fallen. In fact, matters were now more problematic. The -D S- members leaving to join SINDS threatened our delicate relationship with IMPHL. Ties between IMPHL and RID were just improving. If we chose to aggravate SINDS, IMPHL would get involved, as well as any of their allied Imperial organizations. We did not want the situation to get out of hand, even if SINDS and IMPHL had loyalties to Europa. We decided by this time to cut our losses, and simply avoid conflict with the newly formed SINDS. As far as we were concerned, the victory with -D S- was enough to get our point across.

But not all members were pleased with the fact that -D S- backed out of the war. Amaroo, the high ranking RID official, and mayor of Fort D’aroo, who deliberated during our meeting at the Vreni Island, left RID. She said, “This war is not over for me. I am waging war against SINDS.” Members of RID agreed that she was most likely insane for thinking that she could single-handedly wage war against SINDS. As far as SINDS’ affiliation with Europa was concerned, we discovered that they were not as united as we originally suspected. In fact, many members of SINDS did not think very highly of Weifert, Knoxikov, or this Europa Network. Many members of SINDS stressed that they were not related to Europa, despite Weifert saying otherwise. This proved to us that Europa was simply a shell of what it once was. It was only Weifert and a handful of other supporters that constituted his “Network.” Following our war with -D S-, RID pledged that war would only be waged against the head of Europa himself – Weifert. We did not want any conflict with Imperials, no matter how controversial our relationship with them may have been. For now, it was time to unwind. A dueling tournament of our own was arranged for the day after our war. It was a perfect time for us to celebrate!

Fort Oasis Dueling Tournament

Our tournament proceeded as scheduled, despite several threats from Knoxikov who claimed that he would sabotage the celebration. Denizens from across the galaxy were welcomed to attend the festivities in Fort Oasis. A variety of activities were put together, such as speederbike races, a lottery, and a fireworks show. There was also music, dancing, and a dueling tournament in a very large, underground arena. One of the most impressive aspects of the entire night was that Max Rebo and his band performed near our cantina. However, the night got even more hectic when a mysterious transport craft landed in the middle of our city. Suddenly, legions of Battle Droids stormed out of the transport and opened fire on the celebrators! Their origin and motives were unknown, but there was no time to ask questions. Everyone opened fire, from traders to warriors, and after a long while, the fighting finally ceased. No one or anything could take Fort Oasis from us!

Obsidian Order

Not long after -D S- members joined SINHS and turned it into SINDS, the Obsidian Order was formed. Knoxikov was one of the organization's main leaders. This organization proved to be the flagship for the Europa Network – and Amaroo was not yet out of the picture. I was shocked to see that on the galactic Holo-Net, Weifert announced that Amaroo would be appointed as one of the Obsidian Order’s official leader’s! Was Amaroo doing this as undercover operation? Or was it simple a crafty way to defect to Europa? I had to find out, so I called on Amaroo to meet with me. During our meeting, Amaroo assured me that she would defeat Europa from within. I took her word for it, and concluded the meeting. After that meeting, I never saw Amaroo for another few years. This meant Fort D’aroo’s position was at stake, since it was now under the management of a mayor missing in action. A new mayor had to be placed into office as soon as possible. For now though, we had to work on fostering our neutrality between Europa and its Obsidian Order. As it was, we had quite enough fighting for the year. Any operation against Europa was now solely in the hands of Amaroo. Of course, we were still uncertain she would even fulfill her pledge.

Despite our public attempt to establish neutrality with the Obsidian Order, Knoxikov continued to pester our members. He even succeeded in defecting several of our members to join the Obsidian Order. The Obsidian Order was an organization that primarily focused on warlike activities. This culture appealed to members who were bloodthirsty for constant conflicts against other organizations. However, many members remained loyal to RID, and informed me of Knoxikov’s wishes to defect our members. Some of our members played along, pretending as though they wanted to work against RID. In doing so, we could confuse Knoxikov, and perhaps gain more information regarding him and the Obsidian Order.

Meanwhile, someone named Alexai contacted me. If it were not for Hasock’s intelligence gathering, I would not have known that Alexai was actually another one of Europa's agents. I was certain that Alexai would pretend to be some sort of spy, acting on the behalf of Europa. Oddly, my expectations were false. Alexai was in fact divulging beneficial information to me. Alexai was giving me the names of spies in RID, working against me. I knew he was not trying to implicate innocent members, because the names he supplied to me were in fact the names of members who pretended to work against us. I was confused as to why Alexai was divulging this information, but I was certainly not going to complain. Alexai also implied that Amaroo was possibly working against me. I was unsure what to make of this, but still had faith that Amaroo was loyally working undercover in our favor. After my conversation with Alexai, I made further attempts to cut off any kind of relationship between RID and Europa. Despite my attempts, matters persisted, especially when I had to leave on a ten day excursion. All leadership responsibilities would fall on the shoulders of RID's commanding officers.

Obsidian Order at War?

During my absence, the Obsidian Order announced that they would be declaring war against one or multiple Rebel organizations. After the announcement was made, the Obsidian Order contacted RID members, and asked them to leave RID to aid them in their war. Several members did so, but most pledged to join only temporarily, as they were hungry for war against the Rebels. And since relations with the Obsidian Order appeared less hostile, RID members were more willing to work with Knoxikov and his organization. Oddly however, no war against any Rebel organizations took place. This led us to believe that the promise of “war” was only a ploy to draw RID members to the Obsidian Order. However, it made little difference to us. Most of the RIDs who promised to only leave temporarily were immediately brought back into RID.

A Subservient RID?

As time went by, Knoxikov became less hostile, and his rhetoric against RID seemed to diminish. It also appeared that many of his own members were becoming fed up with his demeanor. Because Knoxikov and the Obsidian Order acted more peaceably to us, several RID members suggested that we ally with their organization. Personally, I wanted nothing to do with them, and most other RID members agreed with me on this. Maintaining a simple neutrality between RID and Europa’s Obsidian Order seemed sufficient enough.

At one point, Knoxikov offered to have RID work under the Obsidian Order as a “recruitment platform.” Under this proposal, people who were not peaked in combat efficiency would join RID. As soon as they became proficient fighters, they would leave RID and join the Obsidian Order. I did not know what to make of this. Was he genuinely being serious, or was he mocking us? I respectfully declined his proposal, and stood by my decision despite his attempts to change my mind.

SINDS... Obsidian Order... and Europa, Gone…

Not long after I declined Knoxikov’s “recruitment platform” idea, Knoxikov and Weifert disappeared. SINDS apparently disbanded to re-merge with IMPHL, their main organization. The Obsidian Order disbanded as well. As for Europa’s cities, they stood as ghost towns, and as a reminder of Europa’s constant rises and failures. They would later collapse or be taken over by other parties. Many members who were originally in the Obsidian Order joined RID, strengthening RID’s combat superiority substantially. Several RIDs who left to join the Obsidian Order permanently, apologized for doing so, and regretted their decision.

I pondered what had transpired, and asked myself how the Europa Network fell. Was it Amaroo? I had no idea, and could not ask her, for Amaroo went into hiding for several years. Either way, RID found solace in the fact that Europa was once again gone, and that we could now focus on other matters.

Battle without a Shot Heard

Because we were preoccupied with Europa, RID could not focus on taking back Aurora Farpoint Valley on Tatooine. With the Europa Network fallen, we could now focus our attention against the Rebellion. After consulting with fellow RID members, and other Imperial organizations, we set a time and a date for us to reoccupy Aurora Farpoint Valley. The Rebels learned of our intentions, so we were certain that we would be facing a considerably large force.

Preparing for the worst, our Imperial forces assembled in the neighboring Farpoint City. After equipping ourselves, and sharing supplies, we began our march down to the Aurora Farpoint Valley city hall. As we approached the city, we surveyed the horizon. There appeared to be no Rebel resistance in sight! As a single force, we strode through the streets of the city, and stood before the city hall. We looked around us one more time, but no enemies were around. There was absolutely no resistance. The city was ours once again, and without a single shot fired. Our city became Fort Farpoint Valley once again!

Countless Forts Throughout the Galaxy

Meanwhile on Rori, the city of Fort D’aroo was shrinking. It now no longer appeared on the nav-map, and remained under the inactive mayorship of Amaroo, who had not been spotted since the rise and fall of the Obsidian Order. Plans for Fort D’aroo’s recovery were put underway. We remained hopeful that a new mayor could be appointed, and that the city would one day grow beyond its former glory. On Tatooine, Fort Knox, the small city near Fort Tusken, fell apart due to unknown reasons. Although Fort Knox was not a RID city, we were still loosely affiliated with some of their citizens. Though their loss was somewhat disappointing, it had virtually no affect on RID’s condition.

For the time being, Fort Oasis, Fort Selinor, Fort Farpoint Valley, Fort Aurora and Sparta (which again, was later renamed by Gounk to Fort Sparta) remained standing on the desert world of Tatooine. Though Fort Konohonaha on Tatooine was mostly abandoned, it still remained standing for a while longer. On Lok, there remained Fort Familiar and Fort Leviathen. This meant that there were almost ten Forts, all of which were under our control or in close affiliation with RID. Yet these cities were going through a number of changes. Fort Leviathen underwent a mayoral transition from Leviathen to his friend, Takura. Out of all the cities we ran or affiliated with, Fort Oasis, Fort Leviathen, and Fort D’aroo remained on our top-priority list.

Indeed, it was proving to be quite difficult to maintain so many Forts all at once. The idea of transferring or demolishing certain cities was considered. In doing this, we would be able to allocate most our resources to just a handful of Forts. For now though, we did our best to manage the cities we had.

Imperial Gathering at Flame's Hold, Talus

The Galactic Civil War was intensifying once again. Factional bases were playing a more vital role in the war effort. In light of this, the Empire remained committed to destroying enemy bases, and defending their our own installations. Many Imperial organizations were told to gather in Flame’s Hold, Talus, the capital city of one of our allies, the StarHawk Conglomerate. In this city, a very large summit was to be held to discuss the unified future of the Empire. At this meeting, RID, SHC, WAKE, THM, and numerous other Imperial organizations, sat and listened to a speech by Colonel Veers himself. All Imperial leaders, including myself, accepted a plaque from Colonel Veers after his speech ended. I and the other Imperial leaders also delivered speeches about the state of the Empire, and how it should remain unified in the war against the Rebel Alliance. For the most part, the Imperial summit went well. It sparked new alliances between various Imperial organizations, and bolstered the already existing ties between other, larger organizations.

A Wakeup Call

To test our strength as an Empire, RID fought alongside other Imperial organizations to destroy Rebel bases, especially on Tatooine. While some were failures due to the lack of adequate slicers, the majority were successful. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for our defenses. Threats towards Fort Oasis were growing. Various Rebels, including an influential Rebel leader named Quinlin, threatened that our military installations would be destroyed. Indeed, Fort Oasis had many military bases. Two major installations were located within the city boundaries of Fort Oasis. Many others were scattered about the outskirts. Unfortunately, the Rebellion followed through with their threats. They succeeded in wiping out not only the two bases inside Fort Oasis, but also the many others in the surrounding region. This surprise attack proved to be a wakeup call for RID. From that point on, we would need to be more diligent in defending our capital city.

Hasock Reporting for Duty

With the Europa Network gone, now was our chance to take back control of the United Europa Network city on Lok. We had to act swiftly, for we were not willing to let another hostile party take control of our once beloved Fort Mirage! Now was the time for Hasock, our loyal agent, to run for election. Because the city was mostly abandoned, Hasock faced no opposition. He legally won the election after a few weeks. Finally, after all these months, our Lokian city was back in RID’s hands – its rightful owner! With Hasock as mayor, changes were immediately executed. The city was renamed to Fort Maelstrom – a new name, for a new beginning. Pro-Europan statues were torn down, and a cantina was built, along with a cloning facility, shuttleport, and park. New citizens were brought into the city, and Fort Maelstrom continued to prosper.

However, Fort Maelstrom was not the only city to experience major changes. Just when Fort D’aroo on Rori continued to crumble, Erougn of RID stepped forward to aid the city. He won the election unopposed, taking Amaroo’s place as mayor. After gaining control, he instantly revitalized the city, bringing it back up to township status. More loyal Imperials were welcomed to live in Fort D’aroo, and Erougn even commissioned the construction of a cloning facility. Finally, the future of Fort D’aroo no longer looked bleak.

Our Future?

After a long and arduous year, RID faced yet another anniversary in commemoration of our third non-standard year of existence. Festivities were held in Fort Oasis, with racing competitions, lottery games, and firework shows taking place at every corner. Yet during this time of celebration, I felt humbled. RID had grown and outlasted many organizations, yet we still had much more work to complete. I was unable to foresee where RID would stand a few months from then, in the fight against the Rebellion. Although the Empire had attempted reunification at the Imperial summit in Flame’s Hold, the Galactic Empire was weaker than we cared to admit. Little progress was being made against the Rebellion, and we were unsure if that would change.

As I surveyed the festivities taking place in Fort Oasis, I contemplated our future. Would the fourth year of RID present hope or despair for the Empire? Time would tell.

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR FOUR

Opponent in Fort Farpoint Valley

On the first day of the fourth non-standard year of RID's founding, Hel’mut Yovel faced yet another political election in Fort Farpoint Valley, Tatooine. His opponent was Gawau, member of an organization called Ghosts of the Republic, or GHOST for short. Although they denied it publicly, Ghosts of the Republic was clearly sympathetic to the Rebellion. The election started out evenly, with both Hel’mut and Gawau tied in votes. However, as time went by, Gawau slowly gained votes as his Rebel supporters flocked to the ballot box. Where did these people come from? I was about to find out. I requested that I meet with Gawau on behalf of Hel’mut, to discuss the election. He agreed to do so, and so I met with him in the city hall where he, along with his associate, were waiting. In an apparent attempt to aggravate me, Gawau was sitting in Hel’mut’s office chair, as if he had already won the election. Ty’e, the loyal crusader who has been in RID years ago, requested to speak alongside me during the meeting. I agreed to let Ty’e attend the meeting. Ever since he left RID many months ago, I had not spoken to him. He now appeared to be a mercenary, independent of the Empire. Still, I felt he could help me speak at the meeting. To start things off, I inquired as to why Gawau was running for election, and where he had come from. According to Gawau, GHOST was accustomed to the way things were in the city before Hel’mut took control. The reason they had not protested Hel’mut’s rise to power was because Gawau and his associates spent some time away from the city for several months. After their long break, GHOST expected to see the city rolled out before them in the same stagnant condition. Following their return, they were surprised and disappointed to see Hel’mut in office, Imperializing the city. As a result of this, Gawau ran for election with the support of his followers.

Although I now understood the situation, I was not willing to let Fort Farpoint Valley fall in the hands of insurgents. I regretfully informed Gawau that he would not, nor should he expect to win the current election. Upset by my rather straightforward reply, he and his associate left the office rather angrily. Following the meeting, the possibility of a civil war erupting within the city grew imminent. However, such a war never occurred, due to GHOST’s unwillingness to take part in hostile activities. Instead, Gawau and his supporters disseminated propaganda, making it seem as though we were the aggressive party, not looking after the interests of our citizens. These accusations were refuted, but it made little difference to our opponents. We were accused of imitating Europa, even though we were simply defending Fort Farpoint Valley from being taken over by Rebels. The arguments continued, but Hel’mut managed to rally the support of loyal Imperial citizens. Over time, it became apparent that Hel’mut would emerge victorious. By this point, Gawau essentially announced that he would concede the election. He said that he and his organization would reside in another, far more welcoming city. We were certainly not going to protest his decision. However, despite his apparent concession, Gawau remained in the election, in a feeble attempt to gain last minute votes. However, his efforts were to no avail. Hel’mut Yovel emerged victorious at the end of the election cycle. Although it was not a vast majority, any victory was a good victory. Following Hel'mut's re-election, GHOST finally packed up and relocated to the Nabooian city named Tergill. We no longer had to worry about GHOST, now that they were hidden away in their distant corner of Naboo. For now, we simply celebrated Hel’muts victory, comforted by the fact that Fort Farpoint Valley could live on in peace.

Emperor Visits Theed

Following our hectic election, RID learned of some interesting news. Emperor Palpatine himself was scheduled to deliver a public speech at the Theed Palace. Issele began planning the details for this major event, and even contacted me to assist her. For the Emperor’s speech, I was tasked with working with Jod Iegemai of SHC to amass a large Imperial Stormtrooper parade. Troopers from both our organizations, as well as several others, rose to the occasion. After organizing the stormtroopers into proper formation, Jod and I marched them through the winding streets of Theed. During the march, spectators cheered us on, while others, perhaps loyal to the Rebellion, kept silent. After several minutes, we reached the palace steps. Upon our arrival, the stormtroopers were ordered to hold position, while Jod and I walked up the palace stairs. After our climb, we turned towards the Grand Archway, witnessing the large number of citizens gathering around in celebration. As Jod and I stood atop the palace steps, other Imperial leaders climbed up to join us.
After a short wait, an Imperial Shuttle was spotted in the distance. It glided gently toward us, and came in for a soft landing. As the ramp opened, Emperor Palpatine stepped off, climbed the palace steps, and stood between me and Jod. Immediately, the stormtroopers, citizens, and guards grew silent. The Emperor opened his speech, first by addressing his subjects. He then continued to discuss the growing threat of the Rebellion, and how the Empire must act swiftly to crush them. As he spoke, citizens nodded and cheered in excitement. After his introduction, the Emperor began speaking about specifics. Speaking to the many Imperial combatants at the parade, he personally tasked the Regal Imperial Defenders with organizing Imperial soldiers after his speech. His orders were clear. We were to accumulate a massive army, and occupy the ruins of Old Thalnax. This was of course the location of TIO’s former city. However, it had since been claimed by Rebel terrorists, and littered with Rebel installations. He wished to have the Empire destroy these installations, and clear out any Rebel insurgency. Palpatine finally concluded his speech, and returned to his shuttle. After the shuttle took off and departed, I stepped forward to speak to the Imperial soldiers.

As I spoke, I simply reiterated the requests of Palpatine. I requested that Imperial troopers begin mobilizing to a field camp in the Gallo Mountains. From there, we would begin our march to the ruins of Old Thalnax, and wage war. Unfortunately, most of the Imperials did not want to take my requests seriously. Despite active attempts to organize Imperials into groups, most other Imperials were disorderly, and refused to take part in the attack. Many instead followed their own organization’s leader, and took part in unsystematic attacks within Theed. Only a small group of Imperials mobilized to the Imperial Forward Base Camp to prepare for an assault on Old Thalnax. I and many others knew that our attempts would be futile. The ruins of Old Thalnax were heavily guarded by Rebel operatives, led by a skilled leader named Hiroshikun. With our small battalion of troopers, we stood no chance. Though we managed to attack some Rebels en route to the ruins of Old Thalnax, we were ultimately dispatched by the larger resistance force. To our dismay, it was quite apparent that Hiroshikun and his Rebel operatives had won. Though fighting did spread within Theed, the entire charade was disappointing. It clearly exposed the state of disrepair the Empire was in. Not even a massive parade, featuring Emperor Palpatine could bring the Empire together.

As time passed by, it became more and more apparent why many Imperial had refused to participate. Certain organizations, one especially, were unwilling to follow us into battle. These organization believed that that me and RID had no experience, and should not be getting involved in combat. Xalya, a former THM member who had left to join IMPHL, was one of the outspoken individuals who spoke against RID. She made it quite clear that RID was an incompetent organization. She even held deep-rooted suspicions that RID in fact held loyalties to the Rebellion. These were of course unfounded rumors, fueled by IMPHL and other adversaries.

Although these accusations were distressing, the best we could do was ignore them. I knew that with time, trust towards RID would improve.

War with Ex-Op

Our failure on Naboo was soon overshadowed by other matters. A Rebel conglomerate known as Executive Operations, or Ex-Op for short, was violently attacking the Empire. Ex-Op was a Rebel coalition of many Rebel organizations that temporarily merged into one combat unit. Its purpose was to use the most skilled fighters of the Rebellion and engage other Imperial organizations in isolated battles. After Ex-Op had fought and won against multiple Imperial organizations, they looked towards RID as their next target. Not willing to step down from a fight, RID prepared for war. T’omo Aedon, the Ithorian coordinator on Ex-Op’s side, put in place several rules of engagement, and set forth a day to declare war against RID.

Before the war ignited, I called for a meeting to take place in Fort Oasis. Here, I explained to RID the details of the conflict, and prepared them for battle. As I looked around, I realized that we had a large, worthy force. This was especially promising, since Ex-Op was a rather small organization. In fact, Ex-Op was concerned that perhaps due to our overwhelming numbers, the conflict would be one-sided. Yet there was no time for either side to weigh the odds. War was imminent, so I called on RID to travel to Theed, where Ex-Op forces were gathering. As soon as we had arrived, fighting erupted between RID and Ex-Op. The battle was violent, ending with considerable losses on both sides. After our fight in Theed, Ex-Op travelled to Tatooine, and invaded Fort Oasis. Here, they attacked many of our Imperial installations. They even had other Rebels outside of Ex-Op helping them. As soon as we had learned of their attack, we set up a camp on the outskirts, preparing to take back our city. As soon as we were ready, we marched into Fort Oasis, engaging the Rebels. Despite taking out several Ex-Ops, the battle was a failure. Ex-Op continued to occupy Fort Oasis, and conducted a short party in our city hall. However, their occupation was short-lived. Ex-Op eventually had to mobilize to Mos Eisley, where we decimated their forces. However, following our success, Ex-Op grew more organized, so we took refuge in the Lucky Despot cantina. As our numbers dwindled throughout the night, I was forced to go on-leave for a short while. I handed command over to both Pipio and Toor of RID. Both these members were skilled fighters who would handle the war during my time away.

Because I was on-leave, I was unable to observe how the rest of the war unfolded. However, I was later briefed by other members on what had happened. Apparently, after I had gone on-leave, another battle was carried out in Theed. During this battle, fighting became more violent, and controversy with Ex-Op erupted. RID began accusing Ex-Op of violating several rules of engagement, particularly the rule which bans the use of non-affiliated medics in combat. In other words, Ex-Op was using medics outside of their organization to aid them in the war effort. This gave them a clear edge in the conflict, because we were barred from attacking medics that we did not openly declare war with. It was a shunned tactic, and it demonstrated to RID that Ex-Op would use whatever method necessary to win the war. With both sides now disregarding policy, the fighting between RID and Ex-Op grew more and more chaotic. Eventually, Ex-Op terminated the war, feeling content that they had defeated RID. Their final battle report stated, “We claim a successful campaign with fair amount of casualties.” The entire conflict between RID and Ex-Op was extremely short, so we had to scoff at their battle report. As far as we were concerned, they withdrew from the conflict, so they had been defeated, or at best, stalemated. Either way, the semantics meant little to us. RID was still standing strong. But with Ex-Op more disgusted with RID than ever before, would the war truly be over?

War with Ex-Op Part Two

The day after the war's conclusion, Ex-Op announced that they would like to resume combat operations against RID. They were not satisfied with the previous results, and wanted to attack us again out of vengeance. We gathered our forces, and prepared for yet another war. However, we were now very concerned. The upcoming combat activities were such short notice, that we would be unable to field many fighters. Nonetheless, we did not ignore their re-declaration of war. We prepared our forces in Fort Oasis, and awaited the Ex-Op invasion. As Ex-Op forces were spotted in the distance, we opened fire. Yet we could not easily stand up against Ex-Op this time around. They had us outnumbered, so we were forced to take refuge within our turreted Tactical Center. The turrets fired against them, killing some opponents, but it did not take long for Ex-Op to tear down the Tactical Center’s defenses. By that point, we were pinned down, and could not fight back. We agreed to a ceasefire, bringing the war to a complete end.

While the second round of conflict against Ex-Op was by no means a success, RID had fought valiantly. Ex-Op now had a greater respect for RID, feeling the war had ended honorably. Following the end of conflict, Ex-Op once against published their battle report. Yet again, Ex-Op claimed, “Success with fair amount of casualties.”

Organized Base Strikes on Naboo

As the Galactic Civil War intensified, destroying Rebel installations became more and more important. In order to effectively destroy these Rebel installations, organized and funded base strikes became the norm. Imperial organizations such as IMPHL, SHC, and WAKE were greatly involved in funding base busting operations on Naboo. Many other Imperial organizations took part in these activities as well. Because RID wished to aid the Empire, we attended these events, and assisted in destroying the Rebel bases. Yet RID was apparently not invited to these exclusive combat operations. Even though we were helping to fund these activities, many Imperial organizations grew suspicious towards RID. Certain Imperials were particularly suspicious of one of our members, named Toor. They were under the false impression that we were supplying Rebels with the time and locations of these base busts, so that they could disrupt the Imperials. This was a blind accusation, fueled by nothing more than personal vendettas against us. Although Issele was sympathetic, she kindly requested that RID not attend these base busting operations, since we were technically not invited. She recommended that I speak with leaders from both SHC and IMPHL.

I agreed to meet with ‘Venus’ and Lestat of IMPHL, and Joddles of SHC in the city of Flame’s Hold on Talus. After gathering in the city hall, they explained why they were suspicious of RID. They explained that RID had been bounty hunting their fellow members. Regretfully, this was no lie. In the recent past, a few rogue RID members had bounty hunted fellow Imperials. Yet I informed Joddles, ‘Venus’, and Lestat that the perpetrators were immediately dismissed from RID. Even they agreed that the same-faction bounty hunting dilemma was no longer a concern. They were actually more concerned with Toor, whom they felt was supplying Rebels with information about the base busting operations. Apparently, Rebel operatives had been disrupting Imperial advances. This seemed to clearly indicate that there was a spy within the Empire, yet who the spy could possibly be was unknown. The base busting operations consisted of countless Imperials. Any one of them could have been feeding information to the Rebels. I stressed that Toor was very loyal to the Empire, and that he, nor any other RID member were involved in traitorous activities. The representatives of SHC and IMPHL were not wholly convinced, but they agreed to give RID a chance. They said that if RID stayed out of their operations for two weeks, then they may consider inviting RID to help. If Rebels continued to attack in the absence of RID members, then this would indicate that we were not the traitors. Although I was not completely satisfied, I agreed to their terms.

In the meantime, I decided that RID could form their own base busting operations, at least until SHC and IMPHL granted us to the approval to join in on their operations. However, when Lestat learned that we were organizing our own Tatooinian base busting operations, he was greatly insulted. He cut off all further ties with RID, claiming that our actions were a slap in the face to IMPHL and the Empire. He said it was even worse that we did not invite him and IMPHL. In order to paint RID as a malicious organization, he forwarded an electronic mail to many Imperials, pointing out that we were excluding loyal Imperials. Yet this was an outright lie. In fact, we had invited not just IMPHL, but numerous other Imperial organizations to assist in our operations. Lestat realized he had erred, and grudgingly sent another mail pointing out his previous mistake. Still, Lestat held resentment towards RID. Unfazed, we continued on with our operations, and destroyed many Rebel bases on Tatooine, with the help of several Imperial organizations. Though our operations were not as large or efficient as the ones on Naboo, they were still quite successful.

Strangely enough, in the days that ensued, Toor decided to leave RID and join SHC. Although losing Toor was definitely disappointing, we were quite surprised that SHC would have recruited him. After all, SHC and their close IMPHL allies had just recently accused him of traitorous activities. It was in fact quite hypocritical, but what more could I say?

