The Day Before


Rear Admiral Alesha Dever sat in her office, reviewing her  report to the Emperor’s Hammer 
before she sent it off to the Recon Office.  She knew her wording had to be just right, or she’d land in 
trouble again.  The last time she’d kept quiet about her suspicions of mutiny, she’d been court-martialed and 
demoted.  Even though there had been no evidence implicating her in Admiral Harkov’s defection, many 
felt that the open rebellion of her subordinate showed that she wasn’t up to the task of being a Fleet 
Admiral.  And, of course, there needed to be a scapegoat.  Never mind that the Secret Order and Imperial 
Intelligence had failed to uncover Harkov’s plot in time; somehow she had been expected to chase Rebels 
all across the galaxy as well as root out Imperial traitors in her spare time.  

And then there had been her reprimand following the ill-fated Battle of Endor.  Under orders from 
the Emperor, the better part of the defense fleet sat and watched as the Rebels slowly and inexplicably 
gained the advantage.  She, on the other hand, had tried to act.  Naturally, she couldn’t do much without 
risking the wrath of the Emperor himself, but she had to do something.  Since she’d been punished for not 
taking initiative with Harkov, she’d decided to show some initiative at Endor.  A few days before, she had 
seen a few of her top TIE pilots playing around in the simulators, trying to destroy a frigate in unshielded 
craft.  One or two of them, flying solo, actually succeeded.  Afterwards, she’d asked them if they thought 
they could pull it off in actual combat.  Naturally, they said they could.  Dever  promised to make it worth 
their while if they did, and told them to attack the Rebel medical frigate on her signal.  If the Rebels saw 
their medical ship destroyed by a few unshielded craft, followed by  Mon Calamari cruisers being 
pulverized by the Death Star’s superlaser, they would be totally demoralized.  During the battle, the pilots 
followed her orders, and were killed either in the battle or the shock wave from the explosion of the Death 
Star.  Although there was no clear evidence linking Dever to the hapless attack on the frigate, the suspicions 
surrounding her were strong enough to effectively destroy any hope of her advancement for a long time.  
She’d been re-assigned to the Recon Office shortly afterwards.

Idly, Dever put a hand to her chest and fingered the "What Would Thrawn Do?" necklace she wore 
under her uniform.  A friend had given it to her as a gag birthday gift, but it had taken on a more literal 
meaning to her.  She was determined to regain her lost rank and prestige, even if she had to start on Survey 
Corps expeditionary force teams.  She smiled to herself.  "I guess I’d better go find some Andevian art, then.  
Although I’m more concerned with the New Republic fleet that’s just entered the system.  It’s either a great 
opportunity for glory, or the end of my career as a flag officer in the Imperial Navy."

Turning back to her report, she glanced over it one last time.  "EF-A94 Report: Survey 
proceeding as scheduled.  Dark Jedi Master Kem-Shu Maeda has contacted the tribal shamans, and plans to 
test them tomorrow.  LT DeMarn’s contingency plans for New Republic attack implemented.  A bit 
unorthodox, but strategically sound.  Elite Cellium reports that attempts to increase clan tensions among 
the Andevians have been moderately successful.  He has also been allowed to access misleading reports, 
and has transmitted these reports to unknown persons in New Republic space. A small New Republic fleet 
has entered the system, but our strength is superior.  Should combat be necessary, we will have the 
advantage."

Now came the difficult part.  She had to mention the possibility of disloyalty in the expeditionary 
force, but also had to do so without creating any doubt in her ability to lead.  She knew she’d need to 
expose the traitors almost single-handedly to overcome her apparent failure with Harkov.  As she searched 
for the right phrases, she found herself thinking, There’s no middle ground on this one.  I’ll either succeed 
brilliantly or fail spectacularly.  Slowly she crafted her report, until she was finally satisfied with her report.  
As she encrypted it and sent it off, her WWTD necklace felt unnaturally heavy.


