Chapter 4 Treacherous snake

The 'Conqueror' floated in space along with the other Star Destroyers of the 18th
Fleet. It was heading towards Mustafar, where there was a base of the First Order.
Once there, it would meet up with the 7th and 9th fleets and launch an attack against
the Republic's shipyards at Foerost.

Max was in his room. He was lying on his bed and thinking about the upcoming
battle. The promotion of Char meant his own promotion as well as Char had asked for
him to be an officer in his staff. This fit perfectly with his plan to become a high
ranking officer. It was like Char was the Maker's gift to him for all the misfortunes he
had to suffer.

'If Char manages once again to achieve a military victory, I will be promoted along
with him. And once this happens, I will be one step closer to getting my revenge!',
Max thought. 'Snoke, you will pay for what you did to my family. Once I rise high
enough in the hierarchy and get close to you, it will be the end of you. I will take back
what is mine.'

For most people, Max was just a young aspiring officer of the First Order. But the
truth was more complicated than that and Max was not even his true name. His real
name was Domon Palpatine, grandson of Sheev Palpatine, better known as Darth
Sidious. After the collapse of the Empire, Domon's father hid in Tatooine to escape
justice, as the New Republic wanted him dead or alive. But he was eventually found
and murdered by assassins sent not by the Republic but by Snoke. If it was known
that a descendant of Palpatine was alive, then Snoke would lose his position as
'Supreme Leader' of the First Order.

After his father's death, Domon assumed the identity of Max and entered the First
Order's army as an officer with the goal of climbing up in the hierarchy of the First
Order and getting close to Snoke. Then, he would be able to take his revenge and
reclaim what by heritage belonged to him.

Char was on the bridge of the 'Conqueror' and chatting with Officer Michael about the
upcoming battle.

"So, what can you tell me about the other two admirals I will have to cooperate
with?", Char asked.

"From what I know, the cooperation between you three may prove a bit difficult.",
Michael replied. "The Admiral of the 7th fleet, Nick, comes from a noble family and
looks down on others. So, considering the fact that you do not come from a noble
family, there might be trouble in your attempts to cooperate with him. The Admiral of
the 9th fleet, Alexander, is overly aggressive and may not go along with a careful and
cautious plan for the operation."

"I see."
"The operation is already a difficult task to pull off, so is advisable that you find a
way to deal with them, lest the operation is a disaster."

Char smiled. "I can use their quirks to my advantage. I have already thought of a plan
that would eliminate both the enemy and them. I'll kill two birds with one stone. "

Among the thousands of bright stars and planets, a spaceship travelled. It was the
Millennium Falcon. On its cockpit were Rey and Chewbacca while Luke was
meditating in one of the ship's rooms.

"We will soon be reaching Yavin IV.", Rey said. She was already smiling in the
thought of getting back into action and meeting again with Finn and Leia. "I cannot
wait to see again Finn and General Leia."

Chewbacca roared in agreement. He too had missed the days when he was fighting.
He had gotten bored being all day long in an island and doing nothing.

"I am sure the General will be very happy when she sees her brother. They have not
met for a long time. Too bad Han Solo will not be able to see him again..."

Rey sighed when she thought of him. She wished that he still lived and was able to
see Luke. She remembered clearly how Kylo Ren stabbed his lightsaber in the chest
of his own father. This thought angered her but she remembered Luke's words;
"Anger leads to hate and hate leads to the dark side. And once you have embraced the
dark side, you will become exactly like the ones you seek to destroy.". So she calmed
herself and focused on the journey ahead.

The 'Conqueror' had reached Mustafar. Char was walking in one of the corridors of
the military base. He was going to meet Admiral Nick and discuss with him the
strategy that they would follow. He could not help but smile at the thought that Nick
would approve a plan that would lead to his own demise.

Char reached Nick's office and knocked the door.

"Come in.", a voice said. Char entered the room and saw Nick; a thin tall officer with
brown hair and mustache.

"Greetings Admiral Nick. I am honored to meet such a famous Admiral coming from
one of the most prestigious aristocratic families."

