An hour after Mennial's interrogation and subsequent execution, Admiral Prolov watched as an explosion bathed surrounding space in a brilliant sheen of fiery debris. The yellow-orange glow of the blast reflected off of the atmosphere of the darkened planet below like a star breaking over the horizon. The light streaked upward, spreading across the hull of his Imperial Class-II Star Destroyer, covering the ship's durasteel skin in an orange tint as if an invisible hand gently laid a fresh coat of paint upon the surface.

Prolov shielded his eyes from the glare of the explosion as he looked out of the viewport. He adjusted the hat on his head of thick dark brown hair. His hazel eyes absorbed the sight of a circular orbital platform beginning to streak into the planet's atmosphere. It rapidly accelerated, leaving a broad trail of flaming pieces stretching out behind it like a majestic comet streaking through the night sky.

He turned his gaze to several objects moving towards his ship. Four TIE Interceptors escorted a pair of TIE Bombers back to his waiting Imperial vessel. He looked towards the fallen platform again to see its now burning hulk soar through a cloud bank, leaving only glowing debris in its trail. Another explosion erupted with a bright flash; this time obscured by the massive cloud formations. It subsided quickly and sent a shock wave rippling through the clouds like waves washing onto a beach.

He shook his head as he continued to stare at the sight. As his crew would be smiling in the aftermath of their victory, he would be pondering on the failure to achieve all of his objectives. They were far more personal than those shared by his subordinates. He tapped his fist lightly on the durasteel edge of the viewport.

I cannot honestly claim victory today, he thought, turning his eyes back to the planet below. I came here to obtain information that would lead me to Kyvieer and I failed to fulfil that objective. Though Mennial's death will serve as momentary consolation prize and a mere stepping stone towards my final goal.

"Admiral Prolov, report," a voice said from behind him.

"Governor Mennial has been neutralized as you requested, sir," Prolov replied with a quick turn towards the holographic image of a tall man with glowing red eyes. "As we deduced, he was involved with the rogue Imperial officers. However, I was unable to ascertain the whereabouts of Fleet Admiral Kyvieer, sir. "

Grand Admiral Thrawn smiled as he gazed at Prolov. "It is of no consequence, my friend. You have exposed his treachery through your tactical prowess. And through his actions, Kyvieer has signed his death warrant. He will meet his untimely end soon enough."

"Understood, sir," Prolov replied as he stood rigidly before Thrawn's hologram.

"Tell me, Admiral Prolov," Thrawn enquired firmly, his voice ringing with a touch of finality. "Are you prepared to do what is required of you at Endor, my friend?"

Prolov glanced up at the red eyes staring back at him. The coal-like glowing ovals seemingly pierced his soul. To Prolov, this conversation had the feeling of looming separation.

"Yes, Admiral," he confidently replied. "And my fleet is just as prepared as I am."

"I would expect nothing less from you, my friend," Thrawn said, grinning as he gazed down at Prolov. He seemed to be studying Prolov's expressions and body language whenever he had been responding to his questions. His smile suddenly widened. "You have learned well under my tutelage, Admiral Prolov. Your accomplishments comprise an extensive list that will be the mark of a storied career. Just as I have done through art, you learned to exploit your enemies' weaknesses through their writing. I find that rather impressive, my friend."

"Writing comes from the heart, sir," Prolov replied as he looked up at Thrawn's hologram. "And when you know your enemy's heart, you can utterly conquer them."

Thrawn chuckled at Prolov's statement. "And you have done that well, my friend. Very well, indeed. And I can see in your eyes that soon the Rebel Alliance will feel the wrath of the Butcher of the Outer Rim…"

Thrawn held his gaze on Prolov for a few seconds. His expression was like one worn by a father who was bidding farewell to a child heading off on their own for the first time. He smiled again at Prolov, nodding just as his hologram faded into darkness.

And I have also kept our secret safe from prying eyes, Prolov thought while staring into the space once occupied by Thrawn's hologram. No one outside of this fleet will ever know that we have been communicating until the time comes for you to reveal yourself to the galaxy again.

Prolov left the holochamber and quickly walked to the bridge of the Apollyon. He ignored the nervous glances of the crew members in the duty pits as he crossed the walkway. Stopping just in front of the main viewports, he locked his gaze on the stars while his thoughts ran rampant. Thrawn's voice echoed in his mind as he stared out into the endless reaches of space.

