PIETT PROLOGUE
Written and submitted by Damien Light

Prologue Part I

"..we ran to the open doors of the retrieval ship, only 3 out of the original 9, as the Marauders pursed us, but a few blaster shots from the ship frightened them off.

-End Log"

Fleet Admiral Charles Kenneth Piett put down the report he had just finished on the Forest Moon of Endor. He had always been taught that knowledge is power, and so he always read every related article in the Imperial Archive that he could get his hands on. Filed by Sergeant Pfibee Jhorn, the report had taken Piett a week to read, not because of his through reading, but because of his hectic timetable. Piett had been ordered by Lord Vader to serve the Emperor’s wishes in everyway possible. This had made life difficult for Piett, who, as the Fleet Admiral, had to arrange all the tactics, ships and resources that the Emperor had ordered, and oversee the security of the garrison on the Forest Moon. Even though Lord Vader had given Piett full command of the huge fleet orbiting the moon, Piett knew that the Emperor held the real control. Piett was merely there to relay orders from the Emperor’s Throne Room on the huge Death Star II to the Fleet, and even then the Emperor often bypassed Piett. He heard the sound chime of the door. "Enter." A young man, a lieutenant from Alderaan - Lieutenant Enaf, if he could remember correctly -, entered and walking up to Piett’s desk he handed him a small message cylinder. He saluted, and Piett saluted back, the young man turned and left, the door swishing shut after him. Piett inspected the chrome cylinder. It was the type used to send holographic messages. Strange, Piett thought, few people he knew would send a holotransmission, and fewer still knew where he was. Mystified Piett slipped it into the holographic projector built into his desk, and pressed the activation switch.

A full sized image of Lord Vader leapt into focus in the centre of the room. A crackle was heard, and the blue coloured image of the Dark Jedi stirred. "Admiral Piett, my most trusted servant." The image addressed him, stirring slightly. Piett frowned. Lord Vader rarely shifted while he spoke, and when he did it was usually about an uncomfortable subject, such as the Rebel Skywalker. "This message is to be viewed in complete solitude, and not shared with anyone. Not even the Emperor." Piett’s frown returned. Secrecy was not unusual, as Lord Vader’s most trusted officer, he often heard things that he had to kept in the dark. But Vader had just referred to the Emperor as just that, the Emperor. Lord Vader had always called him ‘My Master.’

"Admiral, in the drawer of your desk you shall find a command cylinder." As the image paused, Piett checked, and pulled out a silver cylinder, similar to the message cylinder. "It contains the co-ordinates of a secret Imperial installation. Hidden in the Core, in deep space, it is known to few. Admiral, you will report to this installation as soon as you have finished here. You will take only one person to this installation, and he shall never leave. The installation is presently commanded by Vice-Admiral BOB and upon your arrival you will be in command." The image paused. Piett had never seen Lord Vader speak in such detail before, and he did not doubt the man’s discomfort. "May the Force be with you Piett, always." The image paused for a few seconds, the Jedi looking as if to say more, then flickered. The image of the cloaked Sith Lord remained, motionless, the message complete. Piett reached over and turned off the projector, the image vanished. The Admiral leaned back in his chair and mused over the instructions. "You will report to this installation as soon as you have finished here. You will take only one person to this installation, and he shall never leave." Lord Vader seem certain that what he said would happen, his destiny. Piett grew concerned. The reference to the Emperor alone alarmed him, as did the tone of the Sith Lord’s voice. Vader knew something was going to happen here, but he didn’t want to say. Maybe it was related to the shuttle that had arrived earlier that day. Piett had cleraed it for landing, and after a long pause Lord Vader had decided to deal with it himself. Could be a Jedi thing, he thought. He was fully aware of the power of the Force and those who could control it, and he respected them greatly. Too often a foolish, reckless officer had found out the ture power of the Force after commenting on it in a less than respectful way. The Executor had lost many officers that way, more than through combat. But then they did deserve it, trying to taunt Lord Vader.

Whatever it was, he trusted Lord Vader explicitly, and would do as ordered. Maybe they would make sense in due time. Piett was interrupted by the sound of klaxons. Next came the all over the internal comunication system. "Fleet Admiral Piett to the Bridge." He stood, and nodding he forced the thoughts away. Later, he thought. There’ll be plently of time later. He seized the two cylinder’s from the desk, turned and strode out of the room.

Prologue Part II

"Report." Fleet Admiral Charles Kenneth Piett commanded, as he strode onto his bridge onboard the Executor-class Star Destroyer Executor.

"Rebel ships have jumped into our sector sir." Reported the Captain

"Very good. Bring the Fleet around the moon, bring us in behind."