Europa the Fourth?

As time passed by, we learned that our “friend” Weifert had yet again emerged from hiding. This time though, we decided not to make a big deal over his apparent “re-re-return.” Weifert ended up joining the Imperial organization Obsucurus Circulus, which we had just developed loose ties with. Not willing to start an open conflict against Weifert or OC, we simply decided to remain quiet and co-exist. Yet we remained concerned that co-existence would not be possible. The city of Suum Ca’nara on Lok was formerly Europa Dark Supremacy, during Europa’s “Third Return.” With the emergence of Weifert, it was once again renamed, this time to Europa Network. Although it appeared Europa was starting yet another rise to power, we did our best to remain uninvolved.

However, more bad news came to our attention. Hasock informed me that he was facing opposition in the Fort Maelstrom election on Lok. His opponent happened to be Knoxikov, the higher-up who had served Europa months before! Not long after Knoxikov registered for election, Hasock renamed the city to Maelstrom. Apparently, Knoxikov promised to withdraw from the election if Fort Maelstrom broke ties with RID and withdrew as a Fort. By outwardly ending all ties, Hasock hoped that Knoxikov and the rest of Europa would leave the city alone. Fortunately, Weifter and Knoxikov still seemed to have no idea that Hasock was affiliated with Toor, and had spied for RID in the past. We wanted it to stay this way, so that we could subvert Weifert and Knoxikov. I spoke with Toor, and ordered him to keep the Maelstrom election low profile. To assist Hasock, we redirected RID citizens into the city to gain votes for our party.

Later, while hunting on Naboo, I received a message from someone named Dahver. I never met this person before, but he knew me, and seemed to be affiliated with Europa. Dahver contacted me, hoping to diplomatically speak about the election on Lok. I agreed to discuss the election, but I tried not to sound involved. I told Dahver things like, “RID is not really involved with that city anymore, so it is not quite our concern.” I told him to instead sort out the election with Toor, who was now in SHC. Yet when I told Dahver to do this, he very confusingly told me, “Toor is gone.” He said he had already contacted SHC, and they told him that Toor had gone missing. I finally began to come clean. I told him that Toor could not be missing. I had spoken to him relatively recently, and both he and Hasock were very closely affiliated. I revealed to Dahver that Hasock had in fact been working with us all along, and that Toor had been working very closely with Hasock in managing Fort Maelstrom. Dahver was rather surprised by this revelation and said, “That is very interesting.” At that point, the entire conversation concerning the city ended, and he became friendlier. He started some small talk, and even directed me to the Obscurus Circulus communication forums, so that RID could start a stronger alliance with them. I later spoke with Weifert, and we held a reasonable conversation about RID, OC, and the future of the Empire. It was pretty strange to me that there now no more animosity between us, but I certainly was not going to complain.

Later, Kaelstrom was renamed back to Fort Kaelstrom, and resumed outward ties with RID as soon as Knoxikov lost the election. Following the election, Weifert and Knoxikov faded from the public view yet again. The city of Europa Network on Lok remained for several more months, but was eventually renamed.

Quintuple Alliance

Not long after we devised plans to go through with our own base busting operations, I was contacted by an Imperial leader named Obmit. Obmit was an Imperial representative of an organization called SinisteR, or SR for short. He expressed interest in having RID help to form base busting operations alongside them, and other organizations such as Valor, SW, and KMA. This was in fact good timing, for our plans were about to be executed. By combining our operations, we would in fact be more effective. I informed Obmit that RID would be interested in helping. Throughout our conversation, Obmit mentioned that they too were barred from the same base busts that we were blocked from.

Thanks to Spenk of RID, and the assistance of several other Imperial organizations, we managed to orchestrate weekly base busting operations. However, some animosity still existed between our four organizations, and IMPHL, SHC and WAKE. In an attempt to resolve this resentment, Valor eventually came to term with IMPHL, and several other organizations. Unfortunately, RID was still left to sort out relationships on its own. Fortunately, Issele managed to rise to a high enough rank in SHC, and recommended to her leadership that ties be improved between RID and SHC. Following Issele’s recommendation, SHC decided to extend an invitation of goodwill to RID. We were invited to take part in a variety of celebrations within their city of Flame’s Hold. Issele even spoke with Lestat of IMPHL, and claimed that incorporating RID in their base busting operations would be beneficial to the Empire. She told Lestat that it was no use being suspicious towards RID, because Toor was now a member of SHC. It was clear that he was no traitor, and that the previous allegations had been false. Fortunately, Lestat took this into consideration. The suspicions between RID and IMPHL faded, and we were soon invited to participate in their combat activities on a weekly basis. Over time, the short lived “Quintuple Alliance” faded away as we began strengthening our ties with most Imperial organizations. Also, the guild of KMA was becoming more Rebel-aligned, forcing us to break off relations with their leaders.

Fort Aurora Secedes

During RID’s contentious time with many Imperial organizations, Fort Aurora seceded from the Fort Network and renamed their city back to Aurora Duo – a slight variation of its original name, Aurora Dou, which may have possibly been a naming error. Because RID barely concerned itself with the city, Aurora Dou could easily secede. Following its secession, the city fell under new management. A Rebel organization called the United Faction Alliance moved in, and took over its government.

Inep the Mayor

After Amaroo’s disappearance, Erougn took over as mayor of Fort D’aroo, and managed it adequately. Unfortunately, Erougn ended up missing, forcing us to appoint a new mayor. After some amount of consideration, we decided that Inep could run the city. Inep agreed to take up this responsibility, and registered himself for election. After his victory, Inep proved himself to be an excellent mayor. He aided in the growth of the city significantly. In fact, there was no one more accustomed to Rori and Restuss than Inep himself. Inep was notorious for being one of the best fighters in Restuss, crushing Rebels efficiently. Thanks to the influx of citizens brought forth by Inep, the city met the prerequisites for official expansion. Following its expansion, the city would be able to sign-off on the construction of a shuttleport. Unfortunately, due to the present city limitations on Rori, Fort D’aroo was not permitted to expand, at least for the time being.

Eventually, Erougn emerged from his disappearance. He pledged that he was still loyal to RID, and that he would be willing to assist the growing Regal Navy. However, Inep was still allowed to continue serving as Fort D’aroo’s mayor. He was doing an excellent job, so there was no need to replace him, at least not yet.

Ty'e's Proposal

I was eventually contacted by Ty’e regarding Fort Farpoint Valley. Respectfully, yet very matter-of-factly, he requested that it be possible for his organization to take control of Fort Farpoint Valley. I was not yet eager to give up on the city quite yet. If Ty’e and his organization took control of the city, it would no longer be a pure Imperial community. When I asked Issele for her advice, she told me not to transfer the city, at least not to Ty’e’s organization. She wanted to avoid what had happened in the former sister city of Farpoint City, where the thriving metropolis was torn apart in an electoral feud. I was also puzzled by the fact that Ty’e was requesting control of the city now. He had accompanied me during my meeting with Gawau. He could have easily spoken up then about the city, instead of now, when Fort Farpoint Valley was already under tight control.

Taking all these factors into consideration, I told him we would not be transferring control of the city. Fortunately, he understood and went his separate way. However, one thing was for certain; Hel’mut’s control over the city was growing to become rather untenable. Proposals were being drafted, regarding whether or not it would be better for RID to relinquish its direct control over the city.

Imperial Forces Together

Throughout the galaxy, Rebel installations continued to be attacked and destroyed, this time by a more or less unified Empire. Because RID was no longer blacklisted, we could now more fully aid the Empire in its war against the Rebellion. In an effort to improve our relations with IMPHL, our organization donated them millions of credits to help fund base busting attacks. We also gained intelligence regarding the names of Rebels terrorizing their newly built city. These Rebels were apparently bent on performing a hostile takeover of their city. To assist IMPHL, we disseminated the names of these Rebels, and offered advice on how to secure control of their city. Despite all that had happened between RID and IMPHL in the past, we could not allow an Imperial city to fall into Rebel hands. Though IMPHL never thanked us, we knew that they were at least somewhat appreciative of our support.

Division Revamp

Ever since its birth long ago, RID had undergone numerous division reformations. We started from seven divisions based upon professional skills and segregation by species, to an even more complex version of countless divisions, with many Commanders taking charge. Eventually, thanks to Kurke, our division structure was simplified significantly in an effort to present a clear command structure. This proved to be effective, and ever since that time, we have adopted a principle of “keeping it simple.” However, the current system was no longer suitable. Our current structure was limited in that keeping track of our members’ individual professions and skills was virtually impossible. Many members would change their profession, making it difficult to determine what division they should be put in. This was before RID had access to real-time information, which would automatically update our roster with up-to-date membership information.

Therefore, in an attempt to make divisions easier to manage, a slightly newer system was proposed. The general core of the previous system was left intact, but we would instead rely on a person’s primary interests, rather than on their professional status. Our organization was to be reorganized into four new divisions, called the Intel Team, Regal Armed Forces, and Commercial Company. The Regal Navy was also designated as an official division. Like before, each division would be led by a Commander and Captain. Those who preferred to deal with diplomatic or undercover operations would deal with secret police activities in the Intel Team. Those who preferred ground combat entered the Armed Forces, whereas skilled pilots would enter the Navy. The only division which would rely on specific, professional skills was the Commercial Company. This division would only permit traders, or in some instances, entertainers. Another aspect of this system was that not all members would be in a division. Members would have to prove themselves in their field of interest, before being appointed. Those not in a division would be identified as “Recruits.” Upon incorporating this new system, it immediately appeared to be a success. Following its implementation, we remained hopeful we would not need to enact another division revamp any time soon.

Regal Armed Forces

Out of all the divisions in RID, none were growing as quickly and strongly as the Regal Armed Forces. This division was accepting a large number of skilled fighters in RID, making it quite successful. The division was soon placed under the command of Inep, who had previously served as the Minister of Propaganda for the Intel Team. Inep proved to be one of our most beneficial members. Besides bringing Fort D’aroo to prosperity, Inep was one of the best fighters in the neighboring ruins of Restuss. During his combat duties within the warzone, he would find many Imperial Special Forces to join our organizations. Likewise, because of Inep, many members already within RID were becoming more involved with ground combat. RID was quickly becoming a formidable threat to the Rebellion, and it would only be a matter of time before RID could become one of the top Imperial organizations in the field of ground combat.

Not only did Inep perform well in attacking Rebel forces, but he also proposed multiple ideas to improve RID. One of his proposals was to designate a building in Fort D’aroo which could be used as a safe house for Imperials. This safe house would have medics providing nonstop medical attention, as well as entertainment for the weary soldiers. The safe house would be an optimal place for troops to rally and prepare for battle. Inep also proposed improved means of communication and better supply options. This included the issuing of better constructed armor and weapons. However, our Armed Forces were not the only successful division in RID. Our Naval Forces, which were then under the command of Erougn, proved to be a formidable force in space combat. Our pilots would often aid fellow Imperials, scoring victories in many space skirmishes.

The Housing Purge

A galactic housing purge was put into effect which involved the demolition of countless abandoned homes across the galaxy. This purge was both beneficial and somewhat detrimental. The housing purge was needed in hopes of clearing up room for much needed real-estate. However, the purge left our many Forts in shambles, resulting in the loss of many citizens. Fortunately, Fort Oasis was not at a major risk of shrinking, nor was our newer city of Fort D’aroo. However, our cities on Lok were hit hard by the purge, leading us to conclude that it would perhaps be best to focus on only a few important cities, and leave the others to crumble or survive on their own accord.

Jerot of MANDO

Jerot, a member of a so-called mandalorian guild known as MANDO, had proven himself to be a severe nuisance to our organization. Jerot had been making frequent attempts to bounty hunt RIDs and even other fellow Imperials within the warzone of Restuss. Inep often found himself being hunted down by Jerot, which would impede upon his ability to fight the Rebellion. The bounty hunting grew more and more frequent and disruptive, that drastic actions were forced to be made. It was already hard enough to turn the tide in the fight against the Rebellion – the last thing we needed were bounty hunters shooting at us with our backs turned. It was decided that RID would vote on whether or not to declare war against MANDO. Democratic votes were rather unusual within RID, but I knew that it would be useless to wage war without the majority support of our fellow members. After a few days, the final results were tallied. The results indicated that 84% of RID wished to wage war. I myself did not vote, and there were most likely other members who simply wished to abstain from voting.

Following the tally, a public announcement was made by RID, stating our intentions to wage war against MANDO. It was our hope that a public declaration would further pressure MANDO to step forward for battle, or reel in Jerot from attacking us. In our declaration, we listed our reasons for waging war. However, MANDO seemed less than willing to engage in an open conflict. Though they responded to our declaration with hostility, MANDO said that they had no interest in fighting. Instead, they said that RID should strengthen themselves up, rather than wage war over one rogue bounty hunter. Though they had accused us of being weak, MANDO seemed to fear a war with us, even admitting that they would probably not be victorious. Following the declaration, SHC, and even IMPHL wished us look should the war take place. IMPHL told us that they too wished to wage war against MANDO in the past, but that they also avoided fighting them.

It seemed as though a war against MANDO would not take place after all. Though we were ready for a fight, it was still a victory. Ever since we had threatened war, Jerot had not seemed to point a gun at us since.

Fort Farpoint Valley Council

After having undergone much political pressure, Hel’mut of Fort Farpoint Valley ultimately decided that he should step down as mayor. Holding onto the city had been problematic since the start. Throughout his administration, his opposition impeded upon his ability to focus on more pressing issues. In light of this, it was decided that a city council should be established. From this council, a new mayor would be appointed, and an orderly transition could be executed. The city council ultimately consisted of one RID member, one SHC member, and two members of a group called PIXIE. The RID member was Aleksandrov, while the SHC member was Issele. The two PIXIE members were Ramona, and ex-mayor Clarissa. All members of the council were citizens of Fort Farpoint Valley, and were made members of the city militia. At the time, it was more of personal hope that either Aleksandrov, or perhaps even Issele, would run the city. Either one of them could maintain the cities status as an Imperial stronghold. However, in a meeting between Issele, Ramona, Clarissa, it was decided that Clarissa should become mayor of the city yet again. Unfortunately, Aleksandrov, I, nor Hel’mut were available at the meeting. So there was absolutely no say from RID in the matter. While this was distressing, I decided to honor the results of the meeting. I could have dragged on the issue and pushed for the appointment of a more Imperial-inclined mayor, but I decided not to.

What this would mean, however, was that Fort Farpoint Valley would no longer be a strict Imperial stronghold defended by RID. Rebel populations would probably slip back into the city. I implored Clarissa to allow only loyal Imperials and civilians to reside in the city, to keep the Rebel population to the minimum – or at the very least, maintain the namesake of “Fort” Farpoint Valley. Clarissa refused to comment on my tight citizenship-restrictions, but she did say that the city could not remain a Fort, even in name. In fact, she felt the renaming of the city had been in violation of an agreement between her and Hel’mut. This was not true, since Hel’mut abided by the clause which stipulated the inclusion of “Farpoint Valley” in the city’s name. This name was not removed during Hel’mut’s management. Nonetheless, I did not want to bother arguing over a mere name. It was quite obvious that the city would be renamed to simply “Farpoint Valley,” and that it would lose much of its Imperial influence. Still, I was confident that the city would not be in as decadent of a state as it was prior to Hel’mut’s administration. Though we were disappointed that things did not exactly go our way, we were relieved to be able to focus on other matters.

Indeed, the city of “Fort” Farpoint Valley had been controversial since the very beginning. It all started with the Koth’ Shra charade, and culminated with the fierce Gawau election, and the Ty’e proposal. In fact, there were numerous other election attempts that took place against Hel’mut – so many in fact, that they were not even worth mentioning in this very history account. It was futile to hold onto this city with our tight grip, so we accepted that its loss was inevitable. Hel’mut Yovel sent a message to his citizens, stating that he would be stepping down, and voting for Clarissa in the following election. He mentioned that even though our operation of the city was controversial at best, he took pride in protecting the city, maintaining it, and improving its economy. However, many RID residents had now made their homes in Farpoint Valley. Though most of them agreed to be impartial towards the transition, several others were openly upset about the relinquishment.

Yet we had to pragmatic. In light of the recent housing purge, we simply could not focus on too many territories. It was imperative to redirect most of our resources to the key establishments, such as Fort Oasis and Fort D’aroo. We could not even continue the support of our Lokian cities. Despite Hel’mut’s concession as mayor, he was by no means giving up on his political aspirations. He maintained hopeful that he would one day run another city, preferably on Tatooine.

Transitional Disruption

I believed my work in Farpoint Valley to be done. On a typical day, I drove through a humble city on Tatooine. While touring its streets, I happened upon the mayor of the city. He questioned what I was doing there, and I simply told him I was just visiting. We began striking up a conversation, which eventually became more political. I revealed to the mayor that my associate, Hel’mut, was to be stepping down as mayor in Farpoint Valley. Intrigued, the mayor said that he had an associate who would be interested in managing a city. I began pondering the possibility of letting his associate take over as mayor. Both the mayor and his associate were loyal Imperials. If we could get an Imperial mayor elected, and move in more loyal Imperials, Farpoint Valley could remain as an Imperial stronghold. Yet it would be a very sensitive operation. RID had already agreed to let Clarissa run the city, so interfering with the election even further would make us look very bad. Yet I told the mayor that if Paceky wanted to be mayor, we could quietly make things work.

Later that week, Hel’mut met with Paceky, and a few other Imperial associates. The plan was to lease them the homes in the quiet, slum areas of the city. They would then be able to register for citizenship, enabling them to vote and run in elections. By taking advantage of the city’s volatile political situation, Paceky would run for election late in the cycle, and suddenly gain votes from his organization, and the few remaining RID citizens. It was a foolproof plan, yet RID could by no means be implicated in it. Frighteningly, when Hel’mut, Paceky, and the other conspirators were deliberating, they were nearly spotted by another citizen, who was supportive of Clarissa. Hel’mut and others could not be seen together, so they immediately jumped onto their vehicles and sped into the distance. Despite the risky nature of this operation, the plan continued to be executed. Paceky registered himself for election, claiming that he was a long-time citizen wishing to manage the city. He made it clear he was not working for RID. Throughout the election, Paceky began accumulating more votes.

Yet, throughout the operation, I was becoming concerned that the specifics of the takeover were flawed. It would seem highly suspicious to Clarissa and the rest of Farpoint Valley that this obscure figure would suddenly run for election, and gain so many votes. I was also concerned that Paceky would not gain as many votes as required to defeat Clarissa. Should the takeover fail, I feared it would only foster paranoia for Clarissa, resulting in the city distancing itself even further from RID, and the Empire. I was also concerned that if they learned RID was involved, it could destroy our ties with Issele, who had deliberated with Clarissa and Ramona on the council. There was simply too much at stake. Pondering these possibilities, I began to consider pulling the plug on the entire operation.

I met with Paceky on a number of occasions to discuss these concerns, yet he felt confident that the plan was sound. Nonetheless, he had no problems stepping down from the election should it be necessary. Ultimately, Paceky began to negotiate with the council, regarding the possibility of stepping down. This diffused the suspicion between the two parties, and opened the door for me to cancel the takeover. As the election progressed, Paceky was instructed to step down, and allow Clarissa to win the election. In a few weeks time, Clarissa was formally elected as mayor of Farpoint Valley. This ended the fortification of the city, and RID’s defense of the city. Following the election, the city council was generally left to disband, as Issele left the city, and new citizens were appointed as militia members. Aleksandrov still remained on the militia, giving us some, albeit very little temporary control over the city. After the transition, only a handful of RIDs remained to reside there. Fortunately, Farpoint Valley did not completely sink back into decadence. Though it was now considered wholly neutral, it maintained some of its Imperial influences. Hidden Rebels would be unable to find work in the city, yet Imperials had access to their own employment kiosks. Also, although many monuments to the previous regime were torn down, statues dedicated to the Regal Imperial Defenders remained standing. From that day on, the influence that the Empire had on the city was never forgotten.

Lokian Forts

Because RID was now focusing on only a few key cities, our Lokian Forts were scheduled for relinquishment. The first city to be let go would be Fort Maelstrom, managed by Toor. It was agreed that the city would be transferred off to a person named Rese. Although the city would no longer hold any affiliation with RID, we were happy to see it was under the control of a responsible mayor, and not Europa. The city had indeed seen much action, from its birth as Fort Mirage, to its Europa takeover, and inevitable recovery by RID. Although we were certain that it would one day fall, we knew that the city would remain a symbol to our organization, living or dead.

Elsewhere on Lok were two loosely affiliated cities, Fort Familia and Fort Leviathen. Fort Familia, which was under the command of Buhi, was left to decay due to lack of funding. Fort Leviathen on the other hand was run by Takura, who was no longer a RID member. He later renamed and auctioned off the city to the highest bidder.

This left us with Fort Oasis and Fort Selinor on Tatooine, and of course, Fort D’aroo on Rori. Fort Selinor’s mayor, Apium, went missing for quite some time. He emerged from his disappearance after Fort Selinor had collapsed due to insufficient funding. Fort Sparta still stood under Gounk's leadership, but it was largely autonomous. This ultimately left us with only Fort Oasis and Fort D’aroo under our direct control. Our primary goal would be to build up these two cities, before constructing or funding any others.

Might of RID

After many weeks of fighting Rebels in space and on the ground, destroying bases, and taking part in other activities, RID had climbed on top in terms of weekly kills. RID would frequently be viewed as number one in terms of total weekly Special Forces kills, only to be periodically outmatched by the Rebel organization FRDM, and the Imperials from IMPHL. Otherwise, RID was generally one of the top combat organization in the Imperial faction, at least for the time being. Our combat superiority was due in major part to Inep, who continued to bring RID higher and higher in greatness. Our enemies, who once laughed at the idea of RID being a formidable foe, were now taking us seriously whenever we would be spotted in combat.

As RID grew in strength, we were hopeful that we could later wage war against more powerful Rebel organizations. We also continued improving our Navy, and searching for traders to aid us economically, so that our fighters could be issued proper equipment. RID now maintained a close alliance with Lasombra’s Wake, an Imperial guild which aided us greatly in combat. We also became more closely affiliated with SHC, who had just invited us to an upcoming Empire Day celebration.

Mysterious Intelligence

As usual, I reviewed applications and other messages from RID members and outsiders alike. I came across one particular application from a person named Starner, who wished to join RID. I was reluctant to even consider his application as he had already been in RID before, but left RID to join SinisteR. Due to my reluctance, I deemed it necessary to interview him personally, and ask him multiple questions. When I got a chance to speak with Starner, I drilled him with many questions, such as why he left RID, why he wanted to rejoin RID, and what he could do to help RID. He quickly grew weary of my questioning, and told me to stop. This usually would upset me, but he caught my attention. Out of the blue, perhaps in a hope to avoid further questioning, Starner said he had some important information that I might be interested in. His information concerned a RID member named Zaa.

Zaa was always a questionable member. During his time in RID, he and Fox- were caught disrupting an Imperial base busting operation. Though Fox- was the most disruptive, both members were quickly removed. Yet in the days that followed, Zaa was welcomed back, due to his relatively minor role in disrupting the base operation. Since his return, I had not given Zaa much of a second thought. That all changed when Starner essentially told me, outright, that Zaa was spying on RID. According to Starner, Zaa was paid off by an individual named Rogrymii to spy on RID for both the Rebellion, and Rogrymii's guild. According to Starner, Rogrymii's guild was affiliated with the Rebellion. At that point, Starner did not wish to give me much more information. I was not yet convinced that Zaa was a spy, but I was willing to find out. Apparently Starner knew he was a spy because he was either friends with, or simply knew Zaa.

I immediately met with several higher-ups in RID, as well as members of our newly formed Intel Team. After reiterating the information to them in the Fort D'aroo cantina, it was made clear that they should seek out as much information concerning Zaa and Rogrymii as possible. They did question what Zaa’s motives could have been. In other words, what information could Zaa possibly hope to gain by spying on RID? Though this was a legitimate concern, it was agreed that as long as Zaa had ill intentions against RID, then he does not belong with us.

Azaelle, a recent addition to our Intel Team, wasted no time in seeking information. His personal relationship with Rogrymii made this especially beneficial. Rett, who had a leading role in the Intel Team, also immediately sought information. It did not take long for some new and fascinating information to be discovered. For starters, Rogrymii was indeed proven to be Rebel, but he was a member of a guild which otherwise appeared to be Imperial – for its name consisted of the word “Imperial.” Perhaps an even greater surprise was that Rogrymii was supposedly once a member of RID. According to Azelle, Rogrymii was in RID, but removed himself from our organization, allegedly because he did not get along well with other members. It had completely eluded my own memory, as well as any indication in our records, that Rogrymii was ever in RID. Nonetheless, if he did in fact work for RID in the past, this gave us a possible motice for wanting to send Zaa into RID. While no link between Rogrymii and Zaa was yet found, it was not unrealistic to assume that Rogrymii paid off Zaa to join RID and disrupt our activities. Yet this was purely conjectural. We needed more proof before we could put Zaa on trial. Finally, after being interrogated by RID members for so long, Rogrymii grew irritated and pledged to defect his entire guild to the Rebellion.

After all information on Rogrymii could be found, a new cache of information was discovered against Zaa. It was discovered that Zaa was in fact Co-Leader of a Rebel organization named Rebel Spec Ops, or RSO for short. He was co-leading this group under a different alias named Kaa. To make matters worse, RSO also happened to be devising plans to declare war against RID! Everything concerning Rogrymii was now moot, for we had a member in RID who was in fact the Co-Leader of a group of Rebels attempting to wage war against us.

Zaa Versus RID

We finally decided that it would be a good time to announce publicly that Zaa would be put on trial for treason. Zaa was rather surprised at the accusation, and implored, with a seeming innocence, that he would do nothing to hurt RID. Nonetheless, a trial date was scheduled. Zaa would defend himself before a four person Emergency Judgment Council, consisting of Erougn, Aniado, Toor and Ayalla. Since no prosecutor could be found on such short notice, it was decided that I would play that role. Without further ado, the rest of RID gathered in and seated themselves as spectators. As always, they would only be called up as witnesses, or field their concerns if they believed an unfair trial took place.

The trial started, with me explaining to both the council and spectators that Zaa was not only the Co-Leader of RSO under the name of Kaa, but quite possibly a spy working for Rogrymii. I also stated that it was quite possible Zaa could gain information about us, should the war against RSO ever be accepted. When the council inquired as to where I got this information, I told them that Starner told me about Rogrymii paying off Zaa. While I admitted that Starner may not be a reliable source, Zaa was definitely Co-Leader of an enemy organization. Zaa simply replied that he was not aware of the war, and that he had no intentions of spying on or hurting RID. When asked why he wanted to join RID, he stated that he simply wanted a group of Imperials to associate with. This basically meant he wished to follow a dual persona, one of which was an Imperial sympathizer, whereas the other sympathized with the Rebellion. After having called up several witnesses, it was decided that the council should re-meet the next day. Many RIDs felt that there was not enough information against Zaa. They felt that Starner should be called to testify and back up his accusations.