Butcher of the Outer Rim. The words sounded in his ears again, fueled by his imagination. He wanted to be known by so much more than that unfortunate moniker. He wished to be remembered as a natural-born leader who had achieved so much at such a young age. He wanted to make a real difference for once. If given an honest second chance, he would do better than he had already done.

One of his most significant challenges was that he happened to be younger than most who held the rank of admiral within the Galactic Empire. Many Imperial officers were opposed to his promotion. Some argued that he was too young and impulsive. Others stated he was far too inexperienced to command a fleet competently, much less a single Star Destroyer.

Despite their objections, he now stood on the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer Apollyon, watching as his fleet of eight Star Destroyers assembled in the blackness of space. From the viewport, he watched as the grayish wedge-shaped ships moved gracefully among the stars resembling celestial jewels laid out on a black cloth stretching to infinity.

His eyes beheld the magnificent beauty of space sadly entwined with hatred and fear from all corners of the galaxy. It was almost a shame that his efforts would go unnoticed by the galaxy as a whole. It also troubled him that no one out there knew that his mind was on the wife he loved with all of his heart, yet lost so tragically years before.

"Annalisa…" he muttered under his breath as a smile stretched across his face.

Such a beautiful name that could instantly take him back to the years when his life was enlightened by a love that came out of nowhere and without warning. It was a love like no other between an Imperial Admiral and a woman that was as radiant as the heavens themselves.

Prolov gazed out of the viewport to see the system's star rise above the darkened planet's hemisphere. Its light broke through the night like a beacon calling a lost soul home. The sun's brilliant rays spread across the planet's surface, illuminating cloud formations as if they were on fire.

The sunlight continued to caress the sky stretching forward as it coated snow-covered mountain peaks far below before flowing across vast expanses of oceans. The churning waters reflected the light into space and filled Prolov's eyes. The spectacle reminded him of her. Annalisa's smile and countenance could easily vanquish darkness just as the star had bathed the planet below in its radiance.

"Admiral, the fleet has set course for Endor as the Emperor has ordered. We are prepared for light speed." Fleet Captain Aveen, Commanding officer of the Apollyon and second in command of the fleet, said from behind Prolov.

"Take us into hyperspace, Captain," Prolov answered with a straight face. "And make sure we come out on the far side of the Sanctuary Moon."

Aveen nodded and turned to the helm officer. "Engage the hyperdrive, Ensign!"

Prolov turned back to the viewports, watching as the stars streaked like the tentacles of a magnificent beast reaching out to them before transitioning in flashes of a blue spinning vortex. Hyperspace was a sight to behold, even for an experienced officer.

"Tonight, the skies are ablaze…" Prolov muttered to himself.

Aveen looked over to him inquisitively. "Did you say something, sir?"

"Never mind that, Captain," Prolov replied with a tense tone, keeping his gaze locked on the hyperspace vortex.

Aveen knew better than to probe the Admiral when he was deep in thought. He had known the man for decades, even before they had been assigned to the Apollyon together. And in that experience, he knew his boundaries with Admiral Prolov as well as the consequences that came with foolishly crossing them. In that realization, he wisely put his thoughts on the mission at hand.

"I understand, sir," Aveen offered gently before stepping away to leave Prolov to continue to gaze out of the viewport.

A sudden jolt rocked the bridge. Aveen fell to the deck, clawing to keep from falling into one of the bridge duty pits. Another shock sent him tumbling backward and down onto a duty station. A loud klaxon began to fill the bridge as stations became a flashing array of lights while panels flickered with warnings.

Prolov fell against the viewports and glared at the helm. "Bring us out of hyperspace!"

The helmsman's fingers flew across the controls with blazing speed, yet the helm failed to respond. Prolov looked over his shoulder as the ship rattled with the moans of bulkheads under the tremendous pressure. He gasped at the sight before his eyes. The blue vortex of hyperspace morphed into an abroad band of amber light stretching before them like a supernatural road. Judging from the intensity of the deck vibrations, he deduced the ship had increased in speed.

Ahead, the band of light began to split in two, forming a Y-shape like the forked tongue of a serpent. The left path led to a darkened tunnel, swirling with a blackness devouring the amber light utterly. A portal of pure, welcoming light appeared just to the right. The deck rocked violently as more warnings sounded. Bridge crew raced around from station to station, trying to keep their balance and regain control of the ship at the same time.

