Epilogue

The ISD Chimaera's hull was blackened and scored. Her crew had been tossed around more than a little, but they seemed none the worse for wear. The Star Destroyers engines glowed as the ship moved forward.

The Nemesis had fared somewhat better, in that its hull was less blackened and its crew a little less shaken. They had received a top performance from their pilots - and as such the ship took less of a beating.

And in behind the Nemesis flew the VSD Striker, who arrived somewhat later on in the battle and they seemed to fare exceptionally well because of it. The smaller ship was barely scratched.

"Look at them run!" Captain Wedge was referring to the scattered remnants of the Rebel forces. Though the Imperial Forces had done an excellent job of destroying Rebel emplacements, they had not destroyed nearly as many Rebel fighters and starships.

It did not help that the Rebels often turned and fled once the shipyard was destroyed...

But there could be no doubt that the Empire had succeeded in its objective. The Rebels were retreating at a rapid pace!

"Attention all hands!" That was the voice of Admiral Fel. "Prepare to receive a transmission directly from myself...!"

Fel began: "Officers of the Empire... I stand before you to announce our victory! It is not the victory where all Rebels are eliminated from the galaxy, nor is it the victory of removing all Rebels from the Outer Sectors.

"Instead, it is the victory of the Empire's Rebirth. Not so long ago, the Empire would have crumbled under serious enemy threat. In the Outer Sectors, we have not only held up under the strain, but in our darkest hour, we have proven unbreakable.

"As a testament to our resolve, many officers remain from before the rebirth, and as a testament to our ability, many have recently joined our ranks. Our Reborn Empire, forged from the old and the new, stands stronger than ever before.

"From this time forward, let NONE doubt whether or not the Empire will survive. Let NONE question our determination, our capability, or our will. The Empire is REBORN!"

The Imperial Star Destroyer Eviscerator sat in orbit of the location FA Polanski had been lead to by all the hints. General Jansen's team had been deployed to the facility already...

"Sir, this door needs a code cylinder to unlock!" Lieutenant Colonel Nexant had taken a good look at the door already. "My code cylinder's not high enough to open it up."

"I'll be there in a moment," Jansen said.

True to his word, after a few short moments, General Jansen appeared. He took the code cylinder from his uniform's left side front pocket and inserted it into the lock. The words "Access Granted" appeared as the other troops pointed their weapons at the door.

"Ready, sir." Nexant and his troops had their weapons armed and aimed for any surprises.

"Opening now." Jansen disengaged his code cylinder and pressed the switch to open the door. The door hissed and opened, to reveal... nothing.

"Proceed with caution," Foley said, sending in a few junior troops in before heading in himself.

"Don't touch anything!" Nexant was always the nervous type when it came to the quiet rooms. "Not until we've checked for traps."

"Sir, I've found something here..." One of the junior troops lifted up a box sitting in the middle of the facility's briefing area. There was something written on it...

"AUTODESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED." The familiar voice common to all Imperial computer systems when an audible announcement was required. Its cool, calm tone belied the urgency of the words spoken. "COUNTDOWN TO SELF DESTRUCT COMMENCING..."

Polanski was listening to the comm channel from his shuttle in the hangar bay. He intended to fly to the facility once it was declared "all-clear" by the Army scout party, but this was going to be called off. "What is going on down there?!?"

"We've triggered some sort of autodestruct sequence for this place. I don't know what caused it." Jansen obviously was under some strain.

"Grab anything you can and get out of there. This could all have been a trap laid for me..."

"It's possible," Jansen said. A burst of static cut off the beginning of his next sentence. "... way out. Jansen out."

Jansen's shuttle landed in the hangar of the Star Destroyer. His shuttle seemed to escape damage, but the other shuttle coming in behind seemed to have been struck with its shields down by a piece of flying debris. Not serious damage, but some repairs on the wing would be needed.

Polanski was waiting on the deck of the hangar when Jansen and the other troops stepped out. Jansen was carrying a box of some sort in his hands. Behind him, it looked like Nexant was disciplining a trooper for something.

Polanski spoke first. "Did you find anything of interest before the place blew up?"

