IMPERIAL NEWS SYNDICATE://FEED 12365/IMP.nws/hwaite/SAT9806\INB/INS--678XXX1

ROUTED COM BOUY-IC-456. GARONIN INT. Helen Waite

"Good evening gentle beings and species from all over the Empire. This is your roving reporter Helen Waite, To hear all the news that is fit to be news, come to Helen Waite."

I am here aboard the SSD Avenger, a Super Star Destroyer somewhere in the galaxy, talking to Grand Admiral Ronin, the Wing Commander of the Elite Strike Wing, the EMPEROR'S HAMMER.

"Good morning Grand Admiral Ronin, thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to speak with us. Can I ask you where we are in space. My shuttle took over 4 hours and about 20 hyper jumps to get here. Give me a hint, if you can."

"I am sorry Ms.Waite, if I told you where we were then I would have to kill you. No, seriously, we must maintain absolute secrecy here. Only I and my Command Staff know what our hyper coordinates are, so we can maintain secrecy. If our enemies found out where we were, right now it could be a disaster. No, it is better we remain hidden, and you took 23 hyper-jumps to get here."

" Thank you for explaining that to me. Are you free to talk about what you are doing now in this part of space, without spilling any secrets"

"You ask the questions Miss. and if it is something I cannot talk about, then I will ask you to go on to your next question. You understand don't you, about security, and we all know reporters are famous for 'spreading the word'? Spreading the word on this could get a lot of pilots killed, not only in this wing but others as well. I will review your interview, then my communications staff will transmit it by a round about way, so you WON"T violate secruity. Is this alright with you?"

"More than satisfactory, Admiral, thank you. Now Adm. can you tell me what you are doing here so far away from everything. Can you tell me your plans."

"As of now, the Wing is in the process of assessing our position after the disaster at Endor. I and my staff are planning our next series of campaigns, plus we are upgrading all of our ships. And most important, we are training new pilots, our veteran pilots are taking refresher courses. and we are building up our strength. There is no telling what this Wing may come up against, and I would like to be at full strength, when we next enter battle."

"Speaking of Endor, Admiral, how are your pilots coping with the death of the Emperor at the hands of a traitorious Darth Vader."

"Every single one of my pilots is saddened by the loss of the Emperor, and every one of them has sworn an oath to avenge the Emperor. They have vowed to kill every rebel they can and destroy every rebel ship that they come across. They have all vowed to follow me where I made lead them. They may have revenge in their hearts, but everyone of them is a dedicated pilot, and I have the best pilots in the Empire right here. They are professionals and won't let revenge get in the way of good judgement.. I have never seen a braver bunch of men and women. I had to make orders to keep them from attacking a rebel capital ship by themselves. Now they can only attack if they have a wingman, to record death of the Rebel ship on his flight camera." I trust every pilot in this wing--with my life. I have too, they are always behind me with missiles and lasers."

"What are the plans for the Hammer, after you finish with your stand-down. Can you give me a hint of what future plans you have."

"I can't tell you the exact plans, they are classified, but I can say that future plans of the Hammer, is to end the threat of the Rebel Alliance, and eliminate these tratorious scum from the galaxy, and restor law and order to the Empire, as the Emperor wanted."

"There only 3 Wings that I know of that are still loyal to the Emperor. We haven't heard from Grand Admiral Thrawn for a while, his fleet is out chasing rebels, and the newly formed Emperor's Assault Wing, lead by Grand Admiral Storm, is blockaded near Corsucant. I don't know if they are going to survive or not. They are very far understrength. Only time will tell."

DING, DING ,DING, DING, "This is Battle Command, ALL PILOTS MAN YOUR FIGHTERS, ALL PILOTS MAN YOUR FIGHTERS, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!! REBEL FORCE INBOUND AT 100 KILOMETERS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!"

"Sorry Ms. Waite but duty calls, please stay and see how we deal with these rebels. You can observe from Battle Com. The ST sargeant here will show you the way. Good bye."