Prolov watched as the ship moved towards the darkness absorbing the amber band of light. Another jolt pressed him against the viewport. Burning pain in his heart blasted against his sternum. He grasped his chest as he was pulled closer to the viewport. His eyes squinted as the pain raged like a fire within. Through his barely opened eyes, he watched as the Apollyon drew closer to the blackened void just beyond the bow.

He glared at the void. His ears suddenly filled with the groaning of the ship. Confused chatter mixed with sounds of klaxons added to the chaotic scene as crew members continued to work diligently. Above the noise and confusion, he heard something like soft laughter. He listened carefully, trying to distinguish the sound from the noise pollution infesting the bridge.

The deck moaned again with a metallic grind. Another station lit up with information. Men barked orders and shouted out readings from computer consoles. Still, the ship rattled as if caught in a raging river rapid. Above all the chaos, he listened intently and heard the noise again.

An unmistakable chuckle echoed through the bridge, seemingly coming from all directions. Prolov recognized it immediately as the laughter of Emperor Palpatine. The pain within his chest intensified, driving him to deck just below the viewport.

Suddenly the Emperor's voice erupted into a cry that began to fade away as if he were falling into a bottomless void. Prolov winced from the pain in his chest and agonizingly turned to glance out of the viewport. Outside, the bow of the Apollyon was just about to make contact with the darkened void. A sudden blast of brilliant, white light shattered the void, bathing the bridge in its brilliance.

The Apollyon quickly shifted to the right. The light flowed through the viewports and raced towards Prolov like a rising tide. He was almost lying prone, still reeling from the pain when the light overtook him. He relaxed. The pain began to subside instantly. The light surrounded him and filled him with a peacefulness that he had not experienced in years. He suddenly found himself in a comfortable place that he longed to remain in forever.

The light faded softly as the Endor quickly came into view. A warning klaxon filled the bridge. Prolov knew what it meant: collision imminent.

"Evasive action!" He shouted before turning back to the viewport. Outside, large pieces of debris pelted the hull of the Apollyon as the ship passed by. "Take us above the wreckage!"

The ship pitched upward slightly, still brushing against the rubble littering the atmosphere. Soon, the collisions ceased, and the Apollyon glided silently over the sea of debris. Prolov visually scanned the stars for any sign of the Imperial fleet or the Death Star. Nothing but wreckage could be seen.

Prolov felt the tension in his crew, and for the sake of keeping the morale, he had to have answers. He turned to Aveen. "What just happened in hyperspace, Captain?"

Aveen looked up from the scanning station. "We have no readings on that, Admiral. No reports of injuries or damage, sir!"

We were lucky this time, Prolov thought to himself as he took in the response. He nodded. "At any rate, Captain, order all commands to run diagnostic scans on all systems, especially their hyperdrive systems. Any further reports, Captain?"

"Yes sir, com-scan has analyzed the debris field." Captain Aveen called out from the scanning station. "Mixture of debris from both Imperial and Rebel craft. The heavy concentrations from both sides indicate a fierce struggle. Other than that, there is no sign of either fleet or the Death Star."

"Either the Empire defeated the Rebel Alliance and moved the Death Star or-" Prolov paused. The need to keep morale at an acceptable level prevented him from completing his statement. He shook his head before changing the subject. "Any report from the ground forces?"

Aveen shook his head. "No, sir. Communications have been silent. Com-scan has detected large debris fields on the surface. No lifeform readings are present where our forces were deployed, sir."

Prolov began to pace near the scanning station. "This makes no sense at all. How could the battle have concluded so quickly?"

Aveen looked over to Prolov. "What are your orders, sir?"

Prolov made eye contact with him. "Bring the fleet to full-stop. Launch standard TIEs for close combat patrol. Deploy TIE Interceptors for the intermediate ranges. Four fighters per group. Send two TIEs from Phantom Squadron to survey the surface. I want periodic reports sent directly to my office. You have command of the fleet, Captain."

"Yes, sir," Aveen replied as he turned towards the communications officer. "You heard the Admiral. Alert all commands."

Prolov stepped off the bridge and moved down the corridor leading to his office. The further he walked, the emptier the passage became. Nothing but his footsteps echoed in the passageway as he moved at a rapid pace.

As a sudden, rushing noise filled his ears, he paused and visually scanned the corridor. It came again like a soft breeze. The passage suddenly turned cold as if the frigid vacuum of space had breached the Apollyon's outer hull. He stiffened his posture as the cold reached out to him like a pair of invisible hands.

Just as chilling as the cold wind, a feminine voice whispered in an ominous tone. "She will test you, Prolov. And if you fail, all will be lost..."