The next day, we worked on bringing Starner to the trial. While he could not come to the trial, I managed to speak with him shortly. During our conversation, he started to become more and more confusing. He was now saying that his accusations against Zaa were not accurate, but later that day he contacted me again, asserting that Zaa was in fact spying on us. I could no longer deem any of what Starner said as credible. Obviously, I also rejected his application to RID. Nonetheless, we could still accuse Zaa as spying for RSO, instead of Rogrymii. The trial resumed, and we spoke more about his affiliation with RSO. He continued to emphasize that while he was in fact Co-Leader of RSO, he did not know they were trying to declare war against RID. I told the council that it was hard to believe that a Co-Leader would not even known about his own guild’s operations. That is when I also brought up a piece of evidence brought to me by Rett right before the trial resumed. After the first trial session, Rett followed Zaa to a structure owned by RSO. The building had information which directed their members to an RSO database. On this database, there were records of RSO members saying that war against RID was to be offered. It was also discovered that Fox-, the close friend of Zaa, was in fact leading RSO. So Zaa was essentially saying that despite co-leading RSO, having access to their database, and being close friends with its leader, he knew nothing about the proposed war against RID.

With that note, I let the council ask further questions before reaching a decision. The council quite simply said, using different words, that Zaa was not the brightest person they have ever seen. They felt that he would not have the capacity to orchestrate an entire infiltration against RID and succeed. They asked Zaa a few questions concerning his personality. Zaa had a seemingly harmless personality, and appeared to genuinely know nothing about the war, or have any desire to hurt RID. After the council questioned him, we decided to lower the charge against him from treason so a sort of "general misconduct." With that put aside, we discussed a few other details concerning the charge against him, among other things. Once that was dealt with, the Emergency Judgment Council had to now deliver a verdict. When asked if Zaa should be found guilty or not guilty for misconduct against RID, Toor stated, “not guilty.” When Aniado was asked the same question, he replied with, “not guilty.” When Erougn and Ayalla were asked to give their verdict, they both stated, “not guilty.” Zaa had been found not guilty by a unanimous decision by the council. However, at the trial’s conclusion, Zaa decided that the best course of action would be to remove himself from RID entirely. RSO also terminated their plans to wage a direct war against RID.

Starsider Secret Service

In the days that ensued, a newly founded organization known as the Starsider Secret Police, or SSS for short, began aggravating a RID member by the name of Derine. In light of this situation, RID began to threaten war against their organization, if these activities continued to persist. This startled SSS, and they responded that they were not interested in fighting, simply because they were a newly-founded, fledgling organization. Feeling as though they would now leave us alone, I told them that as long as they do not intimidate our members, there would be no more problems.

Township of Endevor

One day I decided to pay a visit to the township of Endevor on Tatooine. I was mostly curious about the city, seeing as how I had not paid much attention to it before. When visiting the city, I happened to come across the mayor, named S'laine, by chance. After speaking to him casually about the city, he told me that he was in fact auctioning off the city to a new mayor. This caught my interest. Since Fort Oasis and Fort D'aroo were comfortable in terms of its size and population, I figured now would not be a bad time to once again expand our operations. I knew little of the city’s history at the time, but I later learned more of it from a Rebel named Jivaro. According to Jivaro, who was in the Rebel organization ASF, a number of its members left ASF, taking with them a whole house of resources. With these resources, Endevor was built. Jivaro was asked to leave ASF and join them in their coup, but he declined due to his unwavering loyalty to his organization. From then on, control of the city must have passed hands, but it is not clear how.

However, there was no denying the importance of the city. Endevor was built on valuable real-estate. It was located close to Fort Tusken, a location frequently visited by hunters and tourists alike. If Endevor were managed by us, and grew large enough to operate a shuttleport, we would obtain considerable revenue through the use of ticket fees and munitions shops. I decided to take part in the auction, hoping to acquire control over this township and increase it in size. While I did not wish for Hel'mut to become mayor of Endevor, I did wish for him to become a militiaman, and assist another member in becoming mayor. Shreewookeh of RID showed interest in becoming a mayor, so it was agreed that if I won the auction, he would assume control.

The auction started off “modestly”, with the bidding starting at 50 million credits. Yet as soon as the auction reached the closing time, more serious bidders entered. For the most part, it became a bidding war between me and Alhmm, who was a Rebel in the organization KMA. I outbid him with 100 million credits, confident that I would be the winner. Yet out of the blue, shortly before the auction's end, a person named Tebr bid 105 million credits. I decided to let him win. Since he did not seem to be a Rebel supporter, or a serious city manager, I figured I could make a deal with him later on.

The Deal

With Tebr winning the auction, his associate, Btre, ran for election in the township of Endevor. Since the city was essentially sold, Sl'aine would accept the 105 million credits and back down as mayor. I sat down to speak with Tebr, hoping to reach an agreement. I inquired as to why he wanted the city, and that I would be willing to pay him a certain amount of credits to back down from the election. I told him I would take care of the 105 million credit payment to Sl'aine, and that he might find better use for the credits elsewhere. To my surprise, he was not as naive as I expected him to be. He told me that he had mayoral experience, so knew perfectly well what he was getting himself into. I also told him that if credits were not enough, we would be prepared to offer him a mayoral position in a loosely operated Talusian city. Since we currently had no interest in operating any city besides those on Tatooine or the one on Rori, it only seemed to make sense. Tebr told me that he would consider operating the city on Talus, in addition to accepting a payment fee to back down. I told him I would consider this. In the meantime however, Tebr would have to speak with a friend of his to see if trading over the city was even an option.

Some days passed, and Tebr's friend was nowhere to be found. However, Tebr told me he himself would agree to trade off the city. Since Sl'aine was still technically mayor, I spoke with him and told him that Tebr would be exchanging the city with me. Since Tebr already paid Sl'aine the 105 million credits, I would actually be paying Tebr the credits for the city. Sl'aine allowed Hel'mut Yovel to operate as a militiaman in Endevor. Finally, I made the 105 million credit transfer to Tebr, who agreed to have us run the city. He found another city on Corellia to manage, so trading him the city on Talus would not be necessary. With that put out of the way, all that remained would be to move Shreewookeh into the city. After a few transferring issues, Shreewookeh was finally elected as mayor of Endevor. The city was then renamed to Fort Endeavour. Unfortunately, due to Shreewookeh's lack of availability, the city was demoted to village status. This was a setback, but we remained hopeful that Fort Endeavour would one day become a township again. In the meantime, we decided to replace Shreewookeh, and appoint Xoseh of RID as an interim mayor.

Fort D'aroo Cantina

Inep, the mayor of Fort D'aroo, and Commander of our Regal Armed Forces, now appeared to be missing. This was unfortunate, as Inep was a very beneficial member to RID. He had many plans for RID, which still needed to be accomplished. Despite his disappearance, we would not give up on his plans. Erougn, who was in command of our Regal Navy pilots, became mayor of Fort D’aroo once again. Fortunately, Fort D’aroo had enough citizens to qualify for rank four designation. It was this time not prevented from expanding its boundaries. With its expansion, the city qualified for the construction of its very own shuttleport. By establishing a shuttleport in the city, Imperials would be able to use Fort D’aroo as a staging ground for combat operations in Restuss. Though this was a major accomplishment, we still had other things in store for Fort D’aroo. We wanted to implement one of Inep’s primary goals for the city – the establishment of a building which could be used as an Imperial safe house. This safe house would provide entertainment and constant medical services to wearied Imperial soldiers. The establishment of such a safe house would bolster RIDs reputation with our allies, by providing them with a free, yet essential service.

Erougn began work on the establishment of a cantina in the city, nicknamed the “Flight Deck.” Other organizations, both Imperial and Rebel, had set up similar safe-houses of their own. IMPHL’s and SPEC’s were the most well-known ones on the Imperial side, while FRDM and MEK ran the two well-known ones on the Rebel side. However, our safe-house was much more unique. For starters, it was located directly inside the city boundaries. With our new shuttleport, Imperials would be able to travel into Fort D’aroo and walk only a few steps to our safe-house. The same distance away was our intensive-care medical center, a bank, mission kiosks, and a garage – a useful place to go if your vehicle was ever damaged or destroyed by Rebels. Additionally, our city would be a safe place to travel to directly. Imperials take a big chance traveling directly into Restuss, where they would immediately be attacked by Rebels. Fort D’aroo offered a safer route of passage, without being far away from the Restuss warzone.

This idea attracted many Imperials to the Flight Deck, for we centralized many key necessities into a single location. This is what differentiated our safe-house from any of the other ones. The only minor setback relating to our safe-house was that we were unable to call in supply shuttles directly outside. Since the Flight Deck was directly inside the city boundaries, supply shuttle landings were prohibited. Nonetheless, the pros outweighed the cons, and so with excellent medical attention and entertainment, the Flight Deck safe-house became a well-known place to go.

The Unseen Eye

With RID now in a comfortable position, I began devising plans for the formation of a covert organization. This covert organization was named the Unseen Eye, and it was intended to serve as an undercover agency, dedicated to infiltrating, subverting, and spying on enemy activities. It would also specialize in activities deemed too politically sensitive for RID to handle on their own.

One of the unique aspects of the Unseen Eye, was that it would appear as a legitimate Rebel organization. This would allow it to garner information from other Rebel organizations, as well as to perform activities which would present the Rebellion in a bad light. It would also be able to work against organizations that claimed to be Imperial, but were in fact posing difficulties to RID and its allies.

And the Unseen Eye’s hierarchy was simple. It consisted of three tiers, starting with the leader, who was referred to as the Eye. Beneath him or her served the Pupils, close executives who knew of the Unseen Eye’s true purpose. At the bottom were the Lash’s, Rebel pawns who believed that the Unseen Eye was just a typical Rebel organization. The Lash's were intended to merely bolster the Unseen Eye’s numbers, and give the organization its large fighting force. The Lash’s were the organization’s front or façade so to speak.

Initially, the Unseen Eye’s leadership was filled with undercover RID agents, such as Aniado and O-ren. However, their influence in the organization eventually faded, and the Unseen Eye weakened when the number of its recruits dwindled. Eventually Rouge, an undercover alias for my close Imperial friend Myzia Zydian, took the helm as the Unseen Eye’s true leader. Under Rouge, the Unseen Eye began to recruit several Lash’s. Rouge managed to establish residency in the Tatooinian settlement called Sandstorm City, and even convinced its mayor to allow for the residency of other Unseen Eye’s. The plan was to use Sandstorm City as their base of operations. In fact, the Unseen Eye grew to a modest size, after recruiting several Lash's. Rouge and this newly formed Unseen Eye congregated in Sandstorm City for a short meeting. The focus of this meeting was to focus on the fundamentals of getting this organization on its feet. Yet following the meeting, the Unseen Eye suffered. It was difficult to direct attention between both RID and the Unseen Eye. For the time being, Rouge would continue leading the Unseen Eye, at least in name, and conduct covert operations on her own.
Osar of TORN

While performing missions for the Empire, I met an individual named Osar. Osar was a member of an Imperial organization called TORN. While working alongside him, I learned that he was also mayor of a township on Tatooine named Torn Shadows. Keen on wanting to affiliate ourselves with more Tatooinian settlements, I engaged in a conversation with him concerning his city. He seemed rather disgruntled about something. When I asked, he said he was upset because of the other cities on Tatooine being run as private estates. Because of these cities, Torn Shadows was not permitted to expand from its mere township status. I could relate to his irritation, as Fort Endeavour was experiencing similar issues. I insinuated to Osar that there was a faint chance that we could influence the decommissioning of another city on Tatooine. I did not make any promises, but Osar seemed very interested in that prospect. If we succeeded in decommissioning a city at the right time, Torn Shadows would be allowed to expand. In doing so, I was sure we would gain the trust of Osar and his citizens. In the meantime, I told him that we would be able to assist him with another issue that was degrading his city. A Rebel Detachment Headquarter was established on the border of his city. This base not only took up valuable real-estate for future development, but it also posed a clear risk to the Empire. I told him that we would work on obtaining the base’s vulnerability time so that we could orchestrate an attack. I also welcomed his city to become affiliated with the rest of our cities on Tatooine, including Fort Oasis, Fort Sparta, and Fort Endeavour. He seemed interested, but we agreed to work on destroying the Rebel base near his city before making any final decisions.

Bestine versus Anchorhead

It had been many, many months since the Empire fought against the Rebellion in Bestine versus Anchorhead feuds. That would finally change in one unusual occurrence in the Galactic Civil War. Rebel Special Forces were gathering in Anchorhead on Tatooine to prepare for an offensive against the citizens of Bestine, the Imperial capital of Tatooine. Imperial forces prepared in the Bestine cantina, hoping to launch an offensive on Anchorhead before the Rebels could ever arrive.

After many minutes of preparations, our large Imperial force was finally ready to march to Anchorhead, and wipe out any resistance. We gathered at the Imperial hill fort, just about ready to set out. Yet, seconds before we managed to set foot outside the hill fort, the Rebel forces were seen rushing up the hill! Blaster fire erupted in a chaotic battle that lasted for many minutes. Imperials and Rebels alike were falling dead instantly, yet we had the upper hand. Despite the relatively equal numbers, our forces were stronger and pushed the Rebels in-between Bestine and Anchorhead. At that point, the Rebels realized they would be unable to defeat us, and entered a full retreat back towards Anchorhead. The Imperials pursued the remaining Rebels, and wiped them out the moment we swooped through the town. After putting down minor uprisings, we believed we were victorious. We began heading back to Bestine, but the battle was not yet over. A considerably large Rebel force attacked the Imperials in-between Bestine and Anchorhead. Yet this time, we had far more numbers, and wiped them out for good. The Empire was finally victorious for the day!

Sephiroth' Versus RID

In RID, there was a member named Sephitoh’ was making a name for himself, but not in a good way. He was viewed as a rather disruptive member. Many found him to be irritating, and he would often get into arguments with members over petty issues. Without going into the intricacies of the situation, it was announced to RID that Sephiroth’ would be put on trial for his general misconduct. Punishments could range anywhere from a warning, to exclusion if found guilty. A trial date was scheduled to take place immediately, and we already had the council, prosecutor, and defendant selected to take part in the trial. The Emergency Judgment Council was meant to consist of Rett, Aniado, Airedror, and an associate of O-ren. Erougn was appointed to be Sephiroth’s defendant, and Xoseh was appointed as the prosecutor. All of those involved were rather competent, so we were sure it would be a fair trial. Following the announcement of the trial, it was requested that RID not speak about it until it took place. Unfortunately, Sephiroth’ lashed out at some members upon hearing Xoseh would be prosecuting him. He felt he had been betrayed by a friend. While Xoseh did indeed have some issues with Sephiroth’, we reminded Sephiroth’ that he would have a better chance at being let off easily if he kept quiet. He regretted having lashed out, and now felt he would most certainly be found guilty and get banished from RID. The next day the trial was scheduled to take place, but Sephiroth’ was not in attendance. Disgruntled, we were forced to reschedule.

I informed Sephiroth’ that if he planned on missing another trial date, he would be removed, unless there was a suitable reason. Fortunately, he understood the seriousness of my warning. Following the discussion, I set forth a new trial date. Unfortunately, Xoseh would now be unable make it to the trial as a prosecutor. We were forced to reconfigure the council, prosecutor, and defendant accordingly. Rett, who was to act as a council member, would now be the prosecutor. This left a gap open in the council, which Erougn was forced to fill. Erougn was originally meant to be Sephiroth’s defendant, but it was our priority to first ensure the council was filled, before Sephiroth’ was provided with a defendant. To make issues more problematic, we learned that Airiedror would be unable to make it to the trial as a council member. Theeraser was called forth to take his spot on the council. With the council positions finally filled, and with a prosecutor assigned, this left Sephiroth’ without a defendant. We had no choice but to appoint a newly recruited, inexperienced member as his defendant. He was the only available individual at the time. However, it was recommended to Sephiroth’ to speak for himself most of the time, and only confer with the defendant privately during most of the trial.

Unlike previous trials, the Emergency Judgment Council would be running slightly differently. This time, there would be a fifth seat for the council table, which I would fill. My job would be to act as the mediator for the trial, and as a fifth vote, should a tie-breaker ever be necessary. Once we got all of our affairs in order, I called for the trial to begin. Rett the prosecutor first stepped forward to speak against Sephiroth’. As Rett paced around the courtroom floor, he pointed out that Sephiroth’ had been a questionable member ever since he joined RID. He was disruptive, got into trouble with Imperials, both inside and outside of RID, and had a rude attitude in general. Following Rett’s accusations, Sephiroth’ simply responded that he was sorry for having been like that, and did not expect to be put on trial for it. While he was somewhat apologetic, he felt that the trial was unfair. Rett immediately reminded him that he could have been removed on the spot, and that having a trial is more of a privilege than most members get. The trial continued, with both sides exchanging words. We also called up witnesses from the spectator seats, who could choose to either testify for or against Sephiroth’. Once everything was said, I and the council conferred in private. Each council member would this time inform me individually of their verdict. After tallying the decisions, I made the announcement. Sephiroth’ of RID was found unanimously guilty by the Emergency Judgment Council for his disruptive behavior; however, each council member agreed that removal would be excessive. The council agreed to suspending Sephiroth’, limiting his use of communications with RID for a few weeks, and pledging to remove him immediately without trial for any future infraction.

Same Name, Same City, Same Leader, Four Years

As another non-standard year came to a close, we made plans to celebrate yet another anniversary. Just like the year before, RID and the rest of the galaxy celebrated this momentous occasion in Fort Oasis. There were dueling tournaments, speeder racing, fireworks, and other entertainment. For the most part, RID was enjoying relative comfort, with an exceptional ground and space force, and stable member base. Once again, new cities were growing and prospering, and new alliances were being formed. Using this milestone as an advantage, RID produced a recruitment video to aid in our recruitment campaign. Membership grew, and more Imperial leaders looked towards RID with respect, rather than skepticism. Indeed, things were looking promising, but as always, we had goals that still needed to be accomplished. It was our hope that the entire galaxy would bear witness to the true power of a half-decade old RID in the non-standard year to follow!

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR FIVE

League with Torn Shadows

We finally wished to fulfill a promise to Osar, the mayor of Torn Shadows. Osar, who was a member of an Imperial association also bearing the same name of Torn Shadows, agreed that his city and organization could ally with RID and our cities. However, to prove our dedication, he wished for us to assist in the destruction of a Rebel base which remained within the confines of his city. After paying off certain Rebels to gain the base's vulnerability times, we successfully managed to bring down the base which plagued his city. Osar, who also held close relations with another Imperial organization known as the United Sith Army, agreed to meet with me in Torn Shadows to discuss terms of an alliance.

Nightlyn’ served as the representative of the United Sith Army to speak with me alongside Osar. Because we had helped the city destroy the Rebel installation, their trust towards RID grew. Yet destroying a single base would not be enough for Torn Shadows to pledge an outright allegiance with RID. We would have to help the city with a much larger issue – growth. Indeed, due to planetary restrictions, Torn Shadows was prohibited from growing into a metropolis. Another city on Tatooine would need to shrink, or be decommissioned altogether. Fortunately, we had a plan. During our meeting, I told Osar and Nightlyn’ that I would make sure the restriction on Torn Shadow’s growth would be lifted. Due to security concerns, I did not go into great lengths as to what the plan was. This did not bother them however. Both Osar and Nightlyn’ trusted in me, and were excited to hear that Torn Shadows would soon be allowed to grow.

Mesric Sanctuary was a city populated largely by those loyal to the Rebellion. As a loyal Imperial, I kept a distance from those in the Rebel Alliance. However, there came times when a few friendships proved beneficial. My old friend Com Cypher, who went by the alias Sol' for this operation, was granted citizenship in Mesric Sanctuary. Through skilled political maneuvering, Sol' defeated Mayor Chataka in an election, and agreed to decommission the city. In doing so, Torn Shadows was later approved for expansion, being officially recognized as a metropolis! Because Mesric Sanctuary was largely maintained as a private estate by the city managers, outcry amongst the public was largely limited. However, Mesric Sanctuary was later rebuilt by former inhabitants of the city.

After Torn Shadows received full recognition as a metropolis, Osar came to me to thank RID greatly for the assistance we had offered. He felt we had gone above and beyond for himself and the citizens of Torn Shadows. He soon initiated closer ties with our organization. As a perk of this alliance, we agreed to open a shopping center within their city, and offer any political assistance where necessary. He also agreed to join forces on the destruction of Rebel bases across the galaxy, especially on Tatooine. In order to openly express the city’s ties with RID and our affiliates, the city was renamed to Fort Torn Shadows. A shuttleport was later constructed, bringing in an increased amount of tourism to the city, and its newly established shopping center. Unfortunately for Osar, his organization entered a downward spiral due to its inactivity. He decided to break away from his current association, and join the United Sith Army, whom he already had relatively close ties to. The city was consequently renamed to Fort Recovery, in order to express its detachment from the former association of TORN.

Banned from IMPHL's Safe House

In a private meeting, Erougn requested that Maatt’ be allowed to rejoin RID. I was quite reluctant to approve this request, because Maatt’s previous history in RID was questionable at best. He was the member who decided to leave RID, after we had threatened him to be put on trial for disloyal behavior. However, after discussing the issue a bit longer with Erougn, I concluded that enough time had passed to give Maatt’ another chance. Maatt’ was brought back into RID, albeit quite hastily, without an interview or proper application. I was willing to overlook this shortcoming, as long as Maatt’ did not pose any immediate problems. Yet, to our dismay, Maatt’ did just that – he posed immediate problems. Not long after rejoining RID, Maatt’ became involved in the bounty hunting of another Imperial. The incident was alleged to have taken place in the IMPHL safe house near Restuss. IMPHL soon learned about the incident, and deemed that if one of our members was endangering the lives of Imperials, RID was a threat. Honestly, we could hardly blame them, but as a result of Maatt’s negligence, IMPHL barred RID from accessing their safe house. This was only a minor setback, as we did have our own safe house in Fort D’aroo. Nonetheless, we still wanted to improve relations with IMPHL, and regain access to their safe house.

I immediately spoke with Maatt’, and after a long conversation, I opted to not remove Maatt’ from RID, at least for the time being. It was my hope that the issue would die down, and we could simply ignore the IMPHL safe house issues. Unfortunately for us, matters only got worse. Maatt’ was later hunted down by a member of WAKE, another Imperial association. Following the incident, Maatt’ immediately contacted me, and ordered me to tell WAKE to cease hunting him down. I then told Maatt’ that doing so would be hypocritical, and detrimental to whatever ties we had with WAKE. While Maatt’ promised to never again hunt another Imperial while in RID, it nonetheless seemed odd to stand up for an individual who was guilty of such indiscretions in the past. In fact, I was growing quite weary of Maatt’s behavior, that I arranged another meeting with Erougn. During our conversation, we finally agreed that the best course of action would be to simply remove Maatt’ from RID. Following his removal, we spoke with a representative of IMPHL named Amaste. Thankfully, Amaste was generous enough to grant RID access to their safe house once again.

Captain Fyonna

It did not take long for us to realize that Fyonna, one of our recent recruits, was more than just a great pilot. She also had excellent leadership abilities, which Commander Erougn immediately recognized. As such, we agreed to promote Fyonna to the status of Captain within our Regal Navy Forces. Immediately, Fyonna began training our novice pilots, resulting in the considerable growth of our naval forces. She also held space training classes every couple weeks or so in her Y8-Mining Vessel to get RIDs accommodated to the difficult task of managing such large ships in battle. For the next few weeks, RID would field over ten pilots and gunners for space battles alongside other Imperial associations.

DarkAchilles Elected

Because Roga was becoming less active in his job as mayor, a member of RID named DarkAchilles stepped up to register for election in Fort Sparta. We had no issues with this, because DarkAchilles was a trusted individual, and we were sure he could manage a city effectively. After a few weeks, DarkAchilles finally won the election. He pledged that he would serve the city successfully, and ensure its continuing prosperity. He also said that he would be happy to step down as mayor, as soon as Roga or one of his associates was ready to make a return to office.

Sinister Trouble with SinisteR

The Imperials of SinisteR, or SR for short, had rather close ties to RID and other Imperial organizations. They were vital in the formation of base busting operations against Rebel installations, which many fellow Imperials attended. Unfortunately for SR, three Imperial organizations, IMPHL, WAKE and ToS, would unfairly tag SR as being a supporter of the Rebellion. One may wonder how such a tag could be placed on SR. The drama unfolded due to the doings of one person, who called himself DeathCoyote. DeathCoyote was a prior member of SinisteR, but was removed from SR due to bounty hunting other Imperials. Some time passed, and DeathCoyote wished to re-submit his application to SR. After an SR council meeting, it was agreed that certain individuals do deserve a second chance. They gave DeathCoyote that second chance, but only under a strict probationary period. He also pledged to never hunt another Imperial while bearing the tag of SR.

For whatever reason, DeathCoyote left SR. Not longer after he left, DeathCoyote was accused of hunting down Lestat, leader of IMPHL. Even though DeathCoyote was no longer under SR's jurisdiction, IMPHL, WAKE and ToS declared that SR were Rebel supporters, and pledged to hunt down any SR members, and its leader, Ibar. IMPHL specifically stated that SR would no longer fall under their organization’s “protection.” IMPHL and the others fell under the false assumption that perhaps DeathCoyote was still in SR, or only left them temporarily to hunt Imperials. There were also threats directed towards SR which claimed that if they held any base busting operations during the week, there would be “trouble.” It is likely they intended to leak base busting information to the Rebellion, allowing them to locate and attack SR and any Imperials that were fighting alongside them.

Under most circumstances, RID would remain neutral during Imperial versus Imperial affairs. Yet this was a different circumstance. Not only did RID assist SR in the destruction of Rebel bases, but Ibar also contacted me directly, asking for our support. I was not going to deny this support, as I knew IMPHL were out of line in thinking that they could “police” all the other Imperial units in existence. I sent a message to Lestat requesting that Ibar and I meet with him to resolve the situation in a civilized manner. Lestat responded that nothing needed to be discussed, and that they would see where SR stood a few weeks from then. I was not quite satisfied with Lestat’s response. For all we knew, the situation would be much worse a few weeks from then. I informed Ibar that if he made a public announcement protesting the issue, he would have RID's support in the matter.

Ibar did just that, make a public announcement which claimed SR was wrongly branded as Rebels by IMPHL, WAKE and ToS. They denounced IMPHL, telling them they had no right to believe that all Imperials were held by their leash and fell under their protection. Aside from the responses by IMPHL, WAKE, and ToS, most replies were in favor of SR, or remained neutral to the issue. SHC’s “official” stance stated by Jod was a rather impassive one. She flatly stated that SHC is allied with all Imperials, including their sister association of IMPHL, whom they simply acknowledged as having a different leadership style from SR and other Imperial organizations. Yet Svaartvadel, a rather a high official within SHC, disagreed with this so-called official stance. He was irritated that Jod declared SHC's official stance without actually talking to anyone else in SHC. In light of his, he offered his own opinion on the matter. Svaartvadel stated that he held SR in high regard, believing that they have always worked hard to benefit the Empire as a whole. He mentioned that the accusations towards SR were premature, and that the issue could have been handled peacefully. He also mentioned that he would be very disappointed if Lestat were to authorize the killing of Imperials within SHC, much in the in the same way as they did with SR.