"Only this." Jansen presented Polanski with the box, unmarked except for the words "Fleet Admiral Polanski" in neat lettering. "It looks authentic."

"So it does. Let's take it up to the briefing room to look at it..."

Much like the door on the planet below, the box had a code cylinder lock. Polanski removed the cylinder from his uniform, and inserted it. The lock on the box changed from red to green, and a slight hiss could be heard from the difference in air pressure equalizing after the seal was broken. Polanski lifted the lid to find...

Datacards. Row upon row of datacards, labelled "Imperial Nexus Officer Records". A treasure trove of data feared lost when the Imperial Nexus systems went offline.

Aside from that set sat a lone datacard labelled "Final Address to the Empire." Polanski took it from the box. He inserted it into the slot provided in the briefing room table and found it contained a holoprojection.

"What is it?" Jansen was eager to find out.

"A holoprojection. I'll start it up now..." He did so.

In the centre of the table, an image came into focus. It was unmistakably Grand Admiral Daemon. He appeared somewhat thinner than either officer remembered, and he looked slightly older. But there was no mistaking it - it was him.

He began directly into his speech as Polanski and Jansen watched carefully.

"Officers of the Empire:

"Once more I bid you greetings - and above all, congratulations. Even after my disappearance from the forces at large, your iron resolve to rebuild what was lost and continue to push toward restoring the glory of the Imperial name has led you here: to victory in the Outer Sectors and the establishment of an Empire Reborn. Somewhat unexpectedly - but not altogether surprisingly - it has also led you to me.

"I shall spare you details of the condition that forced my sudden departure, for it is uncouth to discuss one's medical matters in public... and it appears that you are already well-researched in the effects of one particular Holocron.

"It will instead suffice to say that I awoke to find the Empire had changed. Admiral Polanski could not disregard the possibility that I had perished, hence assuming the title of Supreme Commander and the rank of Fleet Admiral in accordance with the Imperial Charter. The underlying systems of the Imperial Nexus detected my prolonged absence and ultimately shut themselves down; but not before much of the information it contained could be retrieved. I found that this information - the remaining rosters, as well as the plethora of documents that I had written and revised throughout my command - were already being used as a foundation in the construction of a renewed organisation.

"Seeing that the rebuilding process had already progressed beyond any immediate threat to the Empire's stability, I took the time necessary to complete my recovery from the Holocron's effects. I used the vast technological provisions within my private bunker to monitor the progress of the Imperial forces, and also deeply contemplated the prospect of my return to command.

"Of all the things that I had to consider, it was determining how to describe the GE:ER on a philosophical level that may have had the single greatest impact on my decision. It seems long ago, now, that I founded GE, constructing it with little more than a mandate from the Emperor, the rank of Grand Admiral, and my own instincts. The question facing me was: did my GE still exist? The GE:ER that I saw rising in its place was being constructed by others... Yet, it could not be called its own independent creation. Its facilities were being created anew - and included within those efforts was the daunting feat of establishing a central database system to compensate for the loss of the Imperial Nexus - yet the foundation it stood upon was still most solidly the structure, procedure and documentation that I had set down during my command. In the end, I determined that my best analogy of the GE:ER was that of a child phoenix: risen from the ashes of the parent, a different phoenix in body, and the same reincarnated in spirit. My faction, as it once stood, no longer exists. In the place of that GE now stands the GE:ER: its evolution. My time as Supreme Commander has ended."

The image paused for a moment. "Neither is my time to record this transmission infinite, and so to my final items of business:

"Fleet Admiral Polanski: Over two standard years as effective Supreme Commander is admirable... It becomes impressive when considering that your tenure was not merely a matter of inheritance, but that you oversaw the rebuilding process in which the GE evolved to become the GE:ER, acting as head of the Empire for the duration of the emergency and beyond. Although I did not appoint you to the position of Imperial Navy Fleet Commander for the purpose of becoming the next Supreme Commander, you rose to the challenge and showed that my choice was a sound one. I also greatly appreciate how conscientious you have shown yourself to be in the desire to remain true to my original vision and dictates, which is reflected even in the rank that you now still hold in accordance with the Imperial Charter. A lesser commander would have already decorated themselves with a much greater insignia. If the system of ranks in effect at the Empire's height still held today, it would now be my pleasure to promote you to High Admiral. Instead, I herein formally corroborate - and ceremonially award - the Order of the Empire medal that you were bestowed with in my name, for your work and dedication in preserving the Empire as its Supreme Commander. With this comes my personal congratulations on being the first officer since the founding of the GE to achieve the Empire's most prestigious award.