*   *   *   *   *


   What sort of a fool do they think I am?  Cellium wondered.  He’d been a bounty hunter long 
enough to know when he was being fed false information.  Nothing that important would be so easy to slice 
into.  Still, if he was going to get his credits from all sides, he had to play along.  Obviously, the Imperials 
wanted the New Republic  to show up at Andevia.  So much the better for me, Cellium thought.  There’ll be 
lots more opportunities to pick up credits if there’s a war here.  And I’d better play along with the Imps if 
I’m going to keep all my options open.  His contacts in NR space would surely know that this report was 
bogus; If not, then they’re too stupid to live. Better get their credits while I can.   In the meantime, his 
payments from the NR Vice Admiral Khaler to find and follow Dever  would ensure that he’d make enough 
money to make up for appearing to be duped.  Those damn Imps always make schemes five times more 
complicated than they need to be.  Job security for me, I suppose.  Best to let them think they haven’t paid 
me enough to keep me loyal, anyway.   Give ‘em what they expect until it’s time for the jackpot.

He still hadn’t figured out why the Emperor’s Hammer was interested in Andevia, and that 
troubled him.  The planet had no industrial development to speak of, only average resources, and no clear 
strategic importance.  Toppling the local chieftain, Kinneas, didn’t seem to serve any obvious purpose, 
either; stormtroopers could easily overwhelm whatever defenses the clans had.  Naturally, Dever had not 
told Cellium the reasons the EH wanted Kinneas overthrown.  "You’re not being paid to think", she had 
said.  Yeah, well, you’re not paying me enough NOT to.  In the meantime, he had to continue with his 
assignment of pitting the clans against each other.

It was a simple plan, really.  Cellium preferred simple plans to complicated machinations.  He’d 
steal a spear with one clan’s markings, kidnap a member of another clan, and combine the two.  No 
problem.  He’d done this sort of thing before.  The trick was to make sure the body was found in the most 
shocking place possible.  Most likely, that would be the common temple all the clans shared.  Getting the 
body there under the careful watch of the shamans would be difficult, but Cellium was certain he could pull 
it off.  He would strike tonight, so that the body would be there for Kem-Shu Maeda’s meeting with the 
elders tomorrow morning.  Cellium chuckled.  Nothing like a corpse to get the conversation going.


*  *  *  *  *


As Kinneas and Grekag sat together in council, they continued to discuss the arrival of EF-A94 
and its impact on their tribe.  These strangers had come uninvited, and were obviously examining the planet 
with conqueror’s eyes.  Worse yet, the Andevians lacked the might to oppose them, even if the entire tribe 
were united.  As it was, bickerings and murmurings between clans prevented all thought of military 
resistance to the Imperials.

"What should we do, Grekag?  What do you see concerning these outsiders?" asked Kinneas.

"There are rough times ahead.  We are threatened from outside as well as within.  Think first about 
the tribe before you worry about our visitors.  Besides, I foresee that others are coming as well.  Perhaps our 
hope lies with them."

"Other visitors?  Never did my father speak of visitors from another world in any of our history or 
legends.  And now two come at once?  My heart is uneasy about this."

Grekag looked intently at the young chief.  "Your forefathers faced different foes, in their time.  
They, too, battled powers that could not be vanquished with spears:  the winter chill, famines, predators, 
sicknesses.  Any of these could have been the end of our tribe.  Yet the snow and ice allow us to store food 
against famine, and our sicknesses are fewer and milder than those of the tribes in the warmer lands.   The 
famines affect the animals as well, and keep the meffona packs from becoming too large for us to defend 
against.  Fur from the meffona keeps us warm in winter, and their hornpowder eases the fainting fever.  And 
it is the victims of the fainting fever being returned to Mother Andevia that improve the next season’s 
harvest.  For us, it has always been better to have many enemies rather than one."

Kinneas nodded, but was still not completely comforted.  "May I be guided by the same wisdom 
that guided the chiefs before me.  But there is still the strife between the clans.  These outsiders will either 
bring our people together or tear us apart.  I need your foresight and wisdom, Grekag.  How can I make our 
tribe one, as it was for my father and grandfather?"