Nick grinned. "It's good that you know your place. You must understand that being a
nobleman, I should be the one to be in overall command of the operation and you and
Alexander should follow my lead."
"I understand that. That's why I have come here; to discuss with you the operation
against the Republic's shipyards. I have a plan which Admiral Alexander has no need
to know."

"Really?", Nick asked. He was curious to hear what plan Char would propose. 'Surely
one that is flawed', he thought, 'for he does not have my superior education and battle
experience. I should be the one proposing a plan, not the other way around.'

"We could use Alexander's fleets in a diversionary frontal attack. In order to make it
seem real, we should not notify Alexander about the true purpose of the attack and
make him believe that his fleet will be our main thrust and that we will support his
attack. When he is engaged with the enemy, we shall attack from the left and outflank
the enemy fleet. Thus, we would have defeated the enemy fleet and captured the
shipyards with little effort."

Char paused for a moment. He saw a change of attitude in Nick, from irony to serious
consideration. "Of course, the attack will be led by your fleet as you should have the
overall command of the operation. And when the battle is won, I will testify that the
plan was yours."

"Interesting, but why would you do that?"

"Because I need the support of a noble family like yours if I am to rise further in the
ranks."

Nick laughed. "Great. It's good to have an officer like you helping me. Together we
can achieve great things."

'Indeed.', Char thought. 'You will help me rise in the hierarchy with your noble
sacrifice.'

The next day, Char and Nick met with Alexander in the 'Operations Room' to talk
about their plan. Alexander was short fat man and was always smiling.

"Our plan is a fast and concentrated attack on the enemy.", Char said. "We shall attack
them directly and with overwhelming force. Admiral Alexander, you shall lead the
attack. You have much experience in space battles and your fighting spirit will boost
the morale of our men. Pin them down and our fleets will be supporting you."

Alexander could not hide his pleasure upon hearing that the plan relied on brute force
and was aggressive. He thought of tactics using deception to beat the enemy as
cowardly ones. And he was always in the mood for a good fight. So he readily agreed
with this plan. "I will not let you down! I shall do my best!"

"I hope so.", Nick commented. "Remember, I am a nobleman and I have a reputation
to uphold. So do not lose this battle and shame me along with yourself."

Alexander laughed. "You worry too much. Maybe you have not heard about me
before, but I have a reputation for pulling off daring attacks. I will crush them!"
'And you will be crushed along with them.', a smiling Char thought. 'But be sure that
after your death I will hail you as an example of courage and bravery.'

Alexander was on the bridge of his flagship, the 'Avalanche'. The 9th fleet had set off
from Mustafar a few hours ago and now it had almost reached its destination: Foerost.
As such, one of the officers under Alexander's command asked him, "Sir, what are
your orders?"

"We shall send out the bombers to launch a daring raid against the enemy ships
stationed in the shipyards. Then, we shall send the Tie Fighters to face the enemy
fighters once they take off."

"But will our forces be enough to defeat the enemy fleet?"

Alexander smiled. "Don't worry. The 7th and 18th fleets shall assist us in our attack."

The bombers launched out of the decks of the fleet's Star Destroyers and began a
bombing raid against the shipyards. As soon as they reached the shipyards, the anti-
aircraft guns took out almost half of them. But the bombers that managed to pass
through bombed more than a few military installations and ships before being forced
to retreat due to the Republic's counterattack.

The Republic's fighters and capital ships went on the offensive and began firing at the
retreating bombers. It was then when the Tie Fighters arrived to protect the bombers.
But the X-Wings and capital ships of the Republic were simply too many for them
and soon the tide of battle turned in the Republic's favor. On the bridge of his
flagship, Alexander was furious.

"What the hell are they doing?!", Alexander roared, referring to Nick and Char.
"Won't they be supporting me?"

"Sir, a squad of X-Wings is dead ahead." , an officer shouted. Before Alexander could
react, the X-Wings fired their missiles directly at the bridge of his Star Destroyer,
causing a huge explosion which shook the ship and killed everyone on the bridge. A
second squad of X-Wings had fired missiles at the ship's engines and the Star
Destroyer exploded.

Char was on the bridge of the 'Conqueror'. His 18th had left Mustafar an hour after the
7th and 9th fleets had taken off. Officer Michael reported to him the situation of
Alexander's fleet.