RID's response to the matter was rather similar to Svaartvadel's. We informed everyone that the manner in which SR was being treated was premature and uncalled for. DeathCoyote acted on his own agenda against Lestat, so holding SR responsible was bewildering. I mentioned that while IMPHL was an excellent Imperial organization, they should stop threatening other Imperials to further their own ambitions. IMPHL operated their own safe house, which SR was banned from. They used access to their essential safe house, as well as their bounty hunters, as political tools to further their own ambitions. I concluded that no organization should be entirely reprimanded due to the actions of one individual, especially if the said individual no longer held any position within the organization. In all, the issue died down after a short time, yet IMPHL, WAKE and ToS would not hold SR in high esteem for quite some time. SinisteR barred IMPHL, WAKE and ToS from any SR operated events or establishments. Also, it was agreed amongst the leadership of RID that unless we were directly affected by any Imperial versus Imperial affairs, we would no longer get involved for the most part.

Vacuum in Endeavour

For several weeks, Mayor Shreewookeh of Fort Endeavour, Tatooine faded from the public view. In light of this, it was decided that a more active representative should take over the office of Fort Endeavour. For the time being, it was decided that Hel’mut Yovel should be elected mayor, at least as an interim measure. Hel’mut had the skills necessary to manage a city, so we were content with having him manage it for the time being.

Fort Recovery, Fort Antiquity or Fort Legacy?

Osar of Fort Recovery, Tatooine decided to leave his current Imperial association, the United Sithh Army. He left them, because he was having some disputes with the leader of the organization. Soon after leaving, he became a member of another Imperial group known as the Remnants of Antiquity. Fort Recovery was renamed to Fort Antiquity as a result, but was later renamed again to Fort Legacy. Despite Osar's transition to different associations, our ties with him and his city remained strong. This relationship appeared to be threatened however, when Tayzon took over as mayor of Fort Legacy. Fortunately, the transition was apparently mutual, as both Tayzon and Osar were close allies. Osar continued to serve as a militiaman, so our ties continued to stand strong, and remain mostly unaffected.

Internal Affairs

For a number of months, RID would face a growing number of internal disputes. These disputes, while often unrelated to one another, formed an intricate web which threatened to pull RID downwards. These disputes covered a wide range of issues: power struggles, greed, or quite simply, conflicts in personality. Not only would these conflicts affect us internally, but they would also shake our ties with other organizations. Many of the issues arose upon the recruitment of an individual named Barney Beachseeker. The recruitment of Barney revolutionized RID in many ways. Barney was very knowledgeable when it came to leadership, strategies, and other matters. This knowledge was obtained from her previous service to other organizations, including SHC. Unfortunately, her time in SHC was filled with turmoil in many regards. She was not well respected by her fellow colleagues, and most of the leaders were apathetic to issues concerning her. One SHC leader, named Warlorn, particularly disliked Barney. The struggles Barney had to endure in SHC were too much, so she left their organization.

By the time Barney joined RID, she still held SHC in very low regard. Warlorn and SHC were pensive when it came to dealing with us, and we were the same way towards them. Both of our organizations were uncertain as to how Barney’s membership would affect our ties. While some feuds between Barney and Warlorn grew imminent, SHC and RID continued to coexist, and assist each other wherever possible. Despite this unease between RID and SHC, Barney’s leadership and knowledge allowed her to quickly rise through the ranks in RID. She was eventually promoted to a commanding position, and took charge of many RID combat groups. Barney ran groups effectively and successfully. She was also very generous in her distribution of equipment and knowledge. Many members stood alongside her proudly, more skilled in their line of work than ever before.

Unfortunately, it would not just be the former SHC colleagues who held Barney in low regard. Many RID members were distancing themselves from her as well. Fractus, his wife Freila, and other members of their family, jokingly referred to as the “Fractai” family, were especially concerned with Barney. The organization was being split between those who supported Barney, and those who felt she was taking too much control. Some even believed that she wanted to take my place as Leader of RID. In addition to this, many members did not agree with her leadership style, and the policies that she brought forth. For example, loot distribution after combat raids was questioned frequently. Many members wanted certain spoils of war for themselves, but Barney’s systematic method of distribution often prevented such indulgence. Meanwhile, Fractus, Freila, and the rest of the “Fractai” family were privately meeting with other members to address the “growing threat” Barney posed to the organization.

Yet it was not just the controversy surrounding Barney which was tearing us apart. Feuds were occurring continuously between other different members. Two members, Redaxxe and ‘Aresius’, frequently clashed due to their personality differences. Another member, named Cryl, would often come across as arrogant to other members. Because of his continual negativity, I eventually dismissed him from RID in the middle of a large meeting when he started yet another one of his outbursts! In all, it was hard to say for sure when internal matters would improve.

Barney the Mayor

Hel’mut Yovel continued to run Fort Endeavour effectively, but because he had responsibilities to deal with elsewhere, he could not hold the position for long. Fortunately, Barney Beachseeker stepped up to be a candidate in the next mayoral election. Barney said she had always wanted to manage a city, and seemed to know a great deal as to how maintaining one would work. Hel’mut Yovel opted out of the next election, allowing Barney to emerge victorious. Under Barney, Fort Endeavour seemed to improve drastically. RID members moved in their homes, a cantina was opened, and many different districts were established. Unfortunately, while the humble village had enough citizens to qualify as a township, the planetary authorities would not allow it to be recognized as such.

Sarlaac City

Near the mighty Sarlaac Pit on Tatooine, there existed a large metropolis known as Sarlaac City. Sarlaac City was a city of historical importance, as it has stood for a great deal of time. It was home to the once powerful Cult of the Sarlaac, or CULT for short. However, as time passed by, CULT began to fade away. With it, the city became more abandoned than ever. Still, it was managed by its mayor, Kalaia, as symbol of what it once was. However, Kalaia no longer had the ambition to run the city. She wanted the city to be handed off to another organization, while she sought other adventures.

When RID heard that Kalaia was willing to hand off the city, we could not pass off the offer. It would have been an honor to run such a city, and to make an effort to revitalize it. After meeting with Kalaia in her city, it was determined that Aurelie Auvair would become mayor. Aurelie was of course a RID member, and since she was a relative of Apium Auvair, she had knowledge regarding how to maintain a city, carried on from previous experience in Fort Selinor. Apium was also once a citizen of Sarlaac City, and had a great appreciation for its history. It did not take long for Aurelie to win the election. When she did, monuments were erected in honor of the fallen CULT. The namesake of Sarlaac City was also maintained, as per the request of Kalaia.

Carpe Diem

Eventually, RID established an alliance with an Imperial organization, called the Imperial Affiliates, or IA for short. IA was founded and led by an intelligent leader named Arev Basten. Another member, named Kioet’ worked closely with Arev in the leadership of IA. Because of the positive relationship between our two organizations, the Imperial Affiliates were granted access to the Fort Victory safe house on Rori. I eventually got to know Arev and Kioet’ on a regular basis, strengthening our alliance even further. On Talus, the Imperial Affiliates operated a small city which they had just recently established. It was known as Carpe Diem, for “Seize the Day!” Carpe Diem was initially established and operated by Arev, who dutifully expanded the settlement into a township. Later, because Arev had to deal with other affairs, Kioet’ took over as mayor. Carpe Diem struggled for a short while, with citizens leaving en masse. One particular Imperial installation within the city was also subject to a ruthless Rebel attack. Fortunately, the city grew again, when an Imperial organization of female warriors decided to use Carpe Diem as their base. Also, the office of mayor was eventually passed on to an individual named Saurat. Saurat was an associate of Kioet’, therefore there were no major changes to policy. Unfortunately, Arev’s obligations elsewhere made it difficult for him to both lead IA, and help manage Carpe Diem on a worthwhile capacity. Kioet’ began to work with RID more closely, and decided that the best course of action would be to join us. Kioet’ was welcomed with open arms, and he eventually climbed to commanding position of RID's Intelligence Team.

While in RID, he mentioned that he would like Carpe Diem to be recognized as an official RID territory. We agreed to this, and later recruited Arev into RID, who served beneath Kioet’ in the Intelligence Division. With Arev joining RID, the Imperial Affiliates was effectively disolved, and Carpe Diem became one of RID’s most important settlements. Eventually, plans to turn the humble settlement into a fortified military complex were put underway. Carpe Diem was renamed to Fort Keen, codenamed NTX-01-A. The name had a double meaning. The suffix, "Keen” was meant to reflect the division that both Kioet’ and Arev worked in. In other words, Keen was a synonym for Intelligence. It also served to honor the name of a fallen stormtrooper, Marius Keen.

For now, we were sure that Fort Keen’s future would be a prosperous one. Many RIDs began making their residency in the fortress, and individuals such as Ruh Shi’od, began working closely with Fort Keen’s administrators. In fact, he also joined RID as well.

Return of Kurke Aumea

It had been a while since any of us had seen the renowned Kurke Aumea. While he had maintained periodic communications with our association, he had not been since the collapse of the Dark Marauders. Yet one day, Kurke made a return, and he wished to rejoin RID! Upon his recruitment, Kurke quickly found his way back to the business of being a trader. He even worked with Apium and his relative, Aurelie, to form a company.

Kurke’s former city of Nar Shadda on Dantooine had long since collapsed, but he still desired to rebuild the city from its ruins. After gathering a handful of RIDs, Kurke reestablished a city hall, not far from where the former Nar Shadda existed. Kurke was still very knowledgeable when it came to city management. Citizens moved in, a shopping center was established, and the once humble outpost suddenly became a village. Unfortunately, similarly to Fort Endeavour, the planetary authorities would not allow the village to expand to township status, despite having enough citizens. Despite this, we were happy to see Nar Shadda reborn, under the watchful eye of RID.

Election after Election

In the city of Sarlaac City, Aurelie was already facing opposition in the city elections. Daphee ran against her, but Aurelie managed to rake in considerably more votes. After some research, it turned out that Daphee was in fact a former CULT member. Upon learning this, Aurelie agreed to work with him to improve the city.

Meanwhile, in Fort Sparta, Gounk worked with Roga to once again take over the position of mayor. He won the election, and the city continued to be maintained safely. It appeared to me that Gounk and DarkAchilles got along, and shared much responsibility when it came to managing their metropolis, so no major changes were enacted when Gounk had Roga reassume office.

The Drama Ends

Meanwhile, the whole controversy surrounding Barney continued to grow worse. The “Fractai” family ultimately ended up leaving RID, along with a number of other members. Disputes continued to be ignited, as members fought over possessions, policies or personalities. Barney too was growing exhausted over the amount of effort she had to exert to keep RID members equipped and occupied. She had threatened that if matters were not to improve, she would be leaving the organization. I knew this could be problematic, as it was only Barney who was able to effectively lead combat groups. Without her, members would not have as many combat operations to partake in. This stagnation would keep members divided, and unfocused.

After a week or so, Barney left RID, much sooner than expected. With her, two other close friends, by the name of Conosk and ‘Aresius’, left RID. It was a shame to have seen Barney go, given the fact that she worked hard to improve the well-being of RID, but there was no time to dwell on the past. While the drama had subsided, RID in the end, emerged rather harmed. Many worthy members left the organization, and it would be a matter of time before RID could stand tall once again. Additionally, with the loss of Barney, Hel’mut Yovel was once again obligated to take back control of Fort Endeavour. Barney was willing to comply, so the city transition went along smoothly and peacefully.

Mayoral Transitions

Mayor Aurelie of Sarlaac City became preoccupied with other matters, making her unable to continue serving in office. A replacement needed to be appointed immediately, unless the city was to once again fall into a dilapidated state. Rett Vescan, who had earlier served on our Intel Team, was willing to serve as mayor. He ran for election, and quickly emerged victorious. When he became mayor, he initiated some city remodeling. He also worked on the establishment of an Imperial Forward Outpost within the city. Shortly after the election, he also hosted a party in a place known as Malray’s Bar, where travelers from all over Tatooine could sit down to talk, or play a game of cards.

Meanwhile, on Talus, a RID member who went by the alias Megaman-zx became mayor of a city known as Starforge-Station, or Starforge for short. Although it was a metropolis, it remained hidden from public view, because they chose not to display the city on public nav-maps. However, StarForge-Station still had its own shuttleport, for easy transportation to and from the area. For several years, StarForge-Station had been a loyal Imperial establishment, but it had virtually no ties with RID. That changed when a few RID members, including Megaman-ZX, became citizens at StarForge-Station, formerly operated by mayor Dire-wolf.

After some internal politics and other affairs, Megaman-ZX emerged victorious as mayor of StarForge-Station. However, RID rarely involved itself with the city. It remained widely autonomous for the most part, and was not renamed after Megaman-ZX was elected. It was already an Imperial establishment, so we felt it unnecessary to involve ourselves excessively with the city's affairs.

Sadly, Kurke once again faded from public view, meaning a new mayor would have to be elected for Nar Shadda. Fortunately, Mikal of RID quickly registered for election in Nar Shadda and ran it efficiently upon his victory. Mikal was by then close acquaintance of Kurke, and greatly aided him during his administration. He operated the city’s shopping center, and had earlier served as a city militiaman.

Rise of Fort Keen

In the meantime, Fort Keen continued to strengthen considerably. Multiple Imperial installations were established around its perimeter, making it heavily fortified. While it could not expand large enough to build its own shuttleport, it was still recognized by a great amount of Imperials. Arev also met a Twi’lek in the Theed named Kai’lek Belcura. After becoming acquainted, Kai’lek agreed to help provide civilian services for Fort Keen. From then on, Kai’lek became an invaluable asset to the fortress. Arev worked with Kioet’ and Saurat to organize a party of sorts in the Fort Keen cantina. This party would serve to further publicize the development of the fortress. The party was a huge success, and in the weeks to come, Fort Keen would be frequently travelled by citizens from all over the galaxy. Also, an Imperial organization known as CCXX eventually used Fort Keen frequently, contributing to its growth.

Elsewhere on Talus, there existed two other cities by the name of Fort Shadow’s Wake and Fort Shadow Blade. While the mayor of Fort Shadow’s Wake did attend the Fort Keen party, the two cities, like Fort Drako’s Talon on Rori, had no direct affiliation with RID or any of its Forts. The two other cities on Talus, however, were aligned with the Imperials, so relations with them were cordial.

Fort Victory

Fort D’aroo on Rori continued to be managed effectively by Erougn. However, Erougn decided that the name of Fort D’aroo did not instill the message that needed be spread. It is unknown where exactly the term “D’aroo” originated from. It was likely meant to be similar in meaning to the name of its very first mayor and founder, Amaroo. After a short amount of discussion, it was decided that Fort D’aroo would be renamed to Fort Victory, a name which would inspire the Imperial forces who continued to fight in the nearby ruins of Restuss.

War with the Wroshyr Champions

There existed a Rebel organization known as the Wroshyr Champions, or ChotW for short. Unlike other Rebel organizations around the galaxy, ChotW consisted only of a contingent of Wookie warriors. Tensions between RID and their clan of Wookies worsened considerably. After some discussion with the leadership of RID, it was determined that war would be waged against them.

War was declared and RID searched city after city for any enemy sightings. Eventually, several ChotW Wookies were spotted in Mos Eisley, where a short skirmish took place. Following the skirmish, there were no additional enemy sightings. As far as RID was concerned, it was considered a quick victory!

Back in Osar’s Hands

As mentioned earlier, an ally of Osar who went by the name of Tayzon took control of Fort Legacy. Osar continued to serve as a militiaman, while the city existed peacefully. However, Osar once again decided to register as mayor. He emerged victorious, once again bringing the city of Fort Legacy back in his hands.

Czerka Corporation

During the coming weeks, a number of people sent in their applications for RID, following a well orchestrated recruitment campaign. Two of these members were Bovive and Arramen. Both were close friends, who were associated with the leaders in an organization known as the Czerka Corporation. The Czerka Corporation was an organization which dealt with the construction of multiple items, particularly armor and munitions. Bovive and Arramen wanted RID to ally with the Czerka Corporation, so that resources could be more easily pooled between the two associations. With this, armor and other commodities could be more easily produced, and RID would become better equipped for combat situations.

Mayor Daiho

As some time passed by, Mikal announced that he would no longer have the time to maintain Nar Shadda on Dantooine effectively. Quickly, we searched RID for a member who would be willing to take his place. A Mon Calamari named Daiho stepped up and stated that he would be willing to run Nar Shadda as mayor. While Daiho was new to the idea of running a city, it was determined that he would be able to quickly learn his responsibilities. Peacefully and uneventfully, the city was transferred over to Daiho. Upon being elected mayor, Daiho decided to rename the city to Fort Nar Shadda. Fortunately, Daiho did not let RID or his citizens down. He learned how to handle his position effectively, and set the city on the path for future growth.

Half a Decade

It seemed amazing that RID had made it this far. It felt as though it were only yesterday that RID was founded, and struggled to grow. For five non-standard years, RID waged wars, built massive cities, established alliances, and endured many hardships. For RID’s five year anniversary, a large celebration was put together, larger than any other formed before. At the Imperial Oasis, dozens of spectators gathered before a series of steps, leading up to an Imperial shuttle. In the distance, myself, and the rest of the Regal Imperial Defenders put on their uniforms. We organized in rows, and marched towards the Imperial Oasis, where the spectators patiently waited. As we marched, we slowly approached the steps leading up to the Imperial shuttle. When I reached the top of the steps, myself as the other RIDs turned around to face the spectators. I then delivered a speech, explaining that the very Imperial Oasis we were standing in was once attacked by the CATS during Project V-Day, and that it was the prime motive which led to the founding of RID. In the speech, I also thanked those who stayed loyal to RID, during our years of existence, for without them RID would not have prospered.

Upon concluding the speech, fireworks were launched, and spectators cheered. For the rest of the night, festivities took place at both the Imperial Oasis and Fort Oasis. Multiple competitions were held, including a fishing tournament and a racing tournament. Dancers and musicians entertained participants in the cantina, while people bought lottery tickets and drinks. It was a proud day for RID, but we rested assured that there was still no end in sight!

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR SIX

Fort Czerka

Ever since Bovive, Arramen, and other key liaisons joined RID, our alliance with the Czerka Corporation prospered. Our members were working more closely with the Czerka Corporation, buying their goods, and offering help in trade transactions where necessary.

Of course, Czerka was not without a home. On Naboo’s moon of Rori, there existed a township by the name of Czerka Acres. This township, which was ran by Yrim Anist, served as Czerka's main base of operations. To further emphasize their ties with RID, the city was soon renamed to Fort Czerka.

However, Fort Czerka's existence was short-lived. Eventually, Bovive of RID announced Czerka's intentions to move out of their swampland territory, and move into a larger RID Fort. Several propositions were made, such as having Czerka move into Fort Keen, Fort Oasis, or even Fort Legacy. Ultimately, Czerka made the decision to base themselves out of Fort Nar Shadda on Dantooine. It was an ideal place for them to live, because Fort Nar Shadda focused primarily on commercial activities.

-AI-'s Immigration

A very large Imperial organization was making itself known in the galaxy. Quiet for quite some time, this Imperial organization was moving its massive member base to Tatooine. This organization called itself the Alpha Imperium, or -AI- for short, led by Klendest. Because new cities could not legally be established on Tatooine for the time being, -AI- was forced to find an already existing one to accommodate their members. It did not take long for -AI- to set its sights towards Fort Sparta. Gounk needed to find more citizens to support Fort Sparta, so he allowed -AI- to gradually inhabit the trade hub.

In RID, DarkAchilles had many connections with -AI-. He soon made the decision to run against Gounk Sharpblaster, and emerged victorious by a slight majority. This was of little concern to us, seeing as how he ran Fort Sparta sufficiently in the past. However, our concerns grew slightly when DarkAchilles announced that he would leave RID to join -AI-. As soon as he officially settled in as a member of -AI-, and as mayor of Fort Sparta, he welcomed more of his members as citizens. The city became the capital of -AI-, and was soon renamed to -AI’s- Fort Sparta. Even though the city was distancing itself more and more from RID, we held no grudges with DarkAchilles or -AI-. We were happy to see -AI’s- Fort Sparta growing significantly in size. We were also glad to see that the city would be remaining completely loyal to the Empire. However, I could not help but wonder if DarkAchilles had been tasked by -AI- all along to take control of Fort Sparta.

Mayor Shi'od

Meanwhile, Fort Keen on Talus was growing nicely. Many Imperial organizations flocked there, and used Fort Keen as their base of operations. Although I never directly involved myself with Fort Keen, it soon became an integral city in RID's Fort Network. For the time being, it was decided that Ruh Shi'od should take Arev's place as administrator of Fort Keen. Ruh ran for election, and emerged victorious. Ruh used to be in RID, but had by now joined his own Imperial organization, called the 220th Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon, or CCXX for short. Despite this move, Ruh was still on good terms with RID and Arev.

In fact, Ruh was a very close friend to Arev and Kioet'. Even though Ruh won the election, Arev and Kioet' were very closely involved with Fort Keen’s affairs, serving as trilateral leaders of the Fort. It was still, in many respects, a RID-operated establishment. Fortunately, from the look of things, Fort Keen had a very promising future.

RID and SUNDER, Never Asunder

Unfortunately for us, and the rest of the Empire, Imperial organizations were once again lacking coordination with one another. SUNDER, a dedicated Imperial organization, recognized that something had to be done. SUNDER recognized RID as a very dedicated and loyal group of Imperials, and contacted me directly to meet with them in their city, Ashkelon on Lok.

I agreed to meet up with Lanisius of SUNDER, and many other leaders in their city hall. There, we discussed in depth that the Empire had to be more strongly unified. Many plans were laid out, and an Imperial Network entered a sort of embryonic state. Unfortunately, like many attempts before us, the Imperial Network never prospered. However, ties between RID and SUNDER improved, with members from both of our organizations working more closely with one another in battles against the Rebellion.

Sarlacc Falling

On Tatooine, Sarlaac City was starting to crumble. Its mayor, Rett, was becoming very busy, and increasingly unable to carry out mayoral duties. However, he was highly competent, and conscientious about the future of the city. Considerations were made to transfer the city to a RID member named Piffe, a close associate of Daiho. However, such considerations never came into fruition, because Piffe had to aid Daiho in managing Fort Nar Shadda.

For now, Rett had to run the city awhile longer, but the city was losing citizens, and quickly. In an attempt to gain more citizens, Rett loosened zoning requirements. Consequently, a trading guild named TOG moved in. Rett was happy to see the city stabilize, but expressed concerns that TOG could perhaps overthrow our administration.

Rett's concerns were indeed valid. Sacbut Trombonium of TOG entered the next election against Rett. This could not have come at a worse time, because Rett was just about to retire from his mayoral job. We barely knew Sacbut, and could not know for sure if he would treat Sarlacc City with care. Because we could not be certain of Sacbut’s motives, we made arrangements to elect another mayor. It was apparent to us that no RID member would be able to take up the task, so we set our eyes towards the Electronic Enemies. The Electronic Enemies were an Imperial organization which we were just now starting to establish ties with. One of their members, MaximusXVI, agreed to run for election in Sarlaac City.

MaximusXVI, Rett, and I met in the city hall to discuss matters. We informed MaximusXVI that he would be tasked with protecting Sarlaac City’s integrity, as well as maintain its ties to the Empire. To assist MaximusXVI in winning the election against Sacbut, we granted him citizenship. Rett also granted him administrative powers, such as the ability to move in additional citizens. Shortly after, MaximusXVI registered for election, and began speaking with the Electronic Enemies to move into the city. However, before we could conclude the meeting, a TOG citizen named Ximm Darkwave marched into the city hall.

Ximm noticed that MaximusXVI had registered for election, and wanted to know why. We simply told him that Rett would be retiring, and that MaximusXVI would bring in many citizens to improve the marketplace in the city. Ximm, untrusting of MaximusXVI, myself, and Rett, was not satisfied with that response. He understood that Rett had to retire, but said he had no idea who MaximusXVI was. He said that Sacbut had many clear plans for the city, and that this was not the time for a power-struggle. We assured him that there was to be no power-struggle, and that we would be happy to sit down and discuss the future of the city with Sacbut. We also told him that he would be free to vote for any mayor he wished.

Ximm agreed, but still felt we were a malicious party. So we further assured him that we had the city's best interests in mind. We told him that Kalaia, one of the original mayors, had entrusted us with the city, and that we were simply passing along that trust to MaximusXVI. By this point, Ximm felt a little less worried about us, but still felt concerned that we were not proposing any ideas for the city's future. We promised him that an outline for the city's future would be soon sent to every citizen. Ximm had nothing else to say, so we wished him a good day and said our farewells.

However, that was not the end of Ximm. As MaximusXVI moved in fellow Electronic Enemies, and gained more votes, Ximm pretty much admitted that we would win the election. Yet he was still not convinced that MaximusXVI would do any good for the city. He expressed further concerns to me in private. Specifically, he was worried that with MaximusXVI, Sarlacc City would become a personal estate of RID and the Electronic Enemies, and that we would turn it into a heavily Imperial city. I told him that even though we were Imperials, we understood that Sarlacc City had to be a bit more liberal in its policies than most other cities. We understood that the city and its marketplace had to be open to average civilians, not just extremely loyal Imperials.

I further clarified that RID had ran the city for months, and that we had never imposed excessive restrictions on citizenship and trade within the city. Yet Ximm was still unconvinced. He felt I was making things up, and that MaximusXVI and I were purchasing the city from Rett to consolidate our power. This rumor was obviously unfounded. I immediately told him that Rett was a friend of mine, and a member of my organization. We were not purchasing the city from him at all. He was simply a mayor who wished to retire from his duties, and wanted an experienced politician to takeover. Still, Ximm felt that if MaximusXVI were to be elected, the entire marketplace would suffer. He said he had names of traders who were interested in doing business in the city, and that now they may not be allowed to do so. He also outlined plans to set up his own large business in the city. I promised him that should MaximusXVI be elected, he will foster the marketplace to the best of his ability. I told Ximm that MaximusXVI would welcome any traders and new businesses to the city, and that he too was very interested in improving the city's economy.

I finally concluded my conversation with him and emphasized that we all cared very much about the city. I told him that I knew Kalaia quite well, and that another one of our members, Apium, had been very influential in the upbringing of Sarlacc City. Fortunately, Ximm finally seemed much more trusting of our campaign. However, he told him he already gave his word to Sacbut, and would be voting in his favor. However, he said that if MaximusXVI truly did good things for the future of the city, he and his associates would vote for MaximusXVI in future elections. With that, I thanked Ximm, and we parted ways.

As time went by, MaximusXVI emerged victorious as mayor of Sarlacc City. Immediately, the city's resolve grew stronger. More citizens, including Ximm's fellow traders, were welcomed to the city. The marketplace grew, and MaximusXVI established statues as a tribute to past mayors and organizations in Sarlacc City. RID, Electronic Enemies, and the original founders of CULT were commemorated. As promised, Sarlacc City never became an official Imperial fortress or private estate for either one of our organizations. However, the city still had Imperial tendencies, and forbade outright sympathy for the Rebellion.

Unfortunately, MaximusXVI's administration did not last long. Though he was doing many good things for the city, he unfortunately had business to tend to for two months. During this time, Aytekin Darkstar of TOG ran for mayor, pledging only to act as an interim mayor until MaximusXVI returned. Unfortunately, though MaximusXVI eventually did return, he was unable to reprise the role of mayor again. Aytekin continued to serve Sarlacc City as mayor, and most members of the Electronic Enemies gradually moved out. However, Aytekin and the rest of TOG respected RID and the Electronic Enemies past administrations. Tributes in our favor remained, and ties between Sarlacc City and RID remained cordial. Sarlacc City even maintained much of its Imperial tendencies, but publicly considered it to be a neutral establishment.