"Your question is a hard one.  And it is the wrong one.  You cannot force the clans to unite, and 
such unity would bring deeper weakness in the end.  Instead, you must make yourself a leader the clans will 
want to follow.  Show the clans the dangers they face, and help them to believe that you can lead them 
through the danger.  Open their eyes and ease their minds, and they will unite around you."

"We will know more of the dangers after you meet with the Dark Jedi tomorrow," said Kinneas.  
"Until then, I will make sure there are no new reasons for the clans to fight amongst themselves."

"I wish you luck, Kinneas.  And I suspect the meeting with the Jedi tomorrow shall teach us much.  
He, too, may learn something of us he did not expect.  Farewell."


*  *  *  *  *


Kem-Shu Maeda was also looking forward to the meeting with the shamans.  It would be his first 
chance to turn an entire tribe to the Dark Side.  It was clear to him that the so-called chief, Kinneas, had no 
real power over his tribe yet; the true might was with the shamans.  If they could be subjugated, the rest 
would follow.  

The first step, as with all pupils, was to instill fear.  The shamans he had met so far had a 
remarkable lack of fear.  It was not that they had overcome fear through bravery, it was that fear no longer 
touched them at all.  It would be an interesting challenge for Kem-Shu to reacquaint these people with fear 
and anger.  Cellium’s handiwork would be a start, but not enough.  The rest of the lesson would have to be 
taught through the Force.  Kem-shu relished the opportunity that was to come.

Indeed, opportunites such as this one were few and far between. Emperor Palpatine, in his quest 
for complete knowledge and power in the Force, had subsumed or destroyed nearly all manifestations of the 
Force.  Yet here, on this remote and primitive planet, was a part of the Force that Palpatine had missed.  
And Kem-Shu had a chance to add to the Dark Brotherhood’s mastery of the Force.

Or perhaps not.  It was never too wise to share everything you knew with the Dark Brotherhood.  
Then again, few could hide anything from the Dark Council if they wished to discover it.  Kem-Shu felt he 
was nearly powerful enough to do so, if the time were right.   But the current situation made it extremely 
foolish to oppose Grand Master Firefox.  The New Republic, though still unstable, was waxing in power.  
And with it, the Jedi Academy, meaning that once again the Dark Jedi would be faced with Force-using 
opponents.  Now was not the time to splinter the Dark Brotherhood.  Indeed, with the recent rebellions of 
Zoraan and the Other, the Council would be especially vigilant for signs of dissent.  No, despite this great 
opportunity, Kem-Shu sensed that any attempt to gain power now would not be successful.  A pity that this 
chance must go to waste.

As Kem-shu continued his preparations for the meeting, a thought struck him.  There must be a 
way that he could keep his advantage without forcing his hand too soon.  He knew that the Emperor’s 
Hammer Command Staff had their doubts about the loyalty and competence of Admiral Dever.  In fact, one 
of the reasons he had been chosen for this mission had been to keep an eye on her.  He also had felt the 
dissatisfaction and worry of the EF-A94 crew, and knew of the New Republic fleet entering the system.  If 
the entire expeditionary force were to disappear, there would be no shortage of suspects seemingly more 
plausible than him.  Even Cellium would be blamed before he would.  Kem-shu’s preparations changed.  
Instead of planning for his meeting tomorrow, he began making plans for afterwards.   If the meeting with 
the shamans went well, he would need to be ready to act quickly.


*  *  *  *  *


Aboard the Calamari Cruiser Hoth’s Memory the crew went about its business.  During their 
breaks, they gathered in small groups, speculating about the reason why they had suddenly changed course 
to Andevia.  As Captain Samis Loran passed one of these groups, they tried to get some answers from him.

"Captain, why are we here?"

"It’s the will of the Force, at least in my case.  You may be just an accident."

"Very funny, sir.  I bet Yoda told you that one.  What I meant was, why did Admiral Khaler take 
this detour to Andevia?  A sudden urge to seek out new life and new civilizations?"

