9ABY/10BBY
Nuiri Sector
Noryath System
Planet Noryan |||
Disson (Capital city of Noryan |||)
"When Moff Lyjan informed me of the arrival of reinforcements to deal with these marauders and insurrectionists, I wasn't expecting someone soo…."
"Young….
"I believe thats the word you are looking for," Titus answered for him, not looking pleased at the governor's … opinion.
"Forgive me Commodore, its not everyday that one sees a commander of a imperial star destroyer with such a youthful face."
"Perhaps, governor. But my age does not determine my competence or ability, to deal with the threats you are facing" Titus stated blankly.
"But it does, determine one's experience, which I doubt you have much of"
Titus gave no reaction to the man's remark.
"But if Grand Moff Tarkin chose you personally for this assignment as the Moff reports, then your skill will speak for its self, hopefully," The fat governor iterated as he poured himself a glass of wine.
"Wine, its Alderaanian?" He asked, to which Titus accepted begrudgingly.
"The best of the core, here in the worst parts of the galaxy, how poetic," He adds with a smile before taking a sip.
Titus wasn't a stranger to the taste of core-world wines,especially this alderaanian one, but he prefered the wines from kattada in the colonies.
"Now, to the true matter at hand" the Governor voiced, as he rested his tumbler on the table.
"There are several billion living beings on this planet, 95% of which are contented with their life here , the other 5% , not so much. You see, Noryan ||| has been a major agricultural planet for decades. Its economy has been dependent on this sector, which contributes to over 11% of the population's employment," He informs the young officer , while rubbing the ring on his hand.
"Now, several years ago around this time, this planet has exported 3 billion tonnes of Grain, and thats just grain, the other products I will leave out for now."
"All in all, its a considerable amount. I want you to go ahead and take a guess at the numbers we currently export," Governor Lyrio says getting a raised brow for Titus.
"One billion," Titus replies aloofly
"521 million," The Governor corrected without hesitation driving his point across.
"That is a 75% decrease over the span of several years. Millions in revenue gone, thousands of jobs that depended on such a industry whisked away."
"Now, only major local companies and wealthy families controls farmland here, the others have been mainly confiscated, bought out, abandoned, or acquired through other methods. Imperial facilities, mines and local industrial plants now occupy those once farmlands," He continues.
"This change has not been easy on the population, there are grumbles among the people if it could be called so.Entire lives ruined, thousands of jobs lost and millions of credits gone. This creates resentment and resentment, turns to anger, then into actions of terror."
"My job as Regional Governor, is not only to ensure imperial mandates and laws are met by the local authorities, but to also govern this portion of the system in the Emperor's name to something prosperous."
'But if insurrectionists plague your planet, then its speaks highly of your governance or lack of it', Titus thought holding such a accusation in mind, not daring to state it.
"You must be wondering why I'm saying all of this to you?" The older man clasped his hands together.
"To destroy your enemy, you'll need to know your enemy. Many of these rebels, these insurrectionists, thieves,fanatics, have been created by our own hands.Their actions are retaliation of the policies and changes we've made here over the past few years. I hold no love for them, nor any sympathy on that matter, but you need to know this, that we are fighting a bear for its cave," the stout man said in grim finality.
"Well, if they wish to die for their belief. Then I shall oblige them,"He counters, before continuing.
"These anarchists, their leaders were not mentioned in details from my report. No doubt you have knowledge of them , what would you say of them, governor?"
"Their leaders? There are many , but there is only one that can be called its true leader. A man named Ivan Gorgon, or Desaad as his companions name him. Once a farmer, now a terrorist leader. Our efforts into apprehending him or finding his base of operations has gone unsuccessful for 2 years now, even with the help of the ISB. I believe that his base of operations are beyond the sector, which might be the cause of our unfruitful hunt" Lyrio admits.
These terrorists strikes quickly and effectively at key targets. So for him to lead and direct such operations against Imperial facilities and personnel. This Desaad had to be on Noryan ||| or within the system, he thought.
"To say he might hide among the populous would be believable, though hard , if not impossible since we have his identity revealed on all local networks and in every corner. The people know that harboring such a man would be dealt with harshly and we perform curfews and regular patrols. Plus ISB and army intelligence are always on the look out for any leads. So if that were the case he would be eventually found. How long can he go about hiding on the planet,"Lyrio admits.