At the very least, the legacy of Sarlacc City would continue. It was in good hands, and it would not be the last time that RID would work with them.

-AI's- Sparta

Meanwhile, under the DarkAchilles administration, more and more members of the Alpha Imperium were moving into -AI-'s Fort Sparta. Eventually, DarkAchilles allowed Klendest, the leader of -AI-, to run for election against him. Gounk made an attempt to run for election during this time, but was outvoted by the large numbers of -AI- members that now inhabited the city. Klendest won, and renamed the city to -AI's- Sparta. This further distanced the city's ties with RID, much to our dismay.

In an attempt to re-strengthen our ties with the city, I spoke with Klendest. During our meeting, we discussed that RID and -AI- should work more closely with one another. Klendest agreed, but I accepted the fact that -AI-'s Sparta would no longer be closely influenced by RID. At the very least, -AI-'s Sparta remained vehemently loyal to the Empire, and their organization served well in the war against the Rebellion.

Arena Crumbling

In yet another attempt to further expand the Empire's reach across Tatooine, Rouge of the Unseen Eye gained citizenship in the small city of Arena Flats. The city was operated by an individual named Kravo. After a relatively long amount of time serving as a citizen of the city, Rouge eventually discovered an excellent time to take control of the city. Rouge won the election when the city began crumbling into a state of disrepair. With Rouge emerging victorious, the city would benefit. RID would eventually be able to step in, improve the city's state of disrepair, and take control from Rouge.

However, Rouge's victory did not go over well with the remaining citizens in Arena Flats. Even though the city was crumbling, the citizens were fearful of the change that Rouge would bring to their city, even if it was positive. Several vocal citizens voiced threats against Rouge, and one named Ssasy even registered for election against Rouge in the next cycle. Despite the existence of this vocal minority, Rouge continued to serve as mayor, opening new and improved parks, and new facilities within the city. However, these positive acts did little to impress most of the citizens.

Realizing that running Arena Flats with such stubborn citizens was a lost cause, Rouge allowed Ssasy to win the election. Nonetheless, Rouge continued to dwell within the city as a citizen. Sure enough however, Arena Flats continued to crumble even more. It was eventually passed along to another mayor, but the city continued to shrink in size. Soon, it was demolished completely when it became apparent that the place was a ghost town.

Expanding Our Combat Operations

It soon came to our attention that a large number of Imperial organizations, including SHC, would be declaring war against a large number of Rebel organizations. These Imperials were calling for others to assist them, so we of course immediately stepped up to help. The idea was to work together to declare direct wars against individual Rebel groups.

RID had been increasing in strength, so we felt that waging wars would be appropriate at this time, especially since a number of our members were eager for a fight. Immediately, we declared wars against a number of Rebel groups. These were the Centurion High Council, MEK Legion, BMF, RISE, -WM-, and the Order of Orion. All accepted our declaration of war, except -WM- and the Order of Orion who fled our proposal. We even proposed a war against an organization called the Garbage Hauling Company, after they made accusations against us regarding battle violations. Though they were sympathetic to the Rebellion, no outright war against them took place.

I and RID knew that these declarations of wars would be the beginning of something far greater, and it could not have begun at a better time. The Galactic Empire was now expanding its reach across a wide number of battlefields on Yavin IV, Endor, and Lok. This would be our chance to show the galaxy the strength of RID, and the Empire!

Fort Nar Shadda Prospering

Even though we were losing direct control of a number of our properties, our network of cities was still prospering. Under mayor Daiho, Fort Nar Shadda thrived. It grew quickly, soon becoming a metropolis. Daiho commissioned the construction of a shuttleport and other venues, making Fort Nar Shadda a highly respected RID establishment on Dantooine.

Meanwhile, a small guild eventually decided to merge with RID. One of their members was Rushton Blackmoore, an individual who happened to run a small village on Dantooine named Sageblade. With the help of his friends who had now merged with RID, the city continued to flourish. Another one of their members was Py'thia, who worked closely with Rushton.

Victory and Legacy

In Fort Legacy, Osar was running in an election against Mossie Lichen and Sheelo Baruk. Mossie eventually emerged victorious as mayor of Fort Legacy. Yet this did little to change our relationship with the city. Fort Legacy remained loyal to the Empire, and it did not undergo any major changes. Osar knew Mossie well enough, so we were not majorly concerned. Eventually though, another individual named Mossie Mastier took over as mayor. Given their identical first names, it is not certain if they shared some sort of relationship, but it can be agreed that the both of them worked closely together.

Shortly after this, Osar announced his intentions to step down from politics. He spoke to me, interested in holding citizenship in Fort Oasis and joining RID. I of course accepted his application to RID, because I had known him for many months, and we worked together closely in city affairs.

Meanwhile, JJake, a citizen of Fort Victory, decided to step up and run for election against Erougn. He emerged victorious, but in the process, Fort Victory began to suffer slightly. Citizens were leaving, and the city was demoted from metropolis recognition to city status. JJake was still a close friend to to Erougn and RID, so we remained confident that we could work with him to reverse Fort Victory's downward spiral. Unfortunately, Fort Victory continued to decline to township status, losing certification of its shuttleport. In light of this, Erougn once again took control, and brought the city back to city status. Periodically, the city would flip between metropolis and city status, but the only difference between the two ranks was the amount of territorial holdings. In the end, the city was stable, and could still operate its shuttle.

Eventually though, Erougn could no longer work as mayor. Inep, who had been in RID in the past, ran for election and won. Fortunately, as with JJake, our ties with Inep were cordial. Fort Victory remained stable and loyal to the Empire, and RID members would be welcomed to become citizens at any time.

Czerka Exodus

In RID, liaisons to the Czerka Corporation, specifically Bovive and Arramen, continued to serve dutifully. Both even gained Executive Council positions for their excellent knowledge and leadership. Unfortunately, Bovive began to grow weary with a number of members. This weariness happened to spread to Arramen, Ahasya, and other friends of Bovive and the Czerka Corporation. Essentially, Bovive felt that several members in RID lacked professionalism. Specifically, one member named Urkan annoyed Bovive considerably. The two of these members eventually exploded in an argument, which resulted in Bovive leaving RID.

Bovive was a very influential member in RID. Many of our members considered him to be a great friend. I implored with Arramen, Ahasya, and others to stay with RID so that we could resolve the situation. Unfortunately, both of them, among others, left RID to be with Bovive. Emotions ran high, and animosity between me and Bovive grew high. Ahasya felt sorry to leave, but felt things in RID would not be the same without Bovive. In the process of leaving RID, the city she ran on Talus, named Shadow's Edge, cut off relations with RID.

Bovive and Arramen eventually decided to join the Imperial organization named SinisteR. Ironically, Urkan ended up leaving RID to join SinisteR in the future. Considering that Urkan was the catalyst for Bovive’s withdrawal from RID, I could not help but feel amused at those turn of events.

Though the loss of the Czerka Corporation and many other friends weakened RID considerably, things were not over yet.

Personal Feuds

Unfortunately, not even Rushton or his village of Sageblade would be serving RID much longer. During his time in RID, Rushton became increasingly distraught with another member named Rogrymi’. In short, they started having meddlesome arguments concerning Py’thia. It was a personal affair that I could have honestly cared less about, as it had nothing at all to do with the overall wellbeing of RID. Unfortunately, conflicts between Rogrymi’ and Rushton grew considerably. Their disputes started to interfere with other members in RID. During one particular meeting, Rogrymi’ and Rushton exchanged a series of snide comments. The rest of RID was becoming increasingly aware that something was wrong. The fights between the two of them exploded even further, in front of a large number of RID members. Eventually, Rushton even contacted the Executive Council about his concerns.

Although some of our Executives, including Ramd, shared sympathy with Rushton, I myself cared not to get involved. Yet Rushton continued to share more news, and eventually explained that issues between Py’thia and Rogrymi’ had ended. Despite that, he felt we should “do something” against Rogrymi’ due to his "bothersome" behavior. Clearly, he was insinuating that we should remove Rogrymi’ from RID.

In our Executive Lounge, I and the rest of the Executive Council spoke about the situation. After some amount of discussion, I reached the decision that it would be best not to get involved at all. Despite Rushton and Py'thia coming to me for guidance, my job was to be a leader, not a counselor. The rest of the Council agreed with this ruling. It was decided that Rogrymi' should remain in RID, but we would warn him to keep personal affairs private, so as not to disrupt the stability of RID.

As expected however, Rushton soon left, followed by Py'thia. Both were never seen again, and our relationship with Sageblade simply collapsed.

Rebels Yielding

RID continued to convince more of its members to aid in the battles against the Rebel cells we were fighting. Many Imperial organizations were now beginning to give up on their crusade to fight individual Rebel organizations. This left RID, and just a few other Imperial organizations left to focus on our enemies. Despite the fact that we had a relatively low number of war participants, we were actually gaining much ground against the numerous Rebel opponents.

Our persistence soon paid off. Two organizations, RISE and BMF, yielded in their conflict against us. News of our success was spread to the rest of RID, but we still had work to do against the Centurion High Council and the MEK Legion.

Shadowfire

Yet another Imperial organization announced their intentions to immigrate to Tatooine. This organization called themselves Shadowfire OWNZ, or OWNZ for short, and its leader was Lord Cyco'. Although one would naturally question the sanity of a person who goes by the alias “Lord Cyco',” my prejudices were soon dissuaded when Cyco' took the time to talk to me. In a private conversation, Cyco' announced that he and his organization would like to inhabit a city on Tatooine, particularly Fort Endeavour.

Fort Endeavour was still very small, so Hel'mut and I were eager to welcome new citizens, especially if they were loyal Imperials. However, we could not help but feel some suspicion towards OWNZ. Nonetheless, our fears were overpowered by our wishes to see Fort Endeavour grow. After conversing for quite some time, Hel'mut allowed Cyco' and many of his members to inhabit Fort Endeavour as citizens.

For now, I was sure the future of Fort Endeavour would be bright.

Neighbors of Imperia

As Fort Keen continued to grow, a fellow member named Red-Dawn gained citizenship to its neighboring city of Imperia. Due to its proximity, Imperia and Fort Keen shared an apprehensive relationship. There was some concern that Imperia was trying to steal Fort Keen's place as the optimal Imperial stronghold in the region. Imperia was primarily operated by the Stormtrooper Division Omega, or SD-O for short.

Eventually, it came to Red-Dawn's attention that Imperia's mayor would be stepping down. Red-Dawn attempted to take advantage of this opportunity by running for mayor himself. He was always keen to take a role in management, so he saw this as his best opportunity. Fortunately, Red-Dawn had gained preliminary support from SD-O, and he was sure he would be welcomed as mayor. He devised plans to rename it to Fort Imperia, and solidify its ties with Fort Keen.

Unfortunately, Red-Dawn later decided to revoke his candidacy when he discovered that most citizens were not willing to vote for Red-Dawn. Voting in a RID mayor seemed to be too much of a change for SD-O. Although Red-Dawn was disappointed, Daiho extended an invitation to Red-Dawn to become a militiaman in Fort Nar Shadda. Red-Dawn accepted, and was quite content with his new job.

Treachery Afoot

To my dismay, I noticed that a citizen of Fort Endeavour named Escaped had registered for election. I did not want to immediately jump to conclusions, but I deduced that this may be a ploy on behalf of OWNZ.

Hel'mut instructed his citizens to vote in the election, and told them to remember who had been maintaining the city for this long. I was sure Hel'mut would emerge victorious. There were many votes in Hel'mut's favor, and only a few for Escaped. I was sure that this would be a short election, but little did I know that this was just the start of a deceitful takeover.

Interim Mayor

Sadly, Daiho of Fort Nar Shadda was becoming increasingly busy, and could no longer hold the permanent job of running the city. After some amount of discussion, Daiho allowed Red-Dawn to run as an interim mayor until Daiho was ready to reprise his position. Red-Dawn agreed to become mayor, and ran for election after it was clarified to the citizens that this was what Daiho wanted.

Daiho remained as a militiaman, while Red-Dawn served as mayor of the city. Fortunately, Red-Dawn was very knowledgeable about city affairs and helped it grow considerably. Yet it was soon realized that Daiho would be unable to reprise the role of mayor. As far as we were concerned, Red-Dawn would now be Fort Nar Shadda's permanent mayor.

Anniversary in Fort Nar Shadda

Yet again, RID has survived another non-standard year! In light of this occurrence, RID organized a large celebration in Fort Nar Shadda, Dantooine. Ordinarily we would hold our celebrations in Fort Oasis, but we felt that it was time to give a different change of scenery. Fort Nar Shadda would also be a great place to organize certain activities. There was a peaceful pond within the city that was ideal for a fishing tournament. We also constructed a track for creature races.

For the anniversary, many RID members and citizens from across galaxy gathered inside a celebration hall. Here, I delivered a speech, and many entertainers played music and sang songs to commemorate the occasion. One member sang a song about the origins of RID, and where we stood on that day.

As I looked up at the fireworks, I once again contemplated the previous years of RID as I usually do. Then I looked down, and towards the future, and thought to myself, “Here we go again!”

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR SEVEN

Fort Fallen

Sadly, our next year as an organization did not go off with a great start. We underestimated the threat that Escaped posed to Fort Endeavour. It seemed as though Hel’mut would have a clear victory. Most votes were in his favor, with just one or two in favor of Escaped. However, in a deceitful turn of events, the members of OWNZ, who Hel’mut thought were his loyal constituents, suddenly changed their vote from Hel’mut to Escaped during the final moments of the election. In a shocking twist, Escaped, who was in fact a member of OWNZ, emerged victorious.

Immediately, the valuable contents of city hall were looted, and credits were drained from its treasury. Escaped then commissioned the immediate demolition of Fort Endeavour, so that they could arrange for the construction of their own city elsewhere. It was a saddening turn of events, but it was not something we would let go unpunished. What we originally thought to be a loyal group of Imperials turned out to be a renegade group of thugs. Though we would not raise arms against them, we immediately began plans to impede upon their efforts. Not long after the destruction of Fort Endeavour, we discovered the location of the city they were just starting to build up. It was actually located rather close to where Fort Endeavour once stood. The city was named OWNZ Central HQ, and was being administered by Lord-Cyco himself.

Operation Counter-Coup

Immediately after discovering the location of their Central HQ, we began devising a plan to avenge the loss of Fort Endeavour. Essentially, our plan was to infiltrate their headquarters, so that one day we could take their city through the same unscrupulous means that they themselves employed. We were willing to fight fire with fire, as OWNZ had betrayed the trust of a fellow Imperial organization. Quickly, we managed to gather a group of loyal supporters, some from RID, and some contracted from outside. These supporters would inhabit the outskirts of the Central HQ. The HQ would eventually grow in size, engulfing our supporters. These same supporters would be able to run for election when the time was right, and take over the city. This operation was referred to Operation Counter-Coup, and we were confident it would be successful.

Unfortunately, Lord-Cyco soon caught on to our plan. Although the city advanced, and engulfed our supporters, Lord-Cyco discovered their names. He deduced they were RID members and immediately contacted me out of anger. He demanded that we move out our supporters, or there would be all out war against RID. I at first denied any involvement in the takeover plot. This made Lord-Cyco quite irritable, as he knew for certain we were involved. He started calling my supporters minions, and insisted that RID was nothing more than a Rebel organization. He demanded that we fight them on the battlefield to prove ourselves.

However, Lord-Cyco would not have his war. RID was not willing to fight against other Imperials, even disloyal Imperials that employed dishonest tactics, and only looked after themselves. As far as I was concerned, Lord-Cyco was scared that we would have a chance at compromising the security of his city. I and most others felt no sympathy towards them.

Legacy Opposition

Eventually, Osar decided to once again get involved in city affairs. He ran for election against Mossie Mastier, and was sure to emerge victorious. However, in the middle of the election, a mysterious figure named ‘Imp also registered for election. We were unsure who ‘Imp was, or why he was running for election, but we were sure he was not a serious contender in the election. Osar ultimately emerged victorious, and took the reigns as mayor once again. As always, he managed to do a great job serving his citizens. Unfortunately, little did we know that the crusade against RID had not yet ended.

Operations against CHC

Because we were still fighting against the Centurion High Council, we wished to find out more about them. With the help of Red-Dawn’s Stormtrooper associate, TK-162, and RID member Apauck, CHC’s base of operations was soon discovered. It turned out that the Centurions were based out of the colloquially named Centurion City on Lok. This information could have proved valuable for whenever we would need to hunt down CHC members. However, we still lacked the location of their safe house, which would in many ways be more valuable in the war effort.

Fortunately, with the dedicated assistance of another one of Red-Dawn’s associates, Milday Thewynter, codenamed SK-162, the location of CHC’s safe house was discovered. As expected, it was located near the warzone of Restuss. SK-162 managed to discover the safe house by following a CHC enemy. Now that we had the location of this establishment, RID could plan more intense attacks against them.

Battle in the Swamplands

With the location of the safe house discovered, we decided to organize a task force of RID members to engage the Rebel Centurions. In perhaps the most major battle of the war, RID surrounded the safe house and began engaging CHC members and other Rebels in the surrounding area. Early in the battle, RID was performing nicely, and succeeded in accumulating many kills. As the battle raged on however, CHC began calling in more reinforcements. We were soon starting to get outnumbered, and began losing ground in the skirmishes against them. It soon became apparent that we could not fight them directly much longer, so we receded back into the ruins of Restuss, and carried out sporadic fighting there.

Although we had started to suffer towards the end of the battle, we still caused harm to CHC. By that time, RID had killed fifty-three CHC opponents while they had killed ninety-nine of us. These figures reflected the total kills since the start of the war. Although they had nearly killed twice as many more opponents, we had far less war participants than they did. We were also gaining ground against MEK-L. By the end of that day, we had a total forty-one kills against them, while they had forty-nine against us.

Big Trouble

Just when it seemed that things could not get much worse, Osar approached me saying that there was “big trouble.” In Fort Legacy, Osar won the election against Mossie, as well as the mysterious figure named ‘Imp. We simply assumed that ‘Imp was a random citizen in Fort Legacy, who simply wished to make a feeble attempt at running for mayor. It turned out however, that he had far more nefarious plans. During the following election, Osar had extraneous duties to deal with, which made him unable to closely manage city affairs for a short while. Unfortunately, Osar neglected to register for election during this time. It was simply assumed that he would win the election by default, so long as no one ran against him. Unfortunately, before the third week of the election cycle, ‘Imp registered for election. This time however, he assured himself victory. Because candidates could not legally register at during the third week of the election cycle, Osar was unable to head to the city hall to register. In other words, ‘Imp, without any support from the citizens, managed to use this particular loophole to his advantage. While it was greatly unfortunate that Osar did not take the time to register himself for election, there was no point in passing judgment.

It was no doubt an unfortunate turn of events, but we still believed that there was a glimmer of hope. At the time, we were not yet aware of ‘Imp’s affiliation. Osar insisted that he was a member of Alpha Imperium. I was happy to hear this, because RID was not on bad terms with -AI-. I believed that if ‘Imp was in fact a member of theirs, he could be negotiated with. I was sure that if ‘Imp would not withdraw from the election, he would at least keep the city intact upon his victory. From that point on, we could negotiate with ‘Imp further, or mobilize Osar’s many supporters to vote for him in a new election.

However, I had trouble reaching ‘Imp for a meeting. He seemed to be avoiding me, so I did the next best thing; contact Klendest. Since Klendest was the leader of -AI-, I felt this issue could be brought to his attention. I sent Klendest a lengthy mail, concerning how ‘Imp had registered for election, assuring himself victory through a loophole. I explained that while we held no grudges with -AI- taking control of Fort Sparta, we did not take too kindly with them taking Fort Legacy from us. I kindly requested that Klendest ask ‘Imp to step down from the election. Klendest soon responded, unfortunately his news was not to my liking. Klendest said that he did a review of his roster, and claimed that ‘Imp was not on it. This meant that ‘Imp was not even a member of Alpha Imperium. Though Osar was nearly certain that he was in -AI-, I decided to investigate further. It did not take long for me to discover that ‘Imp was in fact a member of OWNZ! This revelation was quite unfortunate, and it seemed to confirm our worst fears.

For OWNZ, it was not enough to just destroy Fort Endeavour so that they could build their own city. They also wished to destroy Fort Legacy so that their Central HQ would be eligible for further growth! Sadly, it now seemed apparent that ‘Imp was intent on demolishing Fort Legacy upon his victory. The most we could do was prepare for the worst. In preparation, we obtained a new deed to a city hall. Our plan was to establish a new city hall, after the destruction of Fort Legacy was enacted. Though it would not be the thriving metropolis that the city currently was, it would at least give us a chance to rebuild. We also held on to another glimmer of hope. There were some reports that Osar may in fact retain control of Fort Legacy, due to technicalities in the voting system.

For now, we just had to plan for the worst.

Battle against the Centurions

Meanwhile, our war against the Centurion High Council was still raging on. Milady, the Stormtrooper associate of Red-Dawn, waged a battle against many Centurion Rebels. With the help of a group of RID participants, we managed to kill thirteen enemies throughout the entirety of the battle. However, the CHC was still more ruthless, having killed thirty-seven of us. However, considering that CHC had nearly three times as many enemy participants during the entirety of the war, we felt we had pulled our weight quite a bit. We were sure that we could defeat the Centurion High Council over an extended period of time if we had to.

Worst Fear

Aside from our skirmishes with CHC, MEK-L, and other Rebels, we were still focusing on the situation in Fort Legacy. The night before ‘Imp’s victory, we planned to establish a new Fort Legacy, should ‘Imp decide to demolish our current one immediately. While OWNZ’s Central HQ would still benefit, we could at least prevent them from establishing a subsidiary city. Should they succeed in establishing a second city, our prospects of ever rebuilding Fort Legacy would be slim. Sadly, despite our best efforts at planning, our worst fear was confirmed.

As soon as ‘Imp emerged victorious, he commissioned the immediate demolition of Fort Legacy. Before we ever had a chance to use our deed to a new city hall, OWNZ initiated the construction of a new city. In doing so, we were not allowed to rebuild Fort Legacy, due to the current planetary restrictions. Such a selfish move on their part angered us greatly. This only fueled our resentment towards OWNZ even more, and gave us further ammunition for revenge. More RID members were becoming aware of their aggressive behavior, and wanted to do something to help. Before we did anything however, I asked RID to scout the desert for their newly established settlement. By discovering it early on, we would be able to enact plans against both of their cities. Later that day, the outpost was discovered near their Central HQ. This outpost was simply named OWNZ Outpost, and it was being managed by none other than ‘Imp himself.

With this information uncovered, we figured it would be best to act right away. I sent a priority message to the Executive Council. I also sent it to Osar, who had been the mayor of Fort Legacy, as well as Kurke, who had a good understanding of city affairs. This message outlined the plan for a more intensive operation against OWNZ. This plan involved hiring more individuals to help take over at least one of OWNZ’s cities. Initially, we counted on ex-citizens of Fort Legacy to rally to our cause. To our dismay however, they simply moved on. Sanosuke, the leader of many of these citizens, simply said they would find a new home elsewhere, just like the nomadic Sand People. Nonetheless, we managed to gather extra supporters to help infiltrate both OWNZ’s Central HQ and their outpost.

Meanwhile, we were also concerned that Fort Oasis, and perhaps even Fort Keen or Nar Shadda would end up as targets in this apparent anti-RID crusade. However, many felt it was unlikely that OWNZ would concentrate on cities on other planets, though OWNZ members were suspiciously spotted in these places as well. As we continued devising our plans, I considered notifying other mayors across Tatooine about the growing threat that OWNZ posed. I now knew that OWNZ would not rest if their Central HQ was not allowed to grow further. This meant that they would need to either destroy Fort Oasis, or another large, unaffiliated city on Tatooine. Personally, I felt I could protect Fort Oasis well enough from any hostile takeover. The same could not be said about other places, as these mayors were still oblivious to OWNZ’s ambitions. I brought this up to the Executive Council, including Councilman Arev. Arev agreed that warning other mayors on Tatooine would be the best course of action. Ultimately though, I decided not to warn other mayors. I felt that this was an issue that only concerned us. I did not want to bring others into this, at the risk of being called a hysterical doomsayer. In hindsight, it was a poor decision on my part not to share this valuable intel.

So for the time being, we kept this entire situation mostly within RID. Later, Xoseh sent his associate, Taiquasha, to infiltrate OWNZ. Surprisingly, the leaders in OWNZ immediately recruited Taiquasha, without being overly suspicious. They did not seem to have as strict of a recruiting procedure as we had originally thought. Immediately after joining, Taiquasha relayed information to us concerning OWNZ’s membership roster. This roster included the ranks, professions, and other information concerning each one of their members. It was quite an invaluable piece of information, because it would stop us from falling prey to a potential spy ourselves. Should OWNZ ever get the same idea, and try to infiltrate RID, we could simply refer to the list and see if their name was on it. It was of course not a fool-proof list, as new members could always join or change names, but it was helpful nonetheless. Also, because Hel’mut managed to infiltrate their Central HQ, we also had a comprehensive list of all their citizens. This combined list gave us even further information. Unfortunately, we still had not yet infiltrated their outpost.

We were soon surprised to see ‘Ordo Skirata running against Lord-Cyco in the Central HQ’s election. We soon learned, however, that ‘Ordo was a member of OWNZ who would simply be acting as an interim for Lord-Cyco. Lord-Cyco had business elsewhere to tend to, so he agreed to have ‘Ordo take over temporarily. To use this moment to our advantage, and to test the loyalty of their citizens, Hel’mut Yovel registered for election too. Unfortunately, most of their citizens were in fact loyal to OWNZ, and voted in ‘Ordo’s favor.

This act was soon ridiculed by OWNZ. They erected a statue which mocked Hel’mut’s feeble attempt at becoming mayor. However, this statue was eventually forced to be torn down at the pressure of authorities above OWNZ.

RISE Rising

Although they had already surrendered us, the Rebel organization called RISE decided to once again wage war against us. We accepted this, once again raising arms against them. Although we were now up against three specific organizations, RISE, MEK-L, and CHC, with dwindling Imperial support, we still felt optimistic about our success. RISE had nearly five times as many war participants than us, but we did not feel deterred. Shortly after the war, RID succeeded in killing three of their war participants in isolated skirmishes. During that same time, they succeeded in killing five of us. We were almost certain that this was just the beginning, and that there would be much more violence ahead. We were wrong.

RISE Fallen

Almost as quickly as it had begun, the Rebels of RISE had surrendered to us just a week later! It was a surprising, yet superb turn of events. Despite them having a larger combat force, they merely managed to kill eleven of us during the week-long conflict. We succeeded in killing ten. Though this was of course less than RISE’s kill tally, it was still a RID victory as far as we were concerned. RISE called for an end to this war, forfeiting any chance at victory. However, we still had our conflicts against CHC and MEK-L. Combined, these two organizations had over three times as many combat participants as us. We continued to do our best to get more RIDs to fight against them.

War against OWNZ?

Just a couple days after RISE surrendered, ‘Infinitus of MEK Legion contacted me. He told me that he knew of the trouble OWNZ was causing us. He strongly suggested that RID wage an open war against them. According to him, if we did so, MEK-L would wage war against them as well. Of course, I felt rather confused by his proposal. Considering MEK-L was a Rebel organization that we ourselves were at war with, I felt it would be quite problematic to have both RID and MEK-L against OWNZ, while RID fought MEK-L at the same time.