"I doubt it, Lieutenant.  But I wouldn’t waste too much time worrying about it.  If Admiral Khaler 
thought the whole crew needed to know, he’d tell you.  Since he hasn’t, I suppose you can still perform your 
duties without knowing.  And I suggest you get back to them immediately."

"But, sir, I’m off duty at the moment.  Why don’t you join us for a drink, and you can tell us all 
about the beginnings of the Rebellion."

"Sorry, Lieutenant, but unfortunately I’m still on duty.  Another time, perhaps."

As Captain Loran strode off, he returned to his own wondering about Khaler’s purpose for coming 
to Andevia.  It’s hard to imagine any reason so secret that he can’t even tell his Executive Officer.  It’s 
most likely some intelligence mission, what with Colonel Olaru on board.  What do we need with a 
"Science Consultant" spy, anyway?  Especially around this primitive planet.  As he approached his post on 
the bridge, he smiled wryly.  If Skywalker were here, I’m sure he’d be having a bad feeling about this.  
With that, he quickly immersed himself in his duties, and had no more time for speculation.  He stood 
before Admiral Khaler, and saluted smartly.

"Sir, I’m here to relieve you.  Go get some rest, Admiral."

"Thank you, Captain.  I leave Hoth’s Memory to you.  Fitting, since you and I are the only ones 
aboard who were there."

"Yes, sir.  And I’m not about to let you forget how I risked my neck escorting your transport past 
those Star Destroyers.  You still owe me for that one," Loran said with a grin.

"True, but I’ve come a long way from those days when I was a fresh recruit to the Rebellion.  You 
could have, too, if you had ever given up your infatuation with your little fighter."

"I’ve been flying too long to give it up now.  And besides, it helps keep the new jocks humble, 
getting out-flown by an old fossil like me."

Khaler laughed.  "All right, then.  But I wouldn’t recommend any barrel rolls in the craft you’re 
currently in charge of."


*  *  *  *  *  


Khaler left the bridge, but he was in no mood to rest.  He was expecting another transmission from 
Cellium, and was anxious to have the location of Admiral Dever confirmed.  He had finally caught up with 
her, and he was ready to settle the score.  He knew the New Republic would never prosecute her for the 
atrocity she had attempted at Endor, due to lack of evidence.  But Khaler had evidence enough, for himself 
at least, with his hunches and nagging doubts.  As he walked to his quarters, he replayed the Battle of Endor 
in his mind, as he had done so many times before.

He was back in his X-Wing, trying to evade the TIE Interceptors on his six while keeping a TIE 
Fighter in his sights.  After a few tense seconds of skillful (or was it lucky?) flying, he had managed to score 
his first kill of the battle, while taking only minor hits on his rear shields.  As he attempted to outmaneuver 
his faster, more agile pursuers, his R2 astromech droid signaled that he had intercepted a radio message to 
the Interceptors attacking him.  At least those poor Bothans did something right, he thought.  Not that it’ll 
make much difference if we can’t get that shield down.

His R2 unit played back the message, just as his three pursuers broke off.  Khaler heard a female 
voice: "Hotshots, it’s time."  He turned his fighter around in time to see the three T/Is headed for the 
medical frigate.  Wedge Antilles had seen them, too, and went after them.  As they started attacking the 
frigate, they were met by the Millennium Falcon.  The Imperial pilots were quickly overwhelmed and shot 
down between the heavily-armed Corellian transport and all the other Rebel fighters nearby.

As the battle progressed, Khaler had no time to think further about that incident.  Afterwards, it 
continued to gnaw at his mind.  Sure, Imp pilots sometimes did stupid things, and they did show a marked 
tendency to run into things, but he couldn’t believe they would try something that suicidal without orders.  
After reviewing the records of the battle, it wasn’t difficult to figure out who had given the order; there 
weren’t that many female Imperial admirals.  Anger and outrage filled him, and he determined that he 
would make her pay.  Such cowardly and despicable tactics were criminal.