Thus ended my interview with Emperor's Hammer Commander Grand Admiral Ronin. I am happy to report that elements of the EH met and fought off a superior Rebel force. The Hammer is credited with 42 Rebel kills today.

Helen Waite\Imperial News

XO's Free Mission

You and the WC Hyper into the area where the TFC Roxanna is, But they are busy. A disabled ISD is awaiting repairs from a Platform.

You must ID the platform and then destroy it as well as the ISD. Be on the lookout for enemy fighters, as y-wings, b-wings and x-wings will hyper in to get you. You will be helped out in this mission by elements of the Hammer's Fist Stormtrooper ATR's.

Good luck .

My mission performance

Score-56,254 on HARD

All primary and 2 of 5 bonus goals -- complete

Kills-37

My Kills-23

3-Xwing

7-Ywing

7-Bwing

4-CRV's

1-ISD

1-PLAT\6

HAVE FUN

ACTION REPORT OF RECRUITMENT MISSION

TO ALL PILOTS OF THE EMPEROR'S HAMMER:

FROM XO\VA Renegade:

SUBJ:Mission for the Recruitment of Pilots for the EH, see attached mission simulation

I was flying to a loyal Imperial platform- IMP BASE-1, to recruit pilots for the Hammer. And LO and Behold, as if by concinsedence a rebel ESC jumps in too launch fighters at the Platform.

I got to see my potential recruits in battle at first hand. And since these pilots are so far out into the Outer Rim, they are still flying T/F's and T/B's and they are only Officer type pilots, they haven't had any action since they were stationed aboard the Platform. That was 6 years ago. They were sort of lost in the problems the rebellion has been giving the Empire.

I had to make sure the Platform survived, and I saw destroying the rebel ESC was my first priority. I ordered all pilots on the Platform to scramble to take care of the ESC. I also instructed them to Kill as many enemy fighters as they could for bonus points. I tried to PROTECT all the pilots on the platform, I know dead pilots are of no use the the Wing.

MY PERFOMANCE SCORES:

SCORE-21,794

ALL PRIMARY AND BONUS GOALS-COMPLETE

KILLS-25 (16)

3-Ywing

7-Bwing

6-Z-95

IMPERIAL. SHIPS LOST-13

4-TF

3-TB

6-GUN

Remember, these pilots were stuck in the outer rim for 6 years and have not seen action in all that time, and they never got much past basic training when they were posted to this force-forsaken base.

The survivors would make excellent Hammer pilots with a bit more training. Perhaps assign them to the Daedalus, so they can brush up on tactics and flying the newer fighters they have never seen before.

XO\VA Renegade\CF-2\VSD Mon

The following form is a poll for each Hammer member to fill out so we know where in the USA (or Africa :-)) everyone is. Each member should fill this form out and e-mail it to General Jac (JACtRip583@AOL.com). If you have any questions contact Jac.

________________________________________________________________________

Real name:

Pilot name:

Screen name:

Address:

City: State: Zip code:

Please fill this out and send it to JACtRip583.

CMDR/GN JAC/BETA-1-1/SSD AVR

Name: Kintarbu, Wedge

Rank: Squadron Commander (IOTA)

Scandoc Transmission Code (Screen name): TIEWedge

Sex(M/F): Male

Race: Kilrathi

Date of Birth: 6510.12

Place of Birth(Please include Homeworld): Pretakta, Kilrah (UKNOWN GALAXY)

Marital Status(Single,Married,Divorced,Separated): Single

Family: None

Social Status(Destitute,Poor,Well-to-do,Wealthy,Nobility): Good

Significant Events of Childhood & Adolescence: Trained by the Kilrathi

Confederation at the age of 12

Significant Events of Adulthood: CLASSIFIED

Alignment & Attitude: Good with others, but hides the past.

Former Occupations(if any): Member of the Kilrathi Confederation, Imperial Informant, Commander of the Imperial FRG Pratus, Lord Vaders personal shuttle pilot.

Hobbies: Martial Arts, Solar Diving, Climbing.