"Not necessarily sir , you'd be surprised at the level of covertness that these men can operate at governor. The lack of resources makes one improvise and also do what we think impossible," Titus replies.
"Fair point. And how would you go about finding them if not solving this matter once and for all?" He asked .
"Well, I'd...
— — — — — — —
3 weeks later
"Breaking news just through, and NCC is reporting tonight, three explosions have gone off in Almek City's Security Force Center today!"
"The blast killed over 40 people, one of whom was the leader of the non-violent civil rights movement,Dr Marzin Luna Jin."
"Local authorities as well as imperial forces are swarming the sites to rescue and recover survivors from the scene."
"Investigators are saying this incident was an act of terror caused by the red field movement , a group that labeled themselves as freedom fighters!"
— — —
"The fire is now lit , blood is in the water and the sharks will come swarming."
"How could you relis, how could you kill such a man that is fighting for autonomy from the empire. You all are absolutely evil scum," Titus mocked him.
Marzin Jin was a foundation , he was a man that believed in change and wanted a better life for the people of Noryan|||. But Dr Jin was a pacifist, a quality that preserved his life for so long until now . He was one of the most dangerous opponents to imperial rule on this planet, who's belief might've overthrown imperial ideals down the line if he was left unchecked. ISB wanted to get rid of the man for years but thought it might've caused a huge backlash, so they held off until the opportune time.
Titus brought up the idea of the assassinating the man and pinning the blame on the rebels to the governor who had mixed feelings about such action.
But he understood the sacrifices needed to win this fight and he allowed Titus to carry out his task. With the help of the ISB he had the stationed bombed, killing the corrupt security officers at Almek city, while at the same time killing Marzin. It was killing two birds with one stone, literally.
He then had all the blame shifted to his intended target to smoke them out. The people of Noyan||| who held sympathy for this rebel group would do so no more and such an action now smoked them out of their holes .
"You vile creature, damn you and your family to the 7 hells.You'll pay for this!!" He screamed in his restraints, trying his best to get free to no avail.
"Perhaps I will, and do you think you wont? When you take the lives of imperial personnel its right, but when I take the lives of criminals like you, how wrong I am, how evil I am. Now i'm going to ask you again where do the rebel leaders meet. Give me a planet a system, a sector, a name?"
*Tuhh*
He spat
The glob of filth landing right on Titus's right cheek.
The stormtrooper behind his superior, did not hesitate to give the restrained man a beating from the butt of his e-11.The squelching sound of metal hitting flesh was unforgettable. With every hit blood splattered on his ceramic plates, and the white armored warrior was ten hits in , with no intent of stopping . But the commodore raised his hand stopping him from killing the semi unconscious man.
"That's enough corporal," he called out.
*Sigh*
"You see; you rebels are so caught up in your cause and Ideals that you forget that all of you are servants of violence just like us."
The man raised his head in defiance, his face bloody and his un swollen eye filled with rage, and perhaps all other emotional expressions of hate known to man.
He said nothing, perhaps it was his injuries that disallowed him, though improbably as he wasn't beaten that much to turn mute.
Titus gave out a sigh as he rose from his stupor.
"If this is how you shall be then I grant you the only mercy I can," He says , before nodding to the trooper who raised his blaster and fired a crimson bolt into the mans chest. He was killed instantly, blood now pouring out of the semi cauterized hole.
"He could've been of more use to us?"
"On the contrary supervisor, he will still be of use to us even dead. I intend to show his corpse to his fellows. One of them will break without us even lifting a finger. They are not as zealous as their previous companion here."
— — — — -
Weeks of attrition against an enemy that disappears like the wind and appears like a storm.
Guerilla fights had drawn on the strength of the vanguard's stormtrooper legion but the men of the empire stood fast against this foe. Many were killed in encounters , but their sacrifices were not without rewards.
Titus had made astounding progress within 3 weeks that even the ISB would've taken months to achieve.
And he was now closer to his goal than ever. Put killing desaad aside. The real fight was within the hearts and minds of the people, his mission was to contain and eliminate the growing rebellion here and he was doing just that.
The empire was no longer the focus of the populations resent , the empire was no longer the enemy.
It was now the Red field movement and its band of other rebel cells.
The people will turn their torches towards Desaad and his followers. They will light the flame which he would fuel to see his destruction.
This was the best solution he could've come up with , one with the least casualties. It was far better than mass imprisonment and curfews.