Khaler entered his quarters and locked the door behind him.  After a few minutes, Cellium’s 
transmission came in, detailing  the location of the EF-A94 camp, and the deployment of its defensive 
forces.  Cellium also mentioned that Kem-Shu Maeda was there, which would likely complicate matters.  
Khaler sent a transmission authorizing a transfer of credits to one of Cellium’s accounts, and ended the 
transmission.  

After a moment’s thought, he called Colonel Ris Olaru to his quarters.  She was officially the 
Science Consultant aboard Hoth’s Memory, but she was also a New Republic Intelligence agent.  Khaler 
motioned for Olaru to sit down.

"So, Colonel, are you ready to test that Force detector of yours?  I think we’ve got a marvelous 
opportunity here on Andevia to finally how well it works."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Not only are the Andevian shamans believed to be Force users, but I have received reports that 
there is a Dark Jedi Master on the planet right now.  It’s not often we’ll get a chance to scan for someone 
that powerful in the Dark Side.  But we must act immediately; I’ll only know his exact position until 
tomorrow."

"A Jedi Master?  Perfect!  I can have the equipment up and running in two hours.  I’m impressed 
with your knowledge of the conditions on Andevia.  Is this why you changed course so abruptly for this 
system?"

"That’s one of the reasons.  The other is that there is an Emperor’s Hammer scout force on the 
planet, led by Alesha Dever.  I don’t imagine the natives are too happy about them being there.  If we can 
force the Imperial troops to leave, we may convince Andevia to at least be sympathetic to the Republic.  It 
sure beats having them annexed by the Hammer."

Olaru’s face showed concern.  "Do we have the strength to take on the entire scout force?  It seems 
to me we’d be outnumbered."

"Don’t worry.  I still remember quite a few hit and fade tactics.  Besides, I’ve got a pretty good 
idea of what forces they have, and how they’re deployed.  Strategically, we have the advantage."

"Well, I suppose I’d better go get the Force detectors ready, then.  I’ll let you know when they are 
on line."  Olaru stood up to leave.

"Thank you, Colonel.  I’ll expect to hear from you in two hours’ time."

As she left Khaler’s quarters, Olaru couldn’t help feeling apprehensive about the impending 
conflict.  Does Khaler really know what he’s doing?  He certainly doesn’t have authorization for this.  I’d 
better inform Central Intel about this.


*  *  *  *  *

As Lieutenant DeMarn watched the approaching Republic cruiser on her scanner, she felt 
anticipation more than fear.  Bring them on.  Let’s see how my deployments work.  Having served as a 
Command Attache in the Republic Navy, she was familiar with what their expectations were for Imperial 
deployment.  She had taken great pains to array the defensive forces so that they appeared to be standard 
formations, but could be moved on a moment’s notice to change apparent weakness into strength, and turn 
an opponent’s preconceptions against himself.  The forces would be slightly more vulnerable as they 
changed positions, but the pretended disarray was actually designed to lure the attacker deeper into the trap.

The only true weakness was the total precision required for the maneuvers.  The defense forces had 
drilled long and hard to perfect the troop movements, and were seasoned enough troops that panic in the 
face of impending battle would not rattle them.  However, general morale had been low lately, and she had 
heard rumors of soldiers thinking of deserting.  If a squadron did decide to desert, her strategic plan would 
be in real trouble.  It’s not as though you can practice what to do if your neighbors desert.  Not without 
destroying morale, anyway.  And there was always the risk of a spy informing the enemy what the real 
deployment would be, destroying the advantage of surprise which offset the risks of temporary disorder.

As she waited for the Republic attack to begin, she struggled to convince herself that she didn’t 
need to worry about rumors.  Besides, there wasn’t anything she could do about it now.  The cruiser would 
be in range of the planet just before noon tomorrow.  Perhaps it was only because it was her first battle 
against the New Republic since she had defected to the Emperor’s Hammer, but she had a feeling that the 
imminent battle was only a prelude to something bigger.