"Admiral Fel: Although it is no longer my office to reward you for your services, you have excelled in your duties, which for more than the past standard year have consisted not only of administrating the Imperial Navy, but also being the greatest driving force behind the Empire's extended campaign in the Outer Sectors. For your part in making a canonical campaign a reality - and a successful reality - you have achieved something that I always envisioned our forces undertaking once the Imperial Army was deemed to be fully operational. Seeing it come to fruition even amidst the Empire's recovery was most pleasing, and demonstrates that the Navy is in excellent hands under your command.

"General Jansen: You are quite possibly the longest-standing holder of admiralty and general officer ranks within the active forces today. Even after almost seven consecutive years in command positions spanning the Navy, Academy, and Army - and training legions of the Empire's future officers while obtaining the highest ranks and merit medals anyone can reasonably hope to achieve - you remain stalwart in your Imperial service. While Admiral Fel had the opportunity to prove his mettle in commanding the Imperial fleet after my departure, your continued service in assuming control of the ground forces shows that you are an absolute pillar of this organisation under any Supreme Commander. I wish you many more years of success and glorious service to the Empire.

"Veteran Officers of the GE: Amidst a fragmented and deteriorating Empire, the standard of personal conduct and professional dedication exhibited by so many officers at all levels of our faction became one of its defining attributes, and was a continual source of pride for me as its Supreme Commander. An officer not mentioned here is by no means an officer forgotten; and if my time did not limit me to dealing only with the most immediate members of High Command, I could name hundreds with which it was a pleasure to serve. Instead, I have ensured that your recorded histories - namely the Imperial Nexus records containing your ranks, medals, certifications, combat and service histories - have been placed into the hands of Fleet Admiral Polanski, for the continued preservation of things that should not be lost or forgotten.

"For the GE:ER as a whole: It is well known that the bulk of the documentation on which the GE:ER operates is, under copyright law, either my intellectual property or a modification of such. To formalise the GE:ER's assumed rights to use these materials and solidify its legal grounds for doing so, I herein expressly grant The Galactic Empire: An Empire Reborn (GE:ER), as an organisation, a perpetual and irrevocable license to use and adapt, in whole or in part, any textual or graphical content obtained from the Imperial Nexus domain - including but not limited to the documents of Imperial Law and the Galactic Empire: Imperial Officer's Manual - in whatever way is deemed fitting by its Supreme Commander. My express stipulation is that these rights may not be transferred or "sub-licensed" by the GE:ER to any other organisation, group, or individual(s). In making these statements, I aim to ensure that the GE:ER is in no way inhibited in its internal use of the materials I authored throughout my years of command; but also to make it clear to the greater citizenry that my intellectual property was not put into the public domain during my disappearance, and that while any upstart warlord who believes they may freely usurp my work may still be aggressively pursued, the GE:ER uses it with my full blessings and best wishes for its future."

Once more, he paused momentarily. "In conclusion, many of you may look to this address and wonder if I regret history. The short answer is 'no'. I have always maintained that "a single man does not an Empire make"... Every rank and position, down to the very last man, has their role to play in the proper functioning of the Imperial war machine. Understanding the importance of the contributions made by our role is the first step - recognising that each must bear its burdens in its own way is the second. Every pilot, soldier, and trooper on the front lines of our forces must come to terms with the knowledge that each new battle may be their last: that they may return to fight for the Empire another day, or see their careers ended quickly in a blaze of glory. Yet the history of so many of the Empire's highest and finest commanders - including Admiral Piett, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and even his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Palpatine himself - have shown that those of us who command from a position of perceived safety must accept that our end may neither be so quick nor so glorious, and unless we are exceptionally fortunate, will neither be at a time of our choosing. Since the day my Imperial service began as one of those very pilots on the front lines, I have asked only one thing from it: that when it came my time to go, let it be for something, and not of something. The irony of fate ensured I was met with a little of both... Yet I stand here today: apart from my former forces, but able to see that my many years of work did not end with me; that they have continued onward to become the next generation of The Galactic Empire, and a faction that still stands as one of the greatest proponents of the New Order in the galaxy today.