"Aye sir," The Captain responded, then to the navigational pit "You heard the Admiral." Piett smiled to himself. Although capable, Captain Luxley had a habit of underestimating his officers. "Thank you Captain." Piett nodded and turned to the forward viewport. He should have felt confident, having this many Star Destroyers at his command. But then they weren’t at his command, but the Emperor’s. He was just there to rely orders. That’s what worried him. Emperor Palpatine may have been a great politician, and a powerful Sith Lord, but his Tactical knowledge was somewhat limited to brute force, or subtle pushes resulting in unnecessary losses. Piett would have felt better knowing that he was in command, that if something changed he wouldn’t have to contact the Emperor on the Death Star to ask him what to do.

"Sir, "came the call from the Tactical Pit "The Emperor has ordered the fighters to launch." Piett grimaced. As usual Palpatine had bypassed him and ordered them himself, or through one of those incompetent generals onboard the Death Star. "Confirm that. All TIEs launch, all support craft launch." He heard Luxley sigh blatantly beside him. "Great PR man, is the Emperor." Luxley commented. He walked along the command walkway, surveying the crew. Piett shook his head in dismay.

"We’re in attack position now sir." Sub-Lieutenant Ebron reported.

"Hold here" Piett ordered.

"We’re not going to attack?" Returned Commander Lackey, from Piett’s side, replacing Captain Luxley.

"I have my orders from the Emperor himself. He has something special planned for them." Piett scowled. Probably involves losing half the fleet for some fireworks show, Piett repeated to himself what he’d said earlier to Luxley. "We only need to keep them from escaping." The Sub-Lieutenant saluted and returned to his station, at communication. Piett turned back to the viewport trying to ignore the expression on Lackey’s face. "I know Commander, I’m not happy either." Piett finally provided.

"We could do so much more...." Lackey returned.

"I know. I know." Piett acknowledged sympathetically. "I don’t know what the Emperor is trying to prove. That the Death Star is invincible? Who knows." He sighed. Suddenly the bridge was lit with a green glow of laser fire, a yellow glow of an explosion, and the silence of shock. "That...that was the ..Death Star.." Someone in the Tactical Pit stammered. Suddenly the bridge was alive. Officers ran back and forth, Department heads trying to make out what had just happened. "Confirm." Captain Luxley’s voice was heard over the mayhem. Officers rushed to comply. "Confirmed sir. One Mon Calamari Cruiser gone." Piett stood there, staring out at the Death Star.

"Fireworks."

"Indeed." Replied Luxley. "Now for the second part of your prophecy, we have to lose half the Fleet." Luxley continued, only realising what he’d said until after he’d done so.

"Sir, the Rebel fleet is moving to engage." The warning came from across the Bridge.

"Alert all commands." Piett returned. Piett hoped they could hold off the Rebels long enough for the Death Star to destroy them , or force them to retreat. Piett felt useless. He couldn’t give orders outside what to shoot, or what to shoot with. And Star Destroyers versus this many targets, such actions are unnecessary and foolhardy. But he continued to do as much as he could. Lackey handed him a datacard with the Fleet’s Status on it. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his arm, starting at his left wrist. He dropped the datacard, it clattered to the deck. He massaged his wrist but the pain had gone, and no visible injury remained. Lackey had picked up the datacard again and offered it to him. He declined. He heard someone shout from the communications station. "The shield! It’s down!" Piett spun around.

"Report." He commanded.

"Sir," the Lieutenant looked uncomfortable, "The shield generator on the moon sir, it’s been destroyed." He looked dismayed.

"Alert all commands." The Captain shot across the bridge.

"Watch for an attack on the Death Star." Ordered Piett.

"Sir, the Intruder reports that four fighters and a freighter are heading toward the Death Star. TIE fighters in pursuit." He knew that the Emperor’s plan of giving the Rebels the true plans to the battle station was insane, and now it had backfired. Unless the Imperial Engineers had done an extremely clever job, the Emperor’s plan looked to come apart around him. And taking the Fleet with him. No. Piett told himself, he wouldn’t let it happen. He pulled his command-card from his clip on his belt, and keyed it on. He quickly authorised all escape pods, command pods and all support craft to operational mode. At least the crew would survive.

Suddenly Piett felt as if a great weight upon his shoulders had been lifted. A weight he hadn’t been aware of. He glanced about the bridge and the rest of the crew seemed to be affected also. Suddenly someone shouted from Tactical "The Intruder is taking heavy damage. They’re losing shields and hull integrity!" The Lieutenant’s words were drowned out by the sound of an explosion as the Star Destroyer Intruder took fatal hits. "Sir," another shout came as the ship rocked. "we’ve lost bridge deflectors!"

"Intensify the forward batteries. I don't want anything to get through." Piett returned. He glanced forward and saw a flash as a Rebel fighter headed toward the bridge, "Intensify forward firepower!" He repeated, shouting desperately. "It’s too late!" screamed Lackey, throwing himself into the pit behind them. Piett mimicked his desperate attempt as the fighter hit the viewport. An immense fireball charged through the bridge......

TO BE CONTINUED