"Sir, it seems that the 9th fleet has taken much damage.", Michael said. "It will be
completely wiped out by the enemy."

"Good. That's what I always wanted.", Char replied. "He will act as a diversion for the
enemy and his death will mean one less high ranking officer to compete with."
"Shall we move to the left of the shipyards and support Nick's surprise attack?", Max,
who too was on the bridge, asked.

"No. Michael will proceed according to the private instructions I gave him while the
fleet will move to the right."

"To the right?", Max wondered. "Won't we be supporting Nick?"

Char laughed. "Of course not. We shall let this idiot be destroyed and act a second
diversion for the enemy. This way, I can take out both the enemy and this pathetic
nobleman."

A lone shuttle approached the shipyards of the Republic in Foerost. It had three
wings: one tall, dorsal stabilizer that remained stationary, and two lower wings that
would extend during flight. It landed on one of the landing platforms and its
passenger was led to the office of the Admiral in command of the forces in the
shipyards, Admiral Jiang.

"So, this is the First Order officer who has defected from the enemy?", Jiang asked
the soldiers who brought in his office the man.

"Yes, sir.", a soldier replied.

"Good. Leave us alone."

The soldiers left the room, leaving Jiang alone with the defected First Order office
who was none other than Michael, Char's officer.

"Admiral Jiang, I defected because the First Order refused to promote me despite my
successes on the battlefield.", Michael said. "I hope you will make better use of my
talents."

"We are always willing to use great talents like you in our army.", a smiling Jiang
replied. "But can you tell me more about the surprise attack you were talking about?"

"Yes. The attack by the 9th fleet was nothing more than a distraction. The 7th and
18th fleets shall attack from the left and attempt to encircle your forces."

Jiang thought for a moment. "Why should I trust you?"

"You cannot. But do you want to risk defeat or make use of my information? If you
do not believe me, send out a squad of X-Wings to scout the area left of the shipyards
and they will report to you that the enemy is coming from there."

"I'll do that. If you prove to be correct, you will be welcomed into our army as a hero.
But if you lie.."
Jiang did not need to tell Michael more. It was obvious what would befall on him if he
was giving them false info.

Only half an hour after Jiang gave the order, an officer returned to his office with the
results of the scouting party.

"Sir", the officer said, "our scouts prove that Michael is correct. The enemy is coming
from the left."

"Send all capital ships and the majority of X-Wings to attack them. They will not
know what hit them! They will expect us to be surprised when the ones who will be
surprised will be them."

"As I have proved my honesty, am I welcome in your army now?", Michael

interrupted.

"Of course!", Jiang replied. "Once we've won this battle, you will get a medal for your
service to the Republic."

What Jiang did not know was that while his ships were away to battle Nick's fleet,
Char would attack the shipyards in a surprise attack. And he could have never guessed
that Michael was acting on orders by Char. Not only would Char surprise the enemy,
but he would also get rid of Nick.

Nick was on the bridge of his flagship, 'Terror', and asking one of the officers about
the distance they needed to cover before reaching the shipyards.

"In about five minutes, we will have reached the target, sir.", the officer replied.
"Shall I give the order to the bombers and Tie Fighters to swoop in?"

Nick smiled. "Do it. Our surprise attack shall destroy the enemy and achieve a
glorious victory which will be remembered for ages to come. And once this happens, I
will get rid of this Char. He is too smart for his own good."

Suddenly an alarm ringed and another officer shouted, "Sir, we are under attack. The
enemy has ambushed us! Enemy ships are coming from all directions!"

"What?!", Nick roared. "How is that possible Except if Oh! Char you bastard,
you treacherous snake, you betrayed me, didn't you? If I survive, I shall kill you
treacherous bastard, even if it is last thing I'll do!"

The capital ships of the Republic fired with their laser cannons at the Star Destroyers,
blowing them up one after the other, and their X-Wings literally wiped out all of
Nick's Tie Fighters. The sound of the explosions was deafening and the screams of
those dying filled the emptiness of space.
The 'Conqueror' and the rest of the 18th fleet were approaching the shipyards from the
right. As all Republic ships were preoccupied either with Alexander's or Nick's fleets,
they met no resistance at all. On the bridge of the 'Conqueror', Char was grinning and
could not wait for his impending triumph.