"As an officer eternally in the Empire's service, I consider myself one of the exceptionally fortunate. However, it is not the province - nor, I am afraid, the luxury - of an Imperial Grand Admiral to simply retire to quiet civilian life in public view. By the time you recover this transmission, I shall be far beyond your arm's reach - yet, one might say, still securely within the Empire's hands. Another path has already been laid out for me, and it leads to a place where my attention is needed. I will say nothing more about it at this time, except that you should consider the Outer Sectors campaign to be preparation for what lies ahead. The self-proclaimed "New Republic" has pushed every advantage at its disposal since the renewed loss of our Emperor ... and there are threats in our universe even greater than pirates and rebels.

"To all loyal Imperial officers of the Galactic Empire, both current and former:" The projected figure of Grand Admiral Daemon saluted. "I salute you and wish you a prosperous career filled with distinction and honour."

As the projection faded, a small smile could briefly be seen on his face... and then the projection abruptly ended.

Several hours later, from his office, Polanski began his address. "Gathered forces of the Empire and assembled citizens... The Empire has done well..." He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Today will be marked in history as a glorious day - a day of celebration of the commencement of new era; a day that has laid the foundations for our future. My personal thanks go to all those who have been a part of the highly successful Outer Sectors campaign. I will see to it that your loyalty and dedication will be appropriately rewarded.

"We have been tested to our limits with a year of constant battle and strife, yet we have prevailed even in our darkest hours. The ISD Chimaera - once almost destroyed in a daring raid - was rescued, rebuilt, and relaunched to serve in the final chapters of the campaign. The Army has done an excellent job of securing ground locations on numerous occasions, with essential and reliable support from the Navy. The Empire is truly functioning as a single, directed, powerful unit.

"We have seen the height of victory and the depths of defeat, yet we have remained together and persevered more than any of us could have expected or predicted. Once more, we have proven ourselves to the galaxy; shown that we are a force to be reckoned with. We shall again bring peace, tranquility and harmony to our war-torn galaxy...

"But our task is not yet complete. Many factions remain in violent opposition to our beliefs and ideals. Let all members of the Empire - be they line officers, pilots, soldiers, workers, or civilians - know that we are determined to crush these and any other rebellions like ants.

"Today is the day our rebirth is complete. Our goals are clear - quell rebellions and restore peace, law, justice, and order to the galaxy. We will rebuild the Empire back to its height - just as it was always intended to be. You have a choice to make: you can sit in the shadows and watch from a distance - or you can join forces with us and join our quest. To oppose us is equivalent to signing your own death warrant.

"Remember that where trouble is brewing, we shall be there to quash it. Where loyalty is shown, we shall be there to reward it. Where the Empire polices - you will be safe.

"It is an honour to serve as the leader of a group that consistently demonstrates excellence in as many ways as our Empire does. See to it that your top performance continues. Fleet Admiral Polanski out."

Polanski ended the transmission and closed his terminal. The end indeed. He sat down in his chair to take a moment. His mind wandered - back to the beginning. Back to the Grand Admiral's very first disappearances.

Fel - then a commander or lieutenant - had been concerned that perhaps GA Daemon might not make it back. Polanski was wandering down the hallway and heard only Fel's last two words to then-Admiral Syrtaras: "Now what?"

Replied Syrtaras: "I don't know what the future will hold, except for opportunities and possibilities. There are ALWAYS opportunities and possibilities."

Polanski looked out the transparisteel viewport, beyond the planet to the sun of the system just coming into view... its light illuminating the brilliant white hull of the Star Destroyer.

Even though he had only overheard it, the words stuck with Polanski even to this day. All officers surely at times held their private doubts about the future of the Empire, but after the test of the Outer Sectors - there could be no doubts. Syrtaras was right after all.

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