I also explained to ‘Infinitus that we would no longer engage in open warfare with another Imperial organization, even terrible ones. Though ‘Infinitus tried his best to persuade me otherwise, I declined. ‘Infinitus did not seem to take this well, and started to call me and RID cowards for not wanting to fight them. He felt we should defend our honor so to speak. However, my mind was made. RID would gain nothing from actually fighting members of OWNZ. It would only make matters worse, and distract us from actually infiltrating their cities.

The next day, I was contacted by Xaos, member of another Imperial organization called DJO. Xaos heard from an ex-RID member named Illiack that we were being bullied by OWNZ. He promised that if we waged war against OWNZ, he would send DJO’s best fighters to join RID as mercenaries. Xaos said that he could guarantee a victory against OWNZ if I accepted. While I greatly appreciated Xaos’ offer, I essentially told him the same thing I told ‘Infinitus. Although the prospect of a “certain victory” against OWNZ seemed tempting, I could not be sure that Xaos was simply bluffing. What if his fighters were not as good as he said they were? In that case, his plan would backfire, and RID would suffer.

Mos Carova, the Final Straw

Although we were almost certain that OWNZ would strike another city on Tatooine, we were not sure when, or even where. This was one major reason why I had not bothered to warn other mayors. Yet we were soon surprised to hear that Mos Carova, a secluded city near the Krayt Graveyard, was being targeted. This city was run by Te’he Vastitas. Mos Carova was a popular place for many denizens of Tatooine. If anything happened in Mos Carova, the rest of Tatooine, perhaps even the rest of the galaxy, would hear about it. As it turned out, we heard reports that an individual named ‘Arla Vhett was running for election. Unfortunately, just like Osar, Te’he had neglected to register herself for election. She felt confident that her citizens were loyal enough. Of course, all it took was one rogue citizen to skew the election. Using the exact same ploy used in Fort Legacy, ‘Arla registered for election before the third week of the cycle. Before Te’he could react, the election was locked to any new candidates. This essentially assured ‘Arla victory. We soon learned that ‘Arla was an undercover operative for OWNZ. By simply acting as a humble individual, Te’he allowed ‘Arla to join the community in Mos Carova.

After hearing this news, I immediately regretted not having warned the other mayors. Now, we were certain that Mos Carova would also be demolished, so that the Central HQ could qualify for further growth. However, most of Mos Carova’s citizens were in denial. They were not yet fully informed of what happened in Fort Endeavour or Fort Legacy. They were certain that ‘Arla could be negotiated with. I had to step in and explain to the citizens that ‘Arla was a member of OWNZ, and that they would definitely be demolishing Mos Carova. After explaining a detailed account of what OWNZ had done to our establishments, the citizens of Mos Carova quickly gave up on trying to negotiate with ‘Arla. I simply suggested that Te’he prepare for the loss of the city by protecting its treasury, and making plans to rebuild. Still, many believed that certain powerful officials from outside Mos Carova could be called to intervene with the situation.

In many ways however, Mos Carova being targeted was not an entirely bad thing. There was no disputing that it was an unfortunate turn of events, but by employing their citizens’ anger, we would have a larger infiltration force that could be used against OWNZ. Mos Carova was filled with a large and diverse amount of people. These people had close friends throughout Tatooine and the galaxy. Almost overnight, resentment towards OWNZ swelled, and citizens began to demand justice. Feeling this was an excellent time to mobilize further support against OWNZ, I explained our infiltration plans to many Mos Carovan citizens. Many were not yet eager to participate, and wanted to see if ‘Arla would really demolish the city. However, a sizable number of citizens immediately began mobilizing to OWNZ’s Central HQ, and worked the system to become officially recognized citizens. Soon, the Central HQ grew into a township, engulfing more territory. This in turn engulfed more homes, whose residents could apply for citizenship. By using this angered group of supporters, the prospect of enacting a hostile takeover of the city, or at least impeding on their progress, seemed quite real.

There was one citizen in Mos Carova who was particularly interested in helping. His name was Xija, and he claimed that he could mobilize many individuals to help us. I was thankful, but I was quite surprised to hear what else he had to say. According to him, OWNZ was telling citizens of Mos Carova that ‘Arla was an operative working for RID. In other words, OWNZ was trying to make it seem as though we were trying to take over Mos Carova. They repeated this lie, claiming that this was part of our plan to fortify cities on Tatooine. They attempted to scare citizens by asserting we would rename Mos Carova to Fort Carova, and subject its citizens to a repressive rule. I had to admit that OWNZ’s lie was quite clever. Fortunately, most citizens did not buy into it. Nonetheless, I was sure there were citizens who felt suspicious towards RID. All of a sudden here we were, getting involved with their affairs. RID had seldom anything to do with Mos Carova in the past. Even if most citizens of Mos Carova believed we were not trying to take them over, they still may have believed we were trying to use the situation to our advantage. In all honestly, they would be spot on. We were trying to use this situation to our advantage so that more support could be rallied against OWNZ. We did not believe this was entirely unethical. We were giving the citizens a chance to enact vengeance, instead of contemplating the unfairness of the situation. We were also giving advice on what to do should the city be destroyed. In hindsight, I absolutely would have warned Te’he so that Mos Carova would not be in this situation to begin with.

As the days passed by, ‘Arla ultimately won the election as expected. This time however, OWNZ was not going to be let go so easily. The citizens of Mos Carova began sending petitions to authorities outside the city. These authorities would have the ability to intervene with city elections and other city affairs. Because OWNZ was engaging in the unethical, systematic destruction of innocent cities, these authorities were beginning to take notice. One official, an Imperial named Chrol, made a warning to ‘Arla. He said that if OWNZ destroyed Mos Carova, they would take action. We could not be sure if this would be enough to scare ‘Arla, but we held our breath. There was a glimmer of hope that Mos Carova may actually be given a second chance; a second chance that Fort Endeavour and Fort Legacy never had. When ‘Arla won the election, the destruction of Mos Carova was not initiated. Instead, 'Arla renamed Mos Carova to Fort Carova to still make it seem as though this was a RID operation. Shortly after ‘Arla’s victory, Poe’kunal registered for election. Poe’kunal was a trusted citizen, and he immediately gained many votes. Unfortunately, I was still sure that Fort Carova would be destroyed. Although ‘Arla had not done so right away, I was sure it would be destroyed shortly before the “growth cycle” in OWNZ’s Central HQ. In other words, the destruction of Fort Carova would have to be timed appropriately, so that the Central HQ, and not another unrelated city on Tatooine, would qualify for expansion.

As expected, four days after ‘Arla’s victory, the destruction of Fort Carova was enacted. This was the straw that broke the dewback's back for most citizens, and denizens across the galaxy. Sure enough, with the destruction of Fort Carova timed perfectly, OWNZ’s Central HQ was made eligible for expansion. The Central HQ expanded its territorial holdings, and began construction of a shuttleport. In the ashes of the destroyed metropolis, ‘Arla began the construction of a new Fort Carova. However, because of the planetary restrictions, Fort Carova was now recognized as a mere outpost, rather than a thriving metropolis. This meant that Fort Carova had less territorial holdings, and fewer assets. It also meant that ‘Arla could consolidate her power, as most former citizens were not within the confines of the new Fort Carova. This meant that OWNZ now had three cities on Tatooine, their Central HQ, their outpost, and of course Fort Carova.

With the old Carova destroyed, more and more ex-citizens flocked to our cause and marched into the OWNZ Central HQ in protest. Many more wished to serve in our infiltration plan. Meanwhile, Nimeh E’asuge, a supporter of Mos Carova registered for election in the OWNZ Central HQ. Because many Carovans had succeeded in infiltrating the city already, Nimeh managed to gather a good number of votes. I was sure that OWNZ was now worried. We had an angered force of not just RIDs, or ex-managers of Fort Legacy, but average citizens from a distant corner on Tatooine. With this force, I was certain that OWNZ’s capability to operate their city would be severely hindered. Even if Lord-Cyco continued to win the elections, the city would be constantly plagued by a large contingent of angered citizens. Under such perpetual stress, the city would undoubtedly crumble.

However, these musings were short-lived.

Sending a Message

As it turned out, Chrol and the other authorities were not bluffing. When they heard about the destruction of the old Carova, they figured that ‘Arla and OWNZ had done enough to cross the line. Immediately, Chrol executed a number of acts which bypassed typical planetary restrictions. He immediately forced the OWNZ Central HQ to destroy its shuttleport, withdraw its new territorial holdings, and demote itself to township status. In Fort Carova, Chrol forced ‘Arla out of office, replacing her with Te’he. Bypassing advancement restrictions, Chrol allowed the new Fort Carova to immediately be promoted from outpost recognition to metropolis recognition. In doing so, Fort Carova gained back its territorial holdings and former citizens. Of course, Te’he immediately renamed the city to Mos Carova. Although damage had been done to Mos Carova, it could have been much worse. They could go on, more or less as though nothing had happened.

Although the valiant actions of Chrol sent a clear message to OWNZ, it also weakened support for our anti-OWNZ operation. With Mos Carova restored, many of the citizens who were infiltrating the Central HQ or protesting simply returned home to help rebuild. We could not fault them for this, but it meant that RID would mostly be alone in our crusade against OWNZ. In the meantime, OWNZ had learned their lesson. OWNZ was weakened by this unexpected turn of events. They did not believe that Chrol would actually intervene. For now, OWNZ simply withdrew to their corner of Tatooine and kept to themselves. However, we would never forget what OWNZ had done to us, and we would never give up our plans against them. Nonetheless, we knew that to be successful, we would have to be patient.

Alliance with Dila’ae?

Later, an individual named Dila’ae announced plans to establish a Stormtrooper Detachment organization, similar to Stormtrooper Detachment Omega, or SD-O. Red-Dawn’s associate, Milady, also known as TK-162, was interested in joining. Red-Dawn approached me, stating that with TK-162 in Dila’ae’s newly formed detachment, an alliance of sorts could be established between them and RID. I was of course more than happy to establish closer ties with another Imperial organization, so I met with Dila’ae, alongside Red-Dawn.

During our meeting, I told Dila’ae that we would be more than willing to establish ties with RID. We also mentioned that they would be welcome to use Fort Nar Shadda as their base. Although Dila’ae said she would be willing to establish ties with RID, she did not seem overly enthusiastic about it. She also said that her new Stormtrooper Detachment would likely use another city as their base. During the rest of the meeting, she simply discussed potential plans with Red-Dawn.

Overall, I left the meeting feeling as though nothing substantial had been discussed. I began to have second thoughts about TK-162 leaving RID to act as a liaison with Dila’ae’s organization. In fact, I felt quite certain that Dila’ae’s Stormtrooper Detachment would not be successful. Arev, who was by now our Executive Chairman in RID, agreed with me on that. Nonetheless, TK-162 left RID to join with Dila’ae. For the time being, we simply hoped for the best in working alongside Dila’ae.

A Changing Galaxy

Meanwhile, the Galactic Civil War was intensifying even further. More battles were brought to other cities, including Bestine on Tatooine, Dearic on Talus, and Keren on Naboo. We recruited a number of quality members, including Artimaes and Pikeera, who both involved themselves actively in the defense of Bestine. Organizations working for both the Empire and the Rebellion also began defending key regions across the galaxy. RID and Fort Oasis began an official defense of Mos Espa, which neighbored Fort Oasis. Fort Keen began an official defense of the Corellian space sector, while Fort Nar Shadda began the defense of the Arissi Plains region on Dantooine. I was also approached be an individual named Malikus, who led an Imperial organization named Alpha Omega, or -AO- for short; not to be confused with -AI-, or Alpha Imperium. Malikus expressed his hope for establishing a new Imperial Network, to bring Imperial organizations closer together. I was definitely interested in the idea, unfortunately the plans never materialized. The network would have started with a few key organizations, including RID, -AO-, and SUNDER. Although the network never worked out, RID was kept busy aiding Imperials in various war zones across the galaxy. We were also of course still fighting against CHC and MEK-L, yet our kills started to slip a bit further. It seemed as though both of those organizations were gaining an upper hand.

In RID, our Executive Chairman Arev began recruiting more and more members into RID. These members seemed to report mainly to Arev, and based themselves mostly out of Fort Keen. As a consequence, Fort Oasis and Fort Nar Shadda started to get less attention from newer members. Although it was somewhat disconcerting, both I and Red-Dawn did a good enough job finding enough citizens to help these Forts thrive. One of the newer members that Arev recruited into RID was Rhiana, who had just recently left an Imperial organization code-named NAVY. NAVY was essentially a group of Imperials who served the wider Galactic Imperial Navy. Laryssa, who led NAVY, was initially angered at Rhiana leaving RID to join us. She felt as though RID was stealing away their talent. Fortunately, Arev managed to defuse the situation for the most part.

In Fort Keen, Arev once again consolidated most of his control. Before, Ruh was managing most of the day to day issues in Fort Keen. Indeed, Fort Keen was becoming a very bustling hub of Imperial activity. The Corellian Sector Fleet HQ was relocated to Fort Keen, meaning weekly space activities were coordinated there. Trials, patrols, and other matters took place in Fort Keen on a weekly basis. Eventually though, Arev Basten ended up getting killed in vicious Rebel attack. Days later, a memorial service was held for him in Fort Keen. Amodeus DuCar, who was essentially an older, more distinguished version of Arev, took over his position as Fort Keen’s Commander and Executive Chairman in RID. However, his policies were almost identical to those of Arev's.

Although Amodeus continued to turn Fort Keen into a model Imperial establishment, and recruited a number of key individuals into RID, other veteran members were growing weary with him. Ramd, for instance, who was another Executive Councilman, felt as though Amodeus was too controlling. Alpha Omega turned out to be friends with Ramd. This organization moved into Fort Keen, but they soon changed their minds to move out. Ramd felt that Amodeus' controlling demeanor was what sparked -AO-‘s decision to relocate. Amodeus was rather unfazed by Ramd’s concerns. However, Ramd was not the only one who was starting to get angry with Amodeus. Red-Dawn, yet another Executive Councilman, also felt Amodeus was too controlling. Red-Dawn also felt that Amodeus was conspiring against Fort Nar Shadda. Red-Dawn was upset by the fact that too much attention was being put on Fort Keen. He argued that this impeded upon the health Fort Nar Shadda, as well as Fort Oasis. This was admittedly a valid concern, yet I was not yet sure if Amodeus was truly interested in ostracizing Fort Oasis and Fort Nar Shadda.

Nonetheless, an increasingly larger number of RID members began reporting to him in Fort Keen. It seemed as though my place in RID was becoming increasingly marginalized, but I took no immediate action, because I wished to keep RID peacefully intact.

Rejection and Resignation

For the time being, Red-Dawn was working diligently in facilitating our alliance with Dila’ae’s new Stormtrooper Detachment. In addition, Red-Dawn was also trying to get other small Stormtrooper Detachments to merge with RID, including SD-O, which was led by Veruca’. Both myself and Red-Dawn met with Veruca’ to discuss a possible merger between our two organizations. We explained to her that we needed to work closely together if the Empire was to succeed. Too many small organizations were in existence, and we felt many of these should be brought under RID’s banner. Veruca’ did listen to our arguments, but she said she would have to confer with her other members. Unfortunately, Veruca’ later made the decision to decline our offer, much to the chagrin of Red-Dawn, who responded to Veruca’ decision with disappointment and irritability. He felt that these small Imperial detachments were only weakening the Empire, and that a merger with RID would be more beneficial.

As far as Dila’ae’s new organization was concerned, it was plagued with misfortune from the get go. As Arev and I suspected, Dila’ae did not have the capacity to adequately lead an organization. Within days of its founding, members were already questioning her leadership. A membership coup against her even erupted. All this news was of course reported by TK-162, who acted as the liaison between our two organizations. Following this extended internal drama, Dila’ae issued out a letter of resignation, which ultimately resulted in the disbanding of the entire organization. Dila’ae retired altogether, and TK-162 returned back to RID.

Pledging Allegiance

With the Galactic Civil War intensifying even further, we felt it prudent to have settlements across the galaxy pledge their allegiance to the Empire. By doing so, we would be more prepared in fights against the Rebellion. I first set my sights on Sarlacc City, the large city near the Great Pit of Carkoon that RID had once operated. As previously mentioned, the city was later handed off to MaximusXVI of Electronic Enemies, before falling into the hands of the trade organization named TOG. Despite us no longer having control of the city, Sarlacc City was outwardly Imperial. A statue commemorating RID still remained inside the city hall. The city was also decorated with banners of the Galactic Empire, and provided kiosks where Imperial operatives could get jobs. The mayor, named Aytekin, was himself an Imperial supporter. However, Sarlacc City was still not an official Imperial city. I wished to speak with Aytekin, hoping to bring Sarlacc City closer to the Empire.

I contacted Aytekin, and while he himself had no issues with aligning the city officially with the Empire, he said he would need to get full support from the militia. He told me that if the militia agreed to aid the Empire on a more official basis, then he would consider Sarlacc City an Imperial establishment. In doing so, his citizens would be able to aid in the war effort, by defending a region on Tatooine. In other words, it would help the Empire consolidate its power even further on the entire planet. With that, I concluded the meeting. Aytekin said he would speak to the militia about aligning Sarlacc City with the Empire. Unfortunately, I was later informed that the Lotham Family, who held positions within the militia, was not unanimous in their decision. Apparently several militia members were wholly neutral, or held some sympathies with the Rebellion. Because of this, Aytekin declined my request to fully support the Empire. I later contacted the militia myself, but their decision did not change. Most of the militia simply wished for Sarlacc City to focus on trade activities, and not the Galactic Civil War.

Victory Defeated

On Rori, ex-RID member named Inep was still overseeing the management of Fort Victory. Unfortunately, he was not as active in his role as before. Under his watch, Fort Victory lost enough citizens to be demoted to township status. By shrinking, Fort Victory lost its shuttleport, and a good amount of territory. It was definitely disheartening to see the once strong Imperial fortress decline in such a way. To make matters worse, after having been demoted, an individual named Ytaga ran for election against Inep. We later learned that Ytaga was a member of SIEGE, a Rebel organization that was a formidable opponent in Restuss. Inep managed to win the election, but he neglected to register himself in the next one. This allowed Ytaga to step in and assure himself victory.

Not much could be done. Following Ytaga’s victory, Fort Victory aligned itself with the Rebellion. It was then renamed to Jmara’s Legacy, in honor of a fallen Rebel who was once in SIEGE. Although a noble tribute, we could not help but feel disappointed at the sudden loss of Fort Victory. Overnight, the Imperial fortress had turned into a Rebel safe-haven. At the very least, Ytaga was competent in managing the city. The city was later code-named Med Center Cubby Hole, a place which welcomed Rebels preparing for battles into Restuss. Sometime later it was taken over by Roostavius. Under him, the city did once again grow, but it removed itself from the nav-map so that it could not be easily identified. By then, its name changed, only being known as a “city under Siege.” Although the fate of the city was now in the hands of Rebels, we knew at least that Fort Victory’s legacy would live on. However, we never could have imagined that since its founding by Amaroo as Fort D’aroo, the fortress would one day be turned against RID and the other Imperials who fought alongside us.

Siege of Fort Keen

Days later, Rebels from the Mobile Infantry and CombatRecon Rifle Company, among others, planned a siege of Fort Keen on Talus. In light of this, RID and Imperials from other organizations gathered inside the fortress to prepare a defense. Amodeus DuCar oversaw much of the battle. I too was in attendance, hoping to fight off the Rebel enemies. The turnout was quite good. The prospects of defeating the Rebels seemed quite certain, but the battle would not just be fought on the ground. In space, Imperials were also gathering to fight off Rebel star fighters. It was siege that would be fought both in space, as well as on the ground.

After gathering our forces, the Rebels were spotted. Within seconds, a firefight erupted between Stormtroopers and Rebel combatants. The Imperials were being pushed back, trench by trench in a relentless assault. However, after many minutes of fighting, the Imperials emerged victorious. In space, the battle was a minor Rebel victory, but mostly a stalemate. The siege left Fort Keen somewhat vulnerable, but the might of the Empire could not be stopped that day.

A Briefing

As time passed by, I was becoming somewhat more concerned about my overall position in RID. Most of the active, influential members in RID were brought in by Amodeus. As a result, most of these members based themselves out of Fort Keen, and reported primarily to Amodeus. A number of older members in RID were leaving, or just not getting involved with RID as much as before. Red-Dawn for instance, left RID because of his issues with Amodeus. After leaving, he renamed Fort Nar Shadda to the Nar Shadda Trading Post. We still maintained some ties with the city, but for the most part, RID only had Fort Oasis and Fort Keen to manage. Each and every day, my position in RID seemed to be reduced to a figurehead status. I certainly did not mind having Amodeus, or other members for the matter, take more control of RID. In fact, it was actually a relief not having to micro-manage every issue in RID. However, the one thing that did concern me was the increasing lack of communication between me and Amodeus. RID’s involvement seemed to be moving more from Fort Oasis to Fort Keen. Most of the time I did not know what was going on in Fort Keen, under Amodeus’ command. Most members of RID rarely communicated to me about those sort of issues.

I decided to finally discuss this concern with Amodeus. We both decided to meet in Fort Oasis, along with another RID member named Farik Evocatus. Farik worked closely with Amodeus, and he was later appointed an Executive Council position, to take the place of Red-Dawn. Amodeus understood that I was being left somewhat in the dark, so he decided to brief me on some of what had been going on. He decided to discuss the status of various RID members, as well as our ties and reputation with other Imperial organizations. Both Farik and Amodeus explained RID’s ties with the Imperial organization code-named NAVY. NAVY was the organization that initially accused us of stealing their members. Amodeus explained that they still had some issues with RID, but they were no longer a major concern to us. Xeno-Semantics United, another Imperial organization, was considered somewhat of a daughter to NAVY. Kai’lek, an individual who had a good deal of influence over Fort Keen, held membership in BION Intergalactic. Amodeus considered having her join XENO, so that RID could have more influence over NAVY. These plans never materialized however.

Amodeus and Farik also explained that RID had close ties with another Imperial organization named SIX-T, or 6T. Kai’lek had an associate named Te’rei in this organization. Essentially, the rest of the meeting simply covered who were our allies, and who were our adversaries. It was an enlightening briefing, because it covered information that was never really brought to my attention. What was perhaps most interesting however, was what Amodeus had to say about his own reputation with other organizations. Apparently, rumors from both Rebels as well as Imperials were sprouting over Amodeus. Essentially, these rumors pointed towards Amodeus being involved in some unethical behavior with other people. However, Amodeus assured me that these were merely false rumors, in an attempt to smear both his and RID’s reputation. Seeing as how I had never heard complaints concerning Amodeus’ behavior, I agreed with his assessment.

With everything said, I left the briefing more or less content with RID’s place in the galaxy. With Amodeus and Farik handling many day to day affairs, I was sure RID was in good hands. They later recommended bringing another RID member into the Executive Council, named Apauck. Apauck was yet another actively involved member, who worked closely with Farik. The Council then consisted of Amodeus, Farik, Apauck, and Ramd. I believed them to be a competent Council, filled with dedicated members. I felt they could manage RID self-sufficiently, and they would have to, for I was to be departing on a weeklong excursion.

A Week of Uncertainty

I left on my weeklong excursion, feeling quite certain that RID would be in good hands. Unfortunately, during my absence, RID entered the verge of chaos. The day after my departure, trouble already began with a member named Jo’taur. Jo’taur was a relatively new recruit, but he already established some key friendships with our members, including Cuyan, Artimaes, Patryn, and others. He used these friendships to help push a number of proposals in RID, most of which did not go over well with the Council. Of course, it was not the proposals themselves that got him into trouble. The day after my departure, Jo’taur was reprimanded by Executive Councilman Ramd for exhibiting disrespectful behavior. Ramd even forwarded a message to all of RID, warning RID to be on their best behavior. A number of RID members did not approve of Ramd’s warning. Unfortunately, to many RID members, Ramd was not as visible as Amodeus, Farik, or even Apauck. Some felt that Ramd had no business making warnings, and several were unaware that Ramd was even on the Council. Patryn left, because he felt as though the message Ramd sent was in some way directed at him. He did not want to be in an organization where he was censored by someone he barely knew. Of course, the message had nothing to do with Patryn. It was simply a general advisory, spurred by Jo'taur's demeanor. Apauck soon convinced Patryn to rejoin RID. Unfortunately, this was merely the beginning of a long week of uncertainty.

Eventually, messages from various members began to flood my inbox. Apauck, Artimaes, and Jo’taur all sent me messages about their concerns, and what had been going on in RID. Apauck, for instance, sent a particularly foreboding message. He felt that Ramd’s warning to all of RID was ill-timed. He claimed that both he and Farik were working hard to lead RID, and that Ramd’s sudden warning simply made things worse. He also explained that many members in RID were beginning to question the Leadership, particularly Amodeus. This was news to me, because I was under the impression that most of RID was supportive of Amodeus. In actuality, Apauck explained that Amodeus was very controlling, and that most members were beginning to get tired of him. Apauck even said that Amodeus had people spy on RID members, to see what they have been up to. Apauck even went as far to say that his reputation was so tainted, he was costing RID many key alliances. Because of his reputation, more and more Imperials were beginning to move out of Fort Keen.

Even more serious was the allegations that Amodeus was acting inappropriately with other RID members. News of this misconduct spread outside of RID, and it began to harm RID’s overall reputation. I heard of some of these rumors during my recent briefing with Amodeus, but apparently at least some of these rumors were true. I later received a shred of evidence that Amodeus was in fact acting inappropriately. This did not severely impact my perception of Amodeus, but it did raise some concern in my mind. Apauck also explained that RID was becoming largely segmented. There was a population in RID that worked closely in Fort Keen, under Amodeus’ command. Most these people did not approve of Amodeus however. The other part of RID consisted of members who did not get involved with Fort Keen very much. This included members such as Artimaes, Pikeera, Jo’taur, and even Ramd. Apauck felt this schism was quite serious, and could lead to RID’s demise. He even said that Farik was considering leaving RID after all the stressful things he had to deal with.

This was a lot of information to take in, considering I had barely been gone a day. However, Apauck said these problems had already existed for several weeks now. I was simply oblivious to these concerns, because they were not yet raised to my attention until Apauck sent me the message. The timing of Apauck’s message was in fact quite irritating. I should have been told all of this days ago. For the time being, I simply could not do anything. I told Apauck to simply hang in there, and I would deal with the situation when I returned. However, Apauck was not the only one to send a doomsayer message. Artimaes also sent a message, explaining his overall discontent with Amodeus and Ramd. He too felt Amodeus was far too controlling. He also felt that Ramd’s place on the Council was awkward. He felt Ramd was not an actively involved member, and that the warning he sent came across as a mere attempt to assert his control during my absence. Artimaes also said that Amodeus admitted to being the true Leader of RID, and holding all the actual power. He said that he had a huge problem with Amodeus taking all the control from me, the founder of RID. Although I had no problems with Amodeus taking a more active role in RID, I certainly did have problems with him flaunting his position as if he were the actual Leader of RID. Artimaes also went on to say that an immediate restructure of the Leadership should be enacted. However, I simply told him the same thing I told Apauck. I could not deal with major issues until I got back. I could merely offer some tidbits of advice.

