posted March 01, 2000 01:36 PM               

Near the foreboding planet of Mon Calamari, the
gleaming blue engines of a modified TIE Advanced roared as it flew behind a rocky asteroid
belt which lay a few kilometers from a New Republic supply outpost.

Perspiration trickled beneath the helmet of the Vast Empire Intelligence operative who
piloted the spacecraft as his attentive eyes flicked between the cockpit view before him
and the Combat Multiview Display readout. He had nearly identified all the craft at the
supply outpost: the Platform Otello, which lay in the center of the outpost; two
Carrack Light Cruisers, the Star Wind and Freedom's Torch; and a large
amount of patrol vehicles. Spiraling outward from the latter craft was a copious amount of
civilian cargo vessels and transport ships.

Having completed his assignment, the Imperial pilot laid in the coordinates for the
Lorn system and pulled back the hyperspace throttle. With a sigh of relief, the
Intelligence agent watched as the stars around his cockpit turned to gray streaks and his
craft disappeared into the stillness of space.

The New Republic sentry craft around the supply outpost seemed lax in their alertness
to any unknown craft in the area, for they failed to even initiate contact and took little
notice of the TIE Advanced in its clandestine scouting operation. The laxness was most
probably attributed to the fact that the outpost lay deep in the Core Worlds, an area the
New Republic deemed relatively safe from any Imperial threat. The pitiful leaders of the
Rebel Alliance assumed the Vast Empire would never dare attack nor even send scouting
parties that deep into their space. That assumption would soon be proved highly
inaccurate. . .

" . . . Imperial aggression continued to
show no bounds yesterday on the planet of Axxila where Admiral Francis Xavier Krennel, the
commander of the ISD Reckoning, delivered a threatening speech from orbit to the planetary
inhabitants due to their being suspected of harboring rebel traitors. Whether or not these
suspicions were true, Krennel opened fire on the planet killing thousands. Rumors persist
that Sate Pestage, the late Emperor's visier, was aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer at
the time and encouraged Krennel's actions. In other news today . . . "

Sithspawn reached over and switched off the Rebel propaganda channel on his comlink
when a knock sounded at his office door.

"Enter," the Commander of Security commanded.

His office door irised aside revealing a young Intelligence agent dressed in pilot
attire.

"Good!" Sithspawn exclaimed, "You have finally returned from your
scouting mission to Mon Calamari. What did you find?"

"I discovered a Rebel supply outpost above the planet," the intelligence
operative reached into his pocket and produced a datapad, "All the technical readouts
and identification beacons of the craft at the outpost, including the Platform Otello,
have been stored in this datapad." He handed it across the desk to Sithspawn.

"Very well," Sithspawn said, keying several commands into the datapad,
"Do you believe the outpost is vulnerable?"

"Perfectly vulnerable."

"Perfectly vulnerable?" Sithspawn echoed, his voice calm and level.

"Yes, sir," the Intelligence operative assured him, "Positively."

"Platform Otello," Sithspawn mumbled as he read the datapad, "Belongs to
the Solar Navcom Corporation. That is listed in our records as a dummy corporation
which is used as a front for the intergalactic gambler Lando Calrissian, I believe."

"That would probably answer the reason why a number of civilian craft were in the
area," the intelligence agent articulated, "Calrissian is most probably earning
a fair share of credits on the side while he is also helping the Rebellion at the same
time."

"Yes," Sithspawn agreed, placing the datapad in his desk drawer then calmly
steepling his fingers as he thought, "One of our spies reported last year that he
also participated in the attack on the second Death Star. It would be only fitting that we
exact our revenge upon him for the significant blows he has caused the Empire. I will
report this information to Field Marshal Caramon Majere immediately."

There was a long pause between the two. The intelligence operative's eyes took in the
scene before him, then gestured to a long-haired well muscled stern figure in a picture
frame on Sithspawn's desk.

"Your father?"

"No," Sithspawn snarled, taking the picture and placing it in his desk
drawer, "My mother."

"Oh."

Lorn System

The regal figure of Field Marshal Caramon Majere, draped in his crimson red uniform,
solemnly rose from his resplendent chair in the High Council meeting in the lavish Lorn IV
palace. He eyed the other grim loyal Imperial officers who sat around the table. They were
the best the Vast Empire had to offer. Their loyalty was beyond question, and each of them
was festooned with medals and awards which they had won in the many years that they had
served in cause of the New Order. Perhaps nowhere in the galaxy was there a finer assembly
of the elite of the Empire.

Majere reached over and adjusted the frequency of the speaker comlink at the table. He
altered it so not only would he be addressing the High Council, but the Detachment leaders
of the armed forces and several key personnel from the naval forces as well, including
Admiral Scarecrow.

"Servants of the Empire," Majere began, as he addressed his attentive
listeners, "I have recently been informed that a Rebel Alliance supply outpost in
orbit over the planet of Mon Calamari is vulnerable for attack. According to the
information I received from Lieutenant Colonel Sithspawn, it also belongs to Lando
Calrissian, one of the key Rebel Alliance figures who led the enemy forces at the Battle
of Endor. We will be using the new TIE Droid starfighter in this operation that our
shipyards have produced to replenish our empty capitol ships. Only a few active naval
squadrons will be utilized and they will be placed under the command of Admiral
Scarecrow."

Majere turned to face his gallant Executive Officer who sat in a nearby chair, his eyes
fixed on the Field Marshal. "Grand Moff Kadann, I believe that the Vast Empire Dark
Jedi Order can be used effectively in this operation. I will depend upon them to inflict a
severe and long lasting blow to our Rebel adversaries . . . "

posted March 01, 2000 02:34 PM               

1 - Written Tactical Mission
2 - Written Fiction Submittals
3 - Run-on Story
4 - Single Player Starcraft Mission
5 - Multiplayer Battles
6 - XvT Battle (depending on if I get FA Niksavel's battle submission in time)
7 - Graphic submittals
8 - Single Player Mission Submittals (JK, SC, XvT, XWA, etc)

After this competition is over I will:

1 - Announce Winners (members, squads, squadrons, sects, etc etc)
2 - Announce Medals
3 - Announce IC awards
4 - Announce Promotions
5 - Equipment upgrades

End date for this competition is 31st of March. Winners will be announced soon after that. Another campaign will also be in the works depending on the activity for this campaign. All rules and more specifics will be announced at the VE Anniversary party March 4th @ 6pm EST.

Finally,

I am now taking the list of participants for the Multiplayer competition off of the battle board right now. If you want to compete in the multiplayer competition you must now sign up for the battle board AND e-mail me or you will not be considered at all.

Thank you and good luck to all of the Vast Empire!