"Sir, we are in range for the bombing raid.", Max said.

"Good.", Char replied. "Send all bombers out. Then the Star Destroyers and Tie
Fighters shall follow. By my estimations, it will take less than an hour to capture the
shipyards."

Michael was still in Jiang's office and they were chatting. Two soldiers were in the
room, armed with blasters. Suddenly the whole room shook and the sound of
explosions was heard.

"What is that?!", Jiang shouted.

Michael charged at one of the guards, who was surprised by the sudden attack and had
no time to fire at him. Michael punched him on the face and used him as a human
shield to defend himself from the fire of the other guard. He then took the dead
guard's blaster and fired at the other guard, killing him too. With the two guards dead,
Michael pointed his blaster at Jiang and said, "This is the end for you."

He pulled the trigger and killed Jiang. He then rushed out of the room and headed for
the hangar, in order to escape.

An hour later, Michael was back on the bride of the 'Conqueror' and reporting to Char
and Max.

"I killed Jiang as you've ordered me to.", Michael reported.

"Nick and Alexander are both dead.", Max added. "Their fleets too have been
devastated. The Republic fleet has been mostly destroyed too and we have captured
the shipyards, although they are too damaged to be of any real use to us."

"Very good.", Char replied. "I shall go report my victory to General Hux. You all
have done very well and I will make sure to mention you to Hux."

Before Char could walk away, Max asked, "Was it right to use our own men as a bait
and betray them in such a way? We let the enemy slaughter them."

"I've killed my competitors and I've defeated the enemy. That's all it matters; Victory.
Nick and Alexander were only pawns, whose only use was to distract the enemy.
After that, they would be of no use and would only hinder me. So I took care of them.
Those who compete with me must die. Those who get in my way must die. I shall rise
to the top at all costs. The lives of idiots like Alexander and Nick mean nothing to
me."
Leia was on the headquarters of the Resistance in Yavin IV and directing its military
operations. She was tired and had barely slept, especially with the news of the First
Order's victory at Foerost. This "Char dude", as the Resistance officers called him,
was becoming as much a problem for the Republic as Kylo Ren and Hux were.

"General, they have arrived.", an officer said.

"Who?", Leia nonchalantly asked, reading some reports on the casualties of a minor
battle.

"Luke Skywalker and Rey."

Leia threw away the papers and almost forgot all about the war. After so many years,
she was going to see again her brother. When she saw Luke, accompanied by Rey,
coming into the room she cried. Neither could Luke hold back his tears. The two
siblings were once again together, in the same place where decades ago they planned
the attack against the Death Star.

"I cannot believe that you are here.", Leia said. "Is it a dream?"

Luke smiled. "You should not cry. This reunion should be a happy one."

Rey was watching the two of them and could not help but feel happy for them.

"Hey, you are Rey, right?", an officer asked.

Rey turned around and saw a man in his fifties. "Yes."

"There have been rumors that you know this Char guy from Jakku. Are they true? I've
heard about this in a discussion between John and General Leia."

Rey was surprised to hear about Char. Was the officer talking about the same Char
she knew on Jakku or someone else?

"You mean Char Bright?"

"Yes."

"I do know him.", Rey replied. She then sighed. "Too bad that I do not know where he
is right now. Do you know what he is doing?"

The officer was reluctant to reply but seeing that Rey was determined to learn about
Char he said, "He is an Admiral of the First Order and has defeated our forces again
and again."

Rey's face became pale white and she was trembling. "Impossible!", she shouted.
"You must be mistaken! Char is the kindest person I've ever met; he would have never
joined the First Order. I do not believe it! You are lying!"
Crying, she charged out of the room. Luke and Leia noticed this and Leia asked the
officer what he had told to her.

"I just asked her if she knew this Char guy."

Leia sighed. "You should not have done that! It was not the right time to ask her about
him."

"Char?", Luke wondered. "I've heard this name before. He is a friend of Rey."

"And an Admiral of the First Order.", Leia replied.