Jo’taur also sent me a message. He said that he was watching my back, but felt that I needed to be careful. He insisted that the Executive Council was whispering behind closed doors and holding secret meetings. He suggested that the Council, especially Amodeus, was plotting to stab my back and take my place as Leader. He also heard the rumors about Amodeus’ inappropriate behavior, and told me of that as well. I thanked him for this advice, but I did not think too much of it. There now seemed to be no question that Amodeus was consolidating his control, but I had doubts that any other member of the Council had such ambitions. Even if they did, I could simply step in upon my return and issue out reprimands to those who were stepping out of line. However, matters concerning Jo’taur soon intensified. Jo’taur did a number of things that upset the Council. Not only had his disruptive behavior already upset Ramd, but he was now doing things that ended up getting Amodeus, Farik, and Apauck upset. It all started when Jo’taur created a recruitment information message, viewed by many galactic citizens. The information was filled with inaccurate information about RID that got several Council members up in arms. However, this error in itself was not all that serious. What was in his signature was more serious. In his signature was an extremist symbol that put RID in a bad light. Once the symbol was pointed out to Jo’taur, the recruitment message was pulled down, but not without him denying the symbol actually existed. Jo’taur also launched a campaign within RID against the Council, sending e-mails that harshly criticized the entire Council, save for perhaps Farik.

Because Jo’taur had done all these things, the Council actually made a unanimous decision to expel Jo’taur from RID. Given the present condition of RID, this was one of the few decisions that the Council could wholly agree with. Even with Amodeus’ and Ramd’s position on the Council being brought into question, each member of the Council felt Jo’taur was being detrimental to RID. To the rest of RID, the Council explained their reasons for removing Jo’taur. The Council listed four reasons for his removal. The first was insubordination in his dealings with the Executive Council. The second was for his generally inappropriate conduct amongst RID members. This was what originally got Ramd upset, and what compelled Ramd to send a warning message to RID. The third reason was him submitting inaccurate recruitment information. The fourth and final reason was extremist behavior, brought to light due to the symbol Jo’taur showed next to his signature. In truth, this was the catalyst that resulted in his removal.

However, the removal of Jo’taur did not go over well with some members, including Patryn, Artimaes, and others. These members felt Jo’taur was removed unfairly, without giving him a chance to defend himself. Jo’taur himself later sent me a message during my excursion about the incident. He insisted that Amodeus and the Council removing him from RID was proof that they were ruthlessly eliminating dissent, and planning to overthrow me. He sent an appeal, and wished to return to RID. He felt he was removed unjustly, and that the Council simply acted on impulse in a mock trial, where he never had a chance to defend his side of the story. He also felt that the fact that I had no say in the matter showed that the Council did not respect my opinion. Actually though, because I was leaving on a weeklong excursion, I gave the Council explicit permission to handle any organizational emergencies. If this meant expelling a member, then that was within their power. However, even Amodeus admitted that removing Jo’taur made him look bad. Amodeus and Jo’taur had been rivals in RID since Jo’tar first joined. Removing Jo’taur only made Amodeus look that much more controlling. He said that when I returned, I should issue a statement saying I authorized the removal of Jo’taur. In order to settle the situation, that is exactly what I did. I informed RID that the Council had deliberated about Jo’taur, and that I gave the Council the go-ahead to do what they had to do. Artimaes and Patryn felt Jo’taur was removed abruptly, and that he should be given a chance to appeal. However, after having explained why the Council removed him, both Artimaes and Patryn let the issue rest, so that RID could move on.

Jo’taur, even after leaving RID, was highly critical of the Council’s actions. He continued to send messages which protested the charges that were brought against him. He insisted the entire Council was filled with ego-maniacs and that they were all struggling for positions of power in RID. I respected Jo’taur, but I told him that his actions were detrimental to RID. It was foolish of him to launch a crusade against the very people who could remove him, especially when I was not even around to settle any disputes. It seemed to me that Jo’taur was testing the Council. In the end, his combined actions did not give the Council much of a choice. If I had been around, it would have been me who officially removed Jo’taur from RID, and not Amodeus. Although I appreciated Jo’taur’s service to RID, he was pushing his luck. I contemplated Jo’taur’s warnings, and concluded that they were false. I did not believe that the entire Council was out to take my place. Ramd had been in RID for a quite a while, and was always supportive of my leadership. He never had the time and ambition to hold a greater leadership role of RID. Apauck was quite knowledgeable, but he was not in my opinion a single-handed leader. Like Ramd, he had no ambitions to have a higher leadership role, and he often confided with Farik before voicing his opinion.

Farik and Amodeus were different however. Indeed, Amodeus had been consolidating control over RID, but not without irritating most of our members first. He no doubt had a number of key supporters, but the actions that he had been involved with were finally being brought to my attention. Amodeus’ inappropriate conduct and spying of members was tarnishing RID’s reputation, and the reputation of Fort Keen. Farik, realizing that Amodeus was posing a serious risk to our wellbeing, began plans to marginalize his control. Yet to do this, he would need my help.

Marginalizing Amodeus

Finally, I returned back to work. The week of uncertainty was behind us, but the climate in RID was still very tense and volatile. However, with Jo’taur gone, and other internal disputes dealt with, all we had to worry about now was Amodeus. When I returned, Farik immediately contacted me privately. This was the first time I and Farik ever really sat down to talk one on one. During this meeting, Farik explained more details about the Amodeus situation. He too confirmed that the rumors about Amodeus were true. He said that the issues pertaining to Amodeus were not new, and that he and Apauck had been dealing with it for several weeks. I asked Farik why I had never heard about Amodeus’ misconduct. Had I been told earlier, I could have dealt with him from the start. According to Farik, Amodeus gave explicit instructions to Farik, Apauck, and many other members of RID to keep me out of their dealings. This is why I was oblivious to what had been going on, because most members were told by Amodeus to keep me out of it. This was further proof that Amodeus wished to reduce my position to a mere figurehead.

According to Farik, Amodeus had no desire to actually be the Leader of RID. Apparently, as far as Amodeus was concerned, he already had the control he needed. As far as many outside organizations were concerned, Amodeus was already considered the official Leader of RID. Many members in RID also had a similar impression. However, Farik said he had a solution. He told me that to repair RID’s reputation, he had been marginalizing Amodeus’ control. He had been doing this by establishing close friendships with fellow members, and speaking to leaders in other organizations. He also said that he respected my position as Leader of RID, and that he felt that I should be recognized and spoken to concerning internal affairs. He said that as soon as Amodeus’ position in RID was marginalized, he would work to improve RID, and report to me about internal dealings. He promised he would maintain communications with me, unlike Amodeus, who intentionally kept me out of the loop.

I told Farik I would help him. We both agreed that demoting Amodeus from the Executive Chairman position, yet keeping him in RID, would be sufficient for the time being. Farik reported this news to many members, most of whom who eager to see Amodeus demoted. They were happy to see that Farik and I were finally doing something about Amodeus. Some members, such as Drayko, were actually angry at me about not doing something about Amodeus earlier. However, when they realized that this news was being kept from me, they understood, and appreciated what Farik and I were doing. Amodeus was not yet informed that a demotion would be taking place however. Soon, I sent an official statement to him concerning the demotion. Farik was then appointed to take his place as Executive Chairman. Since Farik now had the trust of many RID members, I felt the transition would be very smooth. At the very least, I now had a Chairman who would communicate with me.

However, Farik and I had doubts as to whether or not a demotion would be enough to repair RID’s reputation. As long as Amodeus continued to manage Fort Keen, he still had a great measure of control. Other organizations may not even know we demoted Amodeus, and may still think of him as a higher-up in RID. I asked Farik if we should have someone run in an election against Amodeus in Fort Keen. Farik initially felt that such an action would be pointless. However, after he spoke with some individuals, Farik concluded that Amodeus may in fact demolish Fort Keen out of anger, as soon as he received news of his demotion. Weighing this risk, Farik had Apauck run against Amodeus in the election. Shortly after registering, many RIDs and other anti-Amodeus citizens voted in his favor. However, there were still a number of Amodeus supporters in RID, including Rhiana and Kentt’. This schism presented yet another challenge that we had to deal with.

When Amodeus learned that Apauck was running against him, he sent an address to all occupants of Fort Keen, not all of whom were RID members. In his address, Amodeus said that the RID Executive Council was launching a vicious coup against him. In his address, he made it quite clear that he would do whatever he could to maintain control of Fort Keen. He limited the powers of many Fort officials, consolidating his own control so that the election would not easily fall into Apauck’s favor. Although Amodeus did gain a number of votes from close associates and other loyalists, Apauck was still leading ahead. However, Amodeus’ consolidation of power in Fort Keen only angered Farik and other members in RID even more. It seemed quite clear that Amodeus could not remain in RID any longer. Keeping him would be very awkward, as there was a clear conflict of interest between him and most of our members. As quickly as Amodeus began consolidating his control, and vowing to “defend” Fort Keen from this “ferocious takeover plot,” we made the decision to remove Amodeus from RID. Unfortunately, this only gave Amodeus more ammunition. He used the fact that he was demoted, challenged against in the election, and removed from RID as proof that we had a vendetta against him. By sending repetitive messages claiming we posed a risk to Fort Keen, he managed to convince a number of people to support him, including organizations such as CCXX.

In fact, it was all quite confusing. Just a moment ago, most Imperials saw Amodeus as a detriment, yet now he was succeeding in rallying more support. However, not everyone was fooled by Amodeus’ politics. According to Farik, a number of organizations, including ISC, XENO, our then close ally 6T, and even NAVY gave their thumbs up when they heard Amodeus was removed. Despite all that had happened, it seemed as though RID’s reputation could be rebuilt. Red-Dawn even sent an associate of his, named Cether, to join RID as a liaison officer for the Nar Shadda Trading Post. Red-Dawn had always had a problem with Amodeus, so he was of course happy to see us take action against him.

However, I could not help but feel as though the whole situation went so quickly and chaotically. Just a moment ago, Amodeus held one of the highest positions in RID, and was widely recognized as such by many community members. In just a matter of a day or so, he had been demoted, removed, and now had his position as Fort Keen’s Commander at stake. Indeed, several of Amodeus’ supporters felt the whole ordeal seemed suspiciously rushed, as if it was some grand plan on our part to undermine him. Undermining him was our plan no doubt, but the series of events were impulsive, based on intelligence reports and Amodeus’ actions. Some, including Ruh, likened our takeover plot to that of OWNZ’s against Mos Carova. Of course, there was clearly no comparison. At least in this case, Amodeus had the chance to defend himself. We may not have even demoted him had he been more forthcoming about his misconduct. Had he simply apologized to RID and the other Imperials, that would have gone a long way. However, Amodeus was very dismissive of our concerns. This dismissive behavior forced us to take action.

However, it did us no good worrying about things that already happened. With Amodeus out of RID, our main concern was the future of Fort Keen. It did not take long for us to determine its fate.

An Enemy’s Request

Meanwhile, I was suddenly contacted by an individual named Tholyn Kai. I did not know who he was, but after having introduced ourselves, he revealed he was a member of OWNZ. A considerable amount of time had passed since OWNZ destroyed our cities, but we did not forget what they had done to us. However, I continued speaking to Tholyn cordially, and asked what he wanted. Apparently, Tholyn was asking me of all people for help. He said he knew that RID once ran -AI-‘s Sparta. He said that he would be running for election against Klendest in the city, and that if we helped him, he would hand the city back over to RID.

This was an amusing plan, yet not one that I felt we should get involved with. Not only did it seem technically unfeasible to acquire the necessary votes, but we had no interest in becoming enemies with one of the larger Imperial organizations. We considered -AI- a worthwhile ally. I simply told Tholyn good luck, and that we would consider it. In truth, I had no interest in getting involved. I knew that Tholyn would end up losing against Klendest.

In any case, it dawned on me that Tholyn probably wanted to take -AI-‘s Sparta to destroy it, not hand it back to RID. This was probably yet another ploy to allow OWNZ’s Central HQ to expand. It would be highly unlikely for OWNZ to simply hand over the city to RID, should they actually win it. Sure enough though, Tholyn ended up losing by a landslide. For some time to come, -AI-‘s Sparta would remain under -AI-‘s control.

Pack Your Things

In Fort Keen, the situation was only growing more intense. Amodeus was determined to retain control of the Fort. However, Apauck still had the capability to win the election. Yet with each passing day, we began to question whether or not it would be in our best interests to have control over Fort Keen. Even if Apauck won, Amodeus and his loyal supporters could, and most likely would challenge him in following elections. This would create a great amount of tension in Fort Keen. With ongoing power-struggles, such an environment would not be conducive for RID to operate out of.

Farik, and many others in RID agreed. After discussing things a bit more, it was determined that RID should move out of Fort Keen, and operate elsewhere. This would be an unprecedented move that was destined to cripple Fort Keen. Fort Keen greatly depended on RID for support. After all, RID made up one of the largest populations in Fort Keen. Some RIDs did not think we should move out. Rhiana still held loyalties to Amodeus, and wished to remain. Kentt’ also wished to stay behind to support Fort Keen. Ramd felt that to extend RID’s reach around the galaxy, we should still maintain a population in Fort Keen.

Ultimately though, we felt that to send a message, most if not all of RID should move out of Fort Keen. Soon, I sent an official announcement to all of RID, asking them to pack their things and move out of Fort Keen. It was not yet determined however, where these displaced RIDs should move to. Considerations were made to move them to Fort Oasis, or even the Nar Shadda Trade Outpost. However, neither one of these cities met the needs of these specific RID members. Instead, the decision was made to inhabit an entirely new settlement, preferably on Rori.

Ometra

As RID began their almost instantaneous transition out of Fort Keen, we looked for prospective settlements on Rori. Eventually, Farik contacted an individual named Eight-Seven, who was a member of BION intergalactic. Eight-Seven operated a small settlement on Rori, simply called Death Watch Territory. After Farik and a few other RIDs toured the area, they determined that it would be the perfect place to operate out of. However, Eight-Seven was not going to simply give the place up for free. He wanted RID to pay him millions of credits, roughly around thirty million or so. Because RID was pooling together their wealth to make this purchase, this sum seemed reasonable. However, Eight-Seven still requested to have an administrative role in the city. This did not sit well with Farik, who wished for RID to have complete control of its destiny in this new settlement. Eight-Seven agreed that he would give up complete control of the city, should we pay around forty million credits or so.

Although the price was higher, Farik and the others felt it was a worthwhile investment. I myself helped to pay ten million credits, so that RID could acquire control. Ironically however, Farik and his supporters did not want the settlement to be ran by a RID member. A determination was made to have Kai’lek run it. Just like the rest of RID, Kai’lek disagreed with Amodeus, and moved out of Fort Keen. By then, she was a member of 6T. After ousting Amodeus, Farik worked hard to have 6T establish closer ties with RID. They were even welcomed to inhabit the newly operated settlement on Rori. Soon enough, RID acquired the necessary credits and offered them to Eight-Seven. As agreed, Eight-Seven gave up control of the Death Watch Territory, and handed it over to Kai’lek. The small outpost was renamed to Ometra. Immediately, a sizable number of RID members moved in and redesigned the outpost.

When Amodeus learned that RID was now assuming control of a new settlement on Rori, he was highly critical of the move. He felt as though these RID members were giving up on a thriving Imperial hub in favor of a useless backwater outpost. Amodeus, appearing unfazed by the recent turn of events, sent a message to many RID members, including myself. In this message, Amodeus said that he forgave our actions, and wished to make peace with us. He felt as though RID could still have a place in Fort Keen. Meanwhile, Amodeus gathered his supporters and established a new Imperial organization named FORT, for Fort Keen Personnel. Farik felt Amodeus was full of himself, and that we should ignore his invitation for peace. However, I did briefly consider bringing Ramd along to meet with Amodeus. I felt there was no use in giving up contacts with other Imperials. Ultimately though, I concluded that meeting with Amodeus would be a bad decision. RID had to move forward. We could no longer look back at Fort Keen. For Farik and many of his RID supporters, Ometra was their new future.

When I told Amodeus that we would not meet with him, and that it was time for us to part ways, Amodeus gradually faded from view. He handed most of Fort Keen’s control over to Ruh. As for the Fort Keen Personnel organization, that too seemed to fade away. It seemed as though Amodeus was retiring from his leadership roles. While Fort Keen still remained as a large Imperial fortress, it was not the same as it once was. Its streets were once thriving with Imperial troops. Now, Fort Keen seemed to be widely deserted.

Be Quiet and Move Forward

It now seemed as though we could move forward. Amodeus was behind us. Fort Keen was behind us. Yet the drama that persisted between fellow members was not completely behind us. Indeed, some were still skeptical at RID’s decision to use Ometra as another base of operations. However, Farik had quite enough of members second-guessing each and every one of their decisions. Farik felt that the leaders of RID could not lead if each of their decisions was questioned. Everything from removing Amodeus, moving out of Fort Keen, or other actions had been questioned. Understandably, this was beginning to be a great source of irritation to Farik. Eventually, it took a toll on Farik, and he made the abrupt decision to RID.

As soon as Farik left, a good number of members felt that it could mean the downfall of RID. I was perplexed as to why Farik made such an abrupt decision to leave, but I knew that to keep RID intact, we would have to convince him to return. In a meeting between him, me, and Apauck, Farik explained his concerns. His concerns were of course, his inability to make decisions that were not questioned. I simply told Farik that he had to reconsider his decision and rejoin RID. I assured him that if he returned, we would give him a greater amount of leeway to make decisions. I told him that he had the license to do what he had to do to improve RID. This was a great amount of control to give Farik, but I too was growing irritated at the instability RID was facing. I thought the whole situation with Amodeus would be the last issue we had to deal with. It seemed as though RID was now home to some of the most argumentative members we ever had. So I told Farik to do whatever needed to silence the dissidents, and make RID thrive. Farik was happy to hear this, so he agreed to rejoin.

When Farik returned, he laid down the law to many of his supporters. His supporters by now made up the larger portion of RID. With Farik given greater leeway, he made it clear to members that we would not put up with incessant protesting anymore. Fortunately, many RID members now stepped in line. The members who questioned the ousting of Amodeus or the move to Ometra agreed to move on. Finally, it seemed to me as though RID could be unified, and be a productive organization. Indeed, things were now looking up. Ometra began to grow, and a celebration was held in which RID and many other Imperials attended. The bond between RID and 6T grew even stronger. Farik even mentioned that 6T could merge with RID. This seemed to be a very promising prospect. 6T was a very dedicated organization, and their members would be very worthwhile to RID.

However, some problems with RID members persisted. For example, Farik was not pleased with a member named Drayko. After having a disagreement, Farik decided to remove Drayko from RID. While I had no problem with Drayko being removed, I did feel irked at the fact that Farik had not contacted me. When I asked Farik why he removed Drayko, he simply told me that it was his decision, and not my concern. I was not pleased by that answer. Fortunately, Farik later agreed that I deserved an answer. He soon wrote up a clear memo for me and the rest of the Council, outlining why Drayko was removed from RID. However, as time passed by, Farik began to regret removing Drayko. He felt he may have gotten a bit carried away, and asked me to bring Drayko back to RID. I agreed, and met with Drayko so that he could be brought back into RID.

When Apauck saw that I brought Drayko back into RID, he wrote me a fiery complaint. In the message, he said that bringing back Drayko was a dumb decision. He felt that my decision to bring him back to RID would just upset Farik, and cause him to leave RID again. He felt displeased at the fact that I was working against RID. When I read the complaint, I could not help but feel more annoyed at Apauck. It seemed as though Apauck was only becoming more rude and demanding towards me. Needless to say, I did respond to Apauck’s ill-advised complaint. First, I reminded Apauck that I was still the Leader of RID, and that removing or recruiting members was ultimately my decision. I also told him that I do not base my decisions on whether or not they will upset Farik, and cause him to leave. I also told him that every decision I make is in the best interest of RID. While each decision does lie on my shoulders, I give a great deal of responsibility to other members. Lastly, I explained to Apauck that Farik in fact requested the reacceptance of Drayko.

When Apauck learned that Farik in fact wanted Drayko to return to RID, he told me to ignore his previous complaint. Of course, I had already read it, and it only served to show me that things in RID were still volatile. Fortunately, things seemed to settle down after that for the most part. Cether, the liaison officer for the Nar Shadda Trading Outpost, joined our Executive Council. Now our Council consisted of Farik as Chairman, Apauck, Ramd, and Cether. Ometra continued growing, and 6T continued to get friendlier.

We also established closer ties with an Imperial organization named SFOD. SFOD was dedicated to helping the Empire win the Galactic Civil War. They were based out of Lok, and based much of their fighting on that planet. When I explained to SFOD’s leader, Captain Thomas, that we wished to help them, SFOD was thankful. SFOD liked RID, and was glad to see us get more involved with the Galactic Civil War. We even pledged to help SFOD on Lok, so that the Empire could consolidate their control there. RID primarily focused on the Lokian region called Westerly.

Our alliances were improving, and RID now seemed stable. We could now be quiet and move forward, or so I thought.

All for Naught

In yet another surprisingly abrupt fashion, Farik wrote a message to all of RID. In this message, Farik said that he would permanently leave RID. As it turned out, Farik was offered a very high-level position in 6T. Farik felt that this position was too tempting to turn down. He also explained that RID’s reputation with the Imperial community could not be salvaged. He claimed that people were still angry about what Amodeus had done while he was in RID. According to Farik, it made no difference that we completely ousted Amodeus.

When Farik left for 6T, many others followed. Apauck, and virtually all of his supporters left RID to flock to 6T. Even those who were not entirely indebted to Farik left RID. It was a shocking turn of events that weakened RID considerably. In fact, I could not help but feel a little betrayed by Farik. I had done so much for him so that he and his supporters could thrive in RID. We ousted dissidents, overthrew Amodeus, and initiated a painful move out of Fort Keen. It did not even matter that the ten million credits I invested into Ometra was lost. In all, it seemed as though the dramatic actions carried out during the past few weeks had been all for naught.

However, there was no use in complaining about the unfairness of the situation. RID was not completely gone. We still had members, and we still had a will to go on. In many ways, the recent turn of events as a good thing. It gave RID a chance to reevaluate their purpose in the Empire. Perhaps RID was striving for all the wrong goals. It now seemed apparent that I had to take on a greater role as Leader. Without someone like Farik, or even Amodeus, I had to help enact the rebuilding of RID.

Let Us Rebuild

Though crippled, we were not fallen. I made an announcement to RID explaining our future. I told RID that I would not be giving up on them. I also asked them not to give up on RID. I went on to say that RID would shift its direction. Under Amodeus and Farik, RID changed completely. With them gone, I decided that RID would become the organization that it used to be. Our aim would now be to simply focus on more fundamental Galactic Civil War activities. We would strive to establish closer ties with worthwhile Imperial friends. Our ties with SFOD still existed, and we wished to continue fostering that. However, I also told RID that the rebuilding process would not be instantaneous, it would take time. Members did stay out of a respect to me, but things remained difficult. RID now focused most of its attention towards Fort Oasis. Fort Oasis was always considered the primary Fort of RID, but when Fort Keen was around, Fort Oasis struggled a bit. In our present situation, Fort Oasis was the only place we had left. So, most of our current members and newer recruits made Fort Oasis their home.

While members did tend to stay, many of them did not get involved. Some decided to take a break from active duty. For example, Artimaes remained in RID, but he did not have the time to help us rebuild. Ramd also did not have the time to help RID rebuild. Because of this, he made the decision to step down from the Executive Council. Red-Dawn soon rejoined RID, and took Cether’s place on the Executive Council. Red-Dawn said he wanted to help us, but he too could not stay for long. He later concluded that he did not have the time to serve on the Executive Council, so he left RID to join the Czerka Corporation.

So while our Executive Council was largely crippled, RID still attempted to aid in the Galactic Civil War. An Imperial organization named HADES, based out of Hades Inferno on Tatooine, wished to work with RID. With HADES' help, a large number of Rebel bases were destroyed on Tatooine and across the galaxy. HADES proved to be invaluable in consolidating the Empire’s control on Tatooine. We were also still at war with CHC and MEK-L, yet combat activities against them were dwindling. Both MEK-L and CHC weakened, so they did not have as many fighters to send against us on the battlefield. However, sporadic fighting against them did take place every now and then. In fact, CHC soon resurged, and a rather large battle against RID and CHC took place in Restuss.

So, while Galactic Civil War activities did intensify, our overall integrity as an organization was at risk. We had trouble luring in new recruits, and we still lacked a functional Council. Fortunately, a few new recruits were eventually found. An individual named Chiquita was recruited into RID, and he proved to be a rather valuable member. We also recruited an individual named Mytur, who was in fact an old associate of Jaysont. Jaysont served RID long ago in the past. Mytur was very skilled in combat, and he pledged to help train our members in combat. With the introduction of these two members, among others, our future seemed to brighten. Osar also mentioned that he would be willing to serve on the Executive Council. Because Osar had remained very loyal to RID, and had past leadership experience in the United Sith Army and Fort Legacy, he was welcomed to the Council with open arms.

To further help RID grow, I called for an organizational meeting in Fort Oasis. During this meeting, all of RID was invited to listen to our future plans. More importantly, the meeting gave a chance for RID members to get to know one another. Following this meeting, RID began to get more involved in coordinated activities. We were smaller than before, but we were becoming more close-knit. Mytur started organizing combat classes, and we began carrying out combat operations together. We also soon appointed a new Council member named Uri’ika. This brought our Council up to two members. Although we still had to find two other Council members, and seek for other prospective recruits, I was becoming less worried.

Things were peaceful in RID, and as long as things stayed that way, our future would be promising. RID never goes down without a fight.

Upwards and Onwards

Fortunately, RID would not be caught in limbo for long. One day while sitting in my manor in Fort Oasis, I glanced over a message from an old colleague. That person was Amodeus. Despite all that had happened between him and RID, he noticed that we were limping through hard times, and needed help. In the message sent to me, he bluntly requested to rejoin RID and be appointed back to the Executive Council. However, he did not want to be Chairman, and felt that the entire position should be removed altogether to thwart future, potential arguments over power struggles.

Admittedly, much of what happened to Amodeus was unfair. While Amodeus admitted he had made his fair share of mistakes, much of the evidence used against him was not entirely credible, and based off of unreliable testimonies. Also, because many of the people who had problems with Amodeus had already left RID, it would be easy to reintegrate Amodeus back within our organization. Therefore, I agreed to Amodeus’ terms, and welcomed him back to RID and the Executive Council with open arms.

Amodeus was still helping to oversee Fort Keen, yet it was by now largely weakened ever since RID left. Amodeus asked that I call on any RIDs in Ometra to leave and offer aid to Fort Keen. I agreed, however not many RIDs remained in Ometra. Most were by now in SIX-T, and working autonomously for the most part.

Outpost Kappa

Fort Keen was hurt considerably by the sudden exodus of RID members. However, Amodeus was not yet ready to give up on it. However, instead of rebuilding it as it once was, he decided to re-designate Fort Keen to Outpost Kappa, an Imperial outpost which would service Imperial interests on Wookiee World C, also known as Kashyyyk. Amodeus worked with I-O-I and CCXX in this reformation, but the idea did not take off as planned. Nonetheless, Fort Keen was renamed to Outpost Kappa, and Amodeus organized Imperial operations which would take place on Kashyyyk. Otherwise, the city remained mostly the same as before, with I-O-I continuing to use it as their Talusian base of operations for space excursions. Indeed, Outpost Kappa officially recognized their defense of the Corellian space system.

Klendest’s Proposal

Ever since Alpha Imperium claimed Sparta as their home city, we maintained a tenuous relationship with their organization at best. Publically, we expressed our admiration for -AI- as allied organization, but we were never exactly thrilled by their gradual takeover of a former RID Fort. Nonetheless, they were a large and influential Imperial organization. In light of this, we had no desire to stir up trouble against them. Indeed, Klendest soon brought it upon himself to propose a coordinated attack plan with RID. Tatooine continued to be influenced by Rebels, so the Empire had to double their efforts. Klendest therefore proposed that in order to gain more control of the planet, we should demolish our lesser installation and replace them with larger, more influential Detachment Headquarters. This meant that our Tactical Center in Fort Oasis would need to be decommissioned alongside a number of our smaller Forward Outposts.

I agreed to his proposal, as Detachment Headquarters were strategically more relevant. However, the logistics of locating the managers of the smaller Forward Outposts proved difficult. Nonetheless, it did not matter. An error prevented us from uprooting our smaller facilities. Amusingly, this was somewhat solved by following Rebel attacks on our city. Our Tactical Center was eventually destroyed by them, allowing us to commission the construction of a superior Detachment HQ from its ashes.

Defenders of Bestine

For a time, RID officially recognized themselves as defenders of Mos Espa, the neighboring city to Fort Oasis. However, persistent invasions by Rebel forces in Bestine forced us to reconsider our focus. Because more Imperial forces were needed in Bestine, RID declared that they would begin their defense of Bestine and its surrounding region. Doing so would increase our prestige with the Empire as a whole, so we rest assured that it was the best decision.

Infinite Legion

An individual named Khaeden had recently joined our organization. He was quite an ambitious member who wished to see RID strive for greatness. He had an associate named Vandarr who operated in an organization called the Infinite Legion. Similar to the Marbari Eternal Knights during their early days, the Infinite Legion was unusual in that it accepted those loyal to the Empire and Rebellion, and everyone else in between to pursue their purposes. Their lax recruitment policies made it one of the larger organization's in the galaxy, but it appeared to be quite unstable as a result of their intermingling of all sorts of individuals.

Indeed, considerations were made by its leader to align the Infinite Legion to only one faction for stability. Unfortunately for their organization’s Imperials, the leader was considering turning all of the Infinite Legion to the Rebellion. This appeared to cause an amount of unrest amongst their Imperials, not willing to be forced to defect. It seemed certain that there would be a large exodus of Imperials fleeing from their organization. As it turned out, Vandarr had a son in the Infinite Legion who was made a sergeant. By working through Khaeden, his intermediary, and his son, I was informed that we might be able to accommodate their organization’s large number of Imperials in RID. It was an exciting prospect which could have boosted RID’s size and strength, but it never took hold. Vandarr’s son never got back to us, and it seemed that their Imperials simply left to move elsewhere or defected altogether. The plan ended altogether after Khaeden made the decision to leave, unhappy that I was not enacting some of his other recommendations for changes in RID fast enough. Indeed, Khaeden had been unhappy with the way things in RID had been going not long after he joined us. He petitioned me frequently to find ways to encourage RID to carry out certain operations. I assured Khaeden that those sorts of things would have to take time, but he must not have been pleased enough with that response.

Seeds of Turmoil

Meanwhile, Goji-phen, a leader of organized Imperial base strikes on Naboo, was now a member of the Imperial organization called Electronic Enemies. For the most part, these base strikes went smoothly. Although they were organized by EE, they were funded by a large number of organizations, including SR, ATW, AoF, RID, and others. However, Goji-phen sent a message to their patrons that Alpha Imperium and a member from GMERC were disrupting these operations. Essentially, Alpha Imperium felt that our focus on organized base strikes on Naboo were a waste of time, and that Imperial resources would be better spent contributing to the security of cities such as Bestine, Dearic, and Keren. While Alpha Imperium may have had a point, their methods for forcing their will on the rest of the Empire was quite concerning. Instead of allowing all of the Imperial patrons to band together and destroy the Rebel bases on Naboo in an organized fashion, Alpha Imperium was destroying them themselves beforehand. Although this may sound like a good thing, it meant that Alpha Imperium would be the only organization receiving recognition for their destruction. Those who had funded the base strikes did not receive any of the spoils that went along with destroying those Rebel bases. Goji-phen argued that –AI-‘s actions were selfish, and contrary to the interests of the Empire as a whole.

I did not disagree with Goji-phen. However, I was not interested in getting in a conflict with Alpha Imperium during that time. As mentioned before, they were a large organization. We also made plans with them to secure Tatooine for the Empire. Openly announcing ties to either side in this case could cause –AI-‘s leader, Klendest, to mistrust us. However, the rest of RID received the news from Goji-phen as well. Many were not as patient with –AI- as I was and wanted us to openly declare that Alpha Imperium’s actions were wrong. However, the decision was made. We would continue to patronage the base strikes, but we would not get involved with any matters against –AI-. However, I knew that the seeds of turmoil were already sowed.

Improving a Fortress

For the most part, we now only had Fort Oasis to watch over – with the exception of Outpost Kappa, in the hands of Amodeus. Although it was a shame to have lost the vast network of fortresses we had before, we now had the resources to improve the economy, appearance, and purpose of Fort Oasis considerably. We began moving in more citizens, and reorganizing the housing layout to better reflect Fort Oasis’ status as a fortress. We began moving in more generic styled quarters along the eastern border of the city. By then, a decommissioned AT-AT walker was established on the border as well, serving as a lookout post and storage facility. In addition, a resident from Crimson Ridge, another city on Tatooine, requested that she establish a way station in Fort Oasis for crafting stations. Because Fort Oasis specialized in research and development, goods produced within Fort Oasis were of better quality. Since Crimson Ridge did not specialize in this, they instead wished to establish a direct shuttle route from their city to a domicile in our fortress which would have crafting stations. I accepted their proposal, and so for a while after that time, citizens of Crimson Ridge relied on Fort Oasis for the development of many goods.

In addition, Hel’mut and a RID beast handler named Esnedo paired up to establish a bio-lab in the basement of Fort Oasis’ shopping complex. In the basement, we set up incubators which could be used to raise a number of creatures. As our first project, we incubated and raised dewbacks which could be mounted and used as transport by our members. Later, Esnedo moved his work out of the basement of the shopping complex, and into a larger bio-lab bunker elsewhere in Fort Oasis.

A Rough Road Ahead

We soon prepared for the celebration of our seventh non-standard year in Outpost Kappa. Despite all that had happened, we could still be thankful for certain things. For a moment in time, RID and Fort Oasis were recognized as being among the top ten Imperial contenders in the Galactic Civil War. This essentially meant that through the combined efforts of Fort Oasis’ citizens, and the members of RID, we were making excellent progress against the Rebellion.

However, this was unfortunately short lived, as our efforts were eventually surpassed by the actions of other Imperials elsewhere in the galaxy. As I delivered a short speech to a gathering in Outpost Kappa, I could not help but feel as though we had a rough road ahead. “Would time be limited?” I thought. We could not be sure, but one way or another, we had to do our best to climb out of the difficulties that plagued us this non-standard year. Even if the future looked grim, we would still put up a fight!

[Lexx Yovel]

YEAR EIGHT

Fostering Comradery

By now, it was apparent to me that what harmed RID most these last few months was a lack of comradery. Over the many years of leading RID, I had perhaps grown indolent in my duties, entrusting too much responsibility to too many people, and lacking conviction in my decisions. As a result, various hidden factions arose in RID, causing division, despite my vain attempts to foster civility between all members of our organization. Although I had still not learned completely from my past mistakes, things began to grow clearer.

When Red-Dawn, Amodeus, Farik, and others were all together in RID, the schisms should have been undeniable to me. First, there existed the faction of members who were primarily loyal to me. This included most RID citizens of Fort Oasis, particularly Ramd, who was something of an oddball during his time on the Executive Council.

Then there existed Red-Dawn, mayor of Fort Nar Shadda. Perhaps in my attempt to maintain RID’s then fragile control over the city, I conceded too much to Red-Dawn. Although Red-Dawn was outwardly loyal to me, his crusade against Amodeus and his ties to the Czerka Corporation posed a significant conflict of interest. Instead of attempting maintain peace between the two of them, I should have made the difficult decision to side with one, and expel the other, in order to increase stability within our organization.

Lastly, it would be impossible to ignore the third main faction in RID, which at the time threatened RID's ability to be truly unified in purpose. That would be Amodeus, and his command of Fort Keen. Because I was slow to assert myself in maintaining communications with Amodeus, he was left to shape RID largely unchecked, increasing the number of Imperials who reported to him dramatically. It is also interesting to note that the three main splinters of RID were widely defined by geography. I managed Fort Oasis, Red-Dawn Fort Nar Shadda, and Amodeus Fort Keen. There was no doubt in my mind that competition between these three forts caused further division in RID as they each vied for loyal Imperial citizens. RID had many forts in the past, but this same problem never existed, because the mayors of those fortresses were always reminded that Fort Oasis was RID's true base of operations. It was made clear that any other fortress would be considered a subsidiary. However, Red-Dawn did not view Nar Shadda as a subsidiary, nor did Amodeus think such for Fort Keen.

While there were three main splinters of RID, so to speak, not even these splinters were completely unified. As we had already seen last non-standard year, many RIDs who reported to Amodeus were not happy with him. This included the likes of Farik. In fact, those who were mainly loyal to Farik could have been considered a fourth splinter of RID, as they would later move on to Ometra. Four splinters of RID! It should have been no wonder to me at the time why we were facing difficulties. In hindsight, I would have managed the situation much differently. In retrospect, I may not have worked with Farik in launching a relentless operation against Amodeus. This would have undoubtedly caused a great deal of resentment towards me amongst Farik and his supporters, but they ended up abandoning RID anyways.

When I gave Farik a great deal of power over RID, he turned out to be a loose cannon. He was very unpredictable, and difficult to deal with. He was not a personality I could get along with very well in hindsight. I should have realized this as soon as he joined the Executive Council. Amodeus would frequently have to keep him in check, as his fiery personality could often get in the way of common courtesy. Farik, managed by Amodeus was okay, but on his own, posed problems to RID. However, Amodeus too had his own ambitions. I should have never let Ramd be a lone wolf on the council, amongst Amodeus, Farik, and Apauck. Ramd was the only councilman who was a citizen of Fort Oasis, and he primarily reported to me. Instead of allowing Apauck on the council, I may have appointed Osar instead. Osar was very loyal to me and RID over the course of many years, and was in good standing with Ramd. By then, he was also a citizen of Fort Oasis, due to the unfortunate loss of Fort Legacy.

Lastly, I would have abolished the chairman position, as Amodeus earlier said should have been done. All these actions would have leveraged the control of RID adequately in my opinion. If Farik ended up leaving on his own accord, that position could have been filled by someone else friendly to Amodeus. In the end, the Council would have been a strong foundation of RID. Osar and Ramd would have been the Fort Oasis councilmen who primarily identified with me. On the other hand, Amodeus and any other councilman could have made up the group which oversaw Fort Keen. With the chairman position abolished, it may have been easier to have me, Osar, and Ramd keep him and any other councilman in check.

Unfortunately, my commentary on the hindsight of my actions would not do us any good now. As it stood, Amodeus was indeed back in RID. He soon recruited a close supporter of his named Jathox, who joined him on the Council. By this time, the Council now consisted of Amodeus, Jathox, Osar, and P’nub, but considerations were made to remove P’nub due to his lack of activity. Fort Keen, by now largely weakened, was re-designated as Outpost Kappa. While Amodeus and Jathox worked towards rebuilding Outpost Kappa to serve as a reputable Imperial base, I set my eyes forward. I needed to learn from my past mistakes, and ensure that the division that plagued RID before would not happen again, at least not on the same scale. To do this, I needed to take steps with the Imperials who were still loyally serving us in RID. I needed to foster comradery!

Doing so does not take much, actually. Communication is essential. This is why I wished to continue meeting with my members frequently, to foster friendships between members. In one case, I decided to organize a squad of RIDs to explore the Myddrl Caverns on Kashyyyk. In doing so, we relearned the principles of teamwork, and continued building up the foundations of an organization that were all too essential those days.

Most of all, I cherished the amount of peace we had in RID. Although we may have been weaker physically, we were stronger in spirit. This, in the end, would serve us better than anything else, yet we still had a long way to go.

Rewriting History

Unfortunately, an awkward situation soon presented itself. Laryssa of NAVY grew distraught over some recorded content she read from this very history account. Under the section titled A Briefing, Laryssa was made aware of a now declassified plan to have Kai’lek join the organization named XENO in order to better leverage influence over NAVY. However, we never seriously planned to do this. It was merely a brief consideration. Nonetheless, I was wrong to include this potential plan in this history account before sufficient time had passed. Our relationship with NAVY and a multitude of other Imperial organizations was still very sensitive, especially since Amodeus was back on board. Laryssa, after reading this footnote in our history account, immediately raised the issue to a number of these Imperial organizations. She took the issue as a personal assault against NAVY.

Amodeus immediately responded to her fiery accusation, admitting that RID was wrong to have considered XENO to be in any way influential over NAVY. He also recommended that I remove this portion of our history account until enough time had passed. I definitely agreed. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. Laryssa and the others had already seen the portion of our history outlining our hypothetical plan. I decided to step up to clarify the situation, before anymore Imperial organizations turned against us. I clarified that the specific historical entry Laryssa was upset about was written a while ago, and was not a final draft of our historical account. I attempted to downplay her concerns by saying that the information she read was somewhat inaccurate, and that RID had never actually planned to infiltrate or manipulate another organization at all. This may have only been a half-truth, but we were on damage control. Nonetheless, I did point out that if we were truly serious about influencing NAVY, our plan would have been kept completely secret, and she would have never heard about it in the first place.

Unfortunately, other Imperials were beginning to express their distrust with RID, despite my, Amodeus’, and Jathox’s attempt to diffuse the situation. An influential Imperial from outside RID mentioned that even considering such an act against NAVY was underhanded, and that it only further convinced him to refrain from dealing with RID. He then brought up a case where a member of RID marched into Fort Oasis’ neighboring city of Black Sands, claimed to be a member of the Black Sun, and asserted authority over the city on my behalf. This story was also wildly inaccurate, but it furthered his distrust towards our organization. However, there were other Imperials who came out in full support for RID, stressing that we were an organization with integrity.

However, High Inquisitor Darillius Vynar was rather scathing towards RID. He stressed that any organization engaging in espionage against a fellow Imperial organization was something he would not abide by. He mentioned that the Imperial community was struggling through quite enough as it was, and that this hypothetical act posed a danger to the interior. He considered this leaked history information to pose a serious threat to the Empire’s cohesion. As such, he decided to end the discussion about the topic so as to preserve the Empire’s image.

However, that was not the end of the matter. Behind closed doors, certain Imperials were making an attempt to convince High Inquisitor Vynar to block RID off from accessing their communication cables. This would have been harmful to RID, as we depended on these to keep in touch with fellow RID members and other Imperial allies. Fortunately, RID managed to dissuade Vynar from taking such drastic action.

Executive Endeavours

As I left to go on an eight day excursion, Amodeus and Jathox worked to solidify Imperial superiority in Outpost Kappa through a program dubbed Executive Endeavours; named partly in tribute to the fallen Fort Endeavour. However, the Executive Endeavours never really took off, and we only ended up losing contact with Amodeus, who had mysteriously disappeared. This was an unfortunate turn of events, and a setback for our hopes of repositioning RID’s place in the Empire.

Amodeus’ disappearance forced Jathox to take over control of Outpost Kappa. However, as we would soon learn, even Jathox was not quite as committed to turning around RID as we had previously believed.

What is RID?

Jathox, who was enlisted into RID by Amodeus to help turn around our organization, made the untimely decision to leave. Unfortunately Jathox, who we had counted on to help revitalize RID, felt that the challenges RID faced were insurmountable. His opinions were similar to Farik, much to my chagrin. With Amodeus missing, and Jathox out of RID, our organization for all intents and purposes broke off any ties with Outpost Kappa. Hel’mut revoked his militia role in Outpost Kappa to become a member of the militiaman in Fort Oasis. To better assist in Fort Oasis’ growth and security, I decided to expand our militia to include other RID members, including Osar and P’nub.

Jathox ultimately joined SIX-T, the same organization Farik and many other RID’s joined during our schism. Yet, in order to better solidify the Empire, 6T and multiple other Imperial organizations merged together to form the Imperial Joint Operations Command, or IJOC for short. IJOC may have welcomed RID into this merger, but I was never willing to have RID be fully absorbed by another organization. Meanwhile, Outpost Kappa was taken over by other entities, and renamed to Kor Toryne. The city gradually shrunk over time, forcing ONYX to relocate the Naval Space Headquarters to Flame’s Hold, the base of operations StarHawk Conglomerate, who were still amicable towards us.

These were all sensible decisions. Flame’s Hold was close to the Imperial Outpost on Talus, making it easier to attend briefings for space combat missions. It was also nice to see many Imperials come together under IJOC to focus on a single purpose. However, the loss of Jathox forced us to reconsider our future. Just what exactly was RID?

In order for us to forge a new and prosperous future for our organization, we would have to answer this question. It became clearly obvious that RID was not an organization intended to focus on the Imperial organizations largely centralized on Talus. These were Imperials who had a growing distrust for our organization. I was yet again realizing the same problem we faced late non-standard year. RID was trying to be something that it was not. Instead of focusing on the more combat willing Imperial allies waging battles across Tatooine and other worlds across the galaxy, we were instead attempting to foster ties with the more politically minded Imperial organizations who looked upon RID with some level of disdain.

This was not a problem. By freeing ourselves from many of the Imperials on Talus (with the exception of SHC in Flame’s Hold), we could have much more mobility to reshape our destiny.

Reorganization

For the time being, RID focused its combat operations on weekly space missions with fellow Imperials. We attended the mission briefings in SHC’s Flame’s Hold on Talus, the only Talusian ally we were now willing to deal with on a regular basis. Aleemah, who we had just recently recruited, was stellar in space combat, and was doing a great job outfitting our organization with starships and equipment. She was eventually placed in charge of our space combat operations, positioning RID to once again be a premier space combat organization.

With the loss of Amodeus and Jathox, we also worked towards reorganizing our Executive Council, and hosting an organizational meeting to rally our members. Our Council soon consisted of Osar, Xoseh, Daigotus, and Acknar. RID also formally signed agreements to cease direct combat organizations against several of our Rebel enemies, including CHC and MEK-L. This was mostly a symbolic gesture, for our battles against most of these Rebel units had already effectively ended as a result of their now virtually non-existent war capability. Furthermore, we also enacted a minor redesign of Fort Oasis, lining our eastern border with more military-style housing, and positioning a decommissioned AT-AT walker as a storage facility.

In order to better boost our numbers, we began forming a Recruitment Team, tasked with the responsibility of enlisting fellow Imperials from across the galaxy. We also began refocusing our attention on destroying Rebel bases on Tatooine, defending Bestine from Rebels, and organizing Krayt Dragon hunts to better hone our combat skills, and accrue credits. We were not as strong as before, but we were now more stable, and that was what was important.

Imperial Feud

It seemed that with each passing week, the Empire faced a challenge which would only weaken it further. This time, it concerned the almost year-long feud between the two Imperial organizations, Alpha Imperium and Electronic Enemies. Both were still considered friends of RID, particularly Electronic Enemies, who we had entrusted control of Sarlacc City to a while back. However, RID was left wondering whether we should really stay neutral in this dispute. A number of RID members were growing distraught at Alpha Imperium’s persistence in disrupting the Rebel base busting operations organized by Electronic Enemies. While I was growing increasingly weary with Alpha Imperium, who were inflicting considerable harm to the Empire’s cohesion, I was still wary of completely siding with EE. However, we began to notice that more and more Imperial organizations were rallying behind EE. What each of our organizations lack in numbers, we made up for in cohesion. In light of this, we decided to take a more prominent role in sticking up for EE, providing them with an increase in credits, and blacklisting Alpha Imperium from a number of our establishments. Together, we believed these sanctions would bring –AI- further in line with the Empire.

Nonetheless, we still decided to be cautious. Not all of Alpha Imperium was corrupt in their disruption of these base busting operations, so we were only interested in pressuring their leaders, not their general supporters.

End in Sight

The Galactic Civil War had been waging on for years. Would this conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic ever end? With the war dragging on, leaders from within both the Empire and Rebellion demanded a massive military buildup, and stepped up combat operations in the countless conflict zones across the galaxy. This news led many galactic citizens to believe that the war may finally reach a quick, yet violent and tumultuous end. We also knew that whatever happened would also determine the ultimate fate of ourselves, and the Regal Imperial Defenders.

Chaos spread across many of the galaxy's cities, as citizens anxiously awaited news of the future. In light of this climaxing Galactic Civil War, RID initiated a draft, welcoming many new Imperials to our organization without having to go through an in depth recruitment process. We did our part by strengthening our ties with the other Imperial organizations, and fighting in many of the war zones, especially Bestine.

The squabbles between –AI- and EE, which for a time felt so pervasive, were being laid to rest as the Empire united together to wage a final struggle against the Rebellion. If all we had were months on our side, we would have to make the most of the time we had left!

Justice Served

During the chaos of the increasingly violent Galactic Civil War, we decided to enact our personal vendetta against Shadowfire OWNZ, which had ruthlessly destroyed Fort Endeavour and Fort Legacy. It would be the perfect chance to strike, as OWNZ was also caught up in the increasingly tumultuous galactic events.

Rouge, our undercover operative, managed to capture OWNZ’s subsidiary Outpost. As quickly as it was captured, Rouge enacted the destruction of the settlement, permitting Osar to reestablish a new city on Tatooine. For the first time in a while, justice was being served. Osar was thankful for the successful operation, and reestablished Fort Legacy. This time however, he established the city close to Fort Oasis. Fort Legacy was only now a small outpost, but stood as a message to Tatooine that RID would never tolerate the wanton theft of its territory!

However, we were not done yet. I was still close friends to Com Cypher, the Rebel commando who I befriended prior to RID's founding. Although I loathed his loyalty to the Rebellion, he proved valuable at times. Under the alias Sol’, Com covertly took over the OWNZ Central HQ. I sent him a directive to rename it to Fort Endeavour, and effectively cede over control of the city to the Regal Imperial Defenders. Com was no lapdog of RID, but he despised the criminal injustices of OWNZ, an organization which had caused harm to many innocent citizens, including those in Mos Carova. RID continued to oversee the new Fort Endeavour until the final days of the Galactic Civil War. Even in the end, OWNZ realized that RID owned them.

The Final Sunset

We knew that the Galactic Civil War had to reach its effective end sometime soon. The Galactic Empire would either need to wipe out this Rebel resistance once and for all, or crumble before it like a house of Sabacc cards. As the climatic conflicts of the Galactic Civil War closed in on us, so did our organization’s anniversary. This time, however, we were not in quite a mood to celebrate. The atmosphere amongst our organization ranged from pensive disbelief that the war against the Rebellion would soon end, to outright anger and sadness that everything built during the years before us might soon be destroyed. I too was quite pensive, watching the galaxy crumble around us, yet I had to inspire RID to stay motivated during these final, difficult battles against the Rebellion. I addressed our entire organization, in an attempt to inspire my soldiers to show the galaxy not only the strength of RID, but of Imperial unity.

However, I was still concerned. I believed the Empire was not only weakening internally, but being bested by aggressive Rebel attacks. In a contemplative mood, I hiked up one of the many mountains near our capital with my dewback named Jub-Jub, and overlooked both Fort Oasis and the Imperial Oasis. I thought about all we had built and accomplished during the past many years, and how in an instant, it could all come to an end. As I gazed upon twin suns of Tatooine setting behind the mountainous terrain of the Imperial Oasis, I accepted our destiny. Even if it meant the end of the Galactic Empire and its Regal Imperial Defenders, we would fight until the bitter end.

News soon reached us of violent battles erupting in Theed, Coronet, and the surface of the forest moon of Endor. Over Corellia’s capital city of Coronet, a massive Imperial Star Destroyer rained fire down upon the city in a desperate attempt to eliminate Rebel opposition. RID aided in rooting out Rebel forces within this city, both on the ground and in the skies. Even Laryssa was there, yet despite all that was happening, she was still bitter towards our organization. We continued drafting more Imperials into RID, and expanded our operations to Theed, where a massive battle raged on between countless soldiers on the ground, and frigates in the sky. The chaos extended elsewhere throughout the galaxy, and we were even now receiving news of a surprise Rebel attack on a newly constructed Death Star over Endor!

The countless battles were taking their toll, but it was bringing us together. People I had not seen in a while were emerging to be with RID during these final hours. Amodeus was back for instance, and alongside us in Coronet. In all though, we knew that the Battle of Endor would effectively decide the fate of the Galactic Civil War. I returned to Fort Oasis to say my farewells to the beloved city, as I knew I might not ever get the chance to see it again. Com Cypher and Myzia Zydian, the two people who befriended me before RID was even founded, joined me during my contemplative walk around Fort Oasis. RID members Osar and Aleemah also met with me there. They saluted me, and awaited orders on what to do next. These two loyal comrades wished to be alongside their leader during these final hours. I could not help but feel humbled.

I walked down the aisle of the Fort Oasis capitol building, and sat down in my executive chair. I looked upon the rows and rows of seats in the capitol's chamber. Here, many important meetings and decisions were made that shaped RID into what it was. I took a moment to regain my senses, and stepped outside. Aleemah readied her gunship outside of the capitol building. Osar and I boarded, intent on launching into space to face our destiny. As Com and Myzia watched from below, our gunship’s engines roared, and set course towards the suns of Tatooine. I watched as the city below us got smaller and smaller. Over our communication channels, we reached the many other RID members spread across the galaxy. They wished us good luck in our travels, and thanked me for my many years of service to RID.

Alongside my two loyal comrades, I thought of all our successes and failures, our struggles and moments of pride, and all of the enemies and friends we made throughout the years. Most of all, I found solace in the fact that no matter what our fate might be, the spirit the Regal Imperial Defenders would live on forever. As we soared into the upper levels of the atmosphere, nearly reaching space, I gazed upon the setting twin suns. I thought to myself, "This could very well be our final sunset..."

[Lexx Yovel]

Of course, we all know how the story ends. The "good guys" defeat the "evil" Galactic Empire during the Battle of Endor, and the galaxy lives happily ever after. But why did the history of RID truly have to end? Below is an epilogue concerning the final months of Star Wars Galaxies and our beloved Regal Imperial Defenders.

On June 24th, 2011, Sony Online Entertainment announced that Star Wars Galaxies would be shutting down on December 15th of that year. The closure of this Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying game effectively ended the epic journey of the Regal Imperial Defenders and those of thousands of other players. However, RID as a community would live on in some form or another throughout various different games and online mediums. In Star Wars Galaxies, RID survived without interruption from November 23rd, 2003 to December 15th, 2011, the span of 2,945 days, or 8 years and 23 days. While records are limited, it is safe to say that over a 1,000 different people served in RID at different times throughout our over 8 years of existence. I, Lexx Yovel, had the tremendous privilege of leading all those people during the entirety of our existence. This historical account is dedicated to all those past RID members. Their actions, big and small, made the adventure of RID all the more fun.

"Long live the Galactic Empire and its Regal Imperial Defenders!"