Tragedies: Home World was destoried by a human attack, Fellow crew members of the FRC Pratus killed while he was in command, Fellow officer killed in landing accident. (Presumed Suicide)

Phobias & Allergies: Dying without Honor

Personal views of the Empire(and Emperor's Hammer): The Empire is the only way this galaxy will stay in order.

Reason for applying to the Emperor's Hammer Elite Strike Force: I needed something better than station patrol. There is no honor in that.

Other comments or information(optional): Can not fully trust humans. Even though the Emperor despises members of another race. Wedge (like Grand Admiral Thrawn) proved himself worthy enough to fight for the Empire.

 I hereby confirm that the above information is legitimate and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

 Signature: Wedge Kitarbu

Date: 9505.30

cc: Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) Liason Officer

Well, my friends, newly found and old alike...I have been acting real strange

as of late [to "umm, when isn't he?" shuddyap! =] and here is something you may not

understand...nor care to discuss. This happened long ago...both the pain

that prompted me to write this...and the story I tell. But recent events have

spurred the memories...and I have been in turmoil ever since. For my own

healing...I've been telling all I can...to all I can. My "real-life"

friends have been told as much of this [yeah yeah, so some of ya are real

life friends too, ya bums] as I care to. Well...really what I am capable of.

In case you don't understand the "story" below...I once had someone very

important to me pass on to a better place...if one can call it that. I am

none too comfortable saying this to you...but its something I'd like to. I

ask only two favors of you. IF you respond, please...no one liners. And

please...use the respond to all button unless you don't want to. Just know

that I'm okay with it. Thank you.

*******************************************************************************

The emotions that haunt me, the feelings of loss and missing you,

usually quiet and dull throughout the day while I work, straining my body

to fill the void in my mind, intensified as usual as the sun set. Sitting

in darkness, I thought of all the memories we have built togather, and

dreamed of being reunited with you. I could almost feel the emptiness

inside me as a physical force. Much as I outleted my feeling onto my

keyboard, there was no adequate replacement for actually feeling you in my

arms. Unable to hold up my defences again the pain inside, I decided to go

out dancing, knowing that the loud techno music, flashing lights, cigarette

filled air, and the rhythms of my own body moving would exorcise my psyche

as it always did...knowing not this would be the last time I could so easily

fill the void.

I slipped into my black outfit and black mood like a familiar expression,

tied my sash around my waist, and drew the Mizpah pendant you gave me over my

head. Driving downtown, the cool air blew in my face and began the healing

majick of the evening. As I entered the club, the music hit me like a wall,

and my mind automatically slipped into a meditative state as quickly as I had donned my suit. Walking immidiately onto the floor, I began to move, my odd combination of dancing and martial arts soon assuring me of a clear space on the stage. Not because of any

violence in the movements of my body, but rather on account of the

trance-like state I enter into while dancing, which clearly says "Do not

approach me now." As I dance, my mind slips into emptiness, a

state of meditation that I have only been able to achieve in dance.

Because my conscious mind is not fully there, I don't want people crowding

me. As my body goes through the katas it knows so well to the music, I

reflect on you. Remembering all the times that we went dancing togather,

and how I'd watch you, appreciate the way that your body followed an innate

rhythm. I think of the times when I've been too caught up in my own

meditation to dance with you, the hurt that I know that instilled in you,

though you understood my need to be alone at those times. It was too

often, however. I resolve to myself not to make those mistakes again, not

to let the opportunities to dance with you slip by as often.

Thinking so deeply of you, I snap back into consciousness and see you,

threading your way across the floor towards me. Knowing that it cannot be,

I try to shut out the hallucination, but you keep coming. So real you are,

that I give in totally, and begin slowly dancing with you, close.. so

close, but not touching. I know, somewhere in my mind, that if I try to

touch you, you'll disappear as I realize that you're not there. So we

dance. I know that my eyes are closed now, but I feel your physical

presence directly in front of me. I can see and smell you. As we dance,

the pain I feel inside slips away on the stream of electronic music. We

couldn't talk if we wanted to, but our body language speaks volumes. As we

share our love with each other through our dance, we become the axis of the

earth, everything spinning around us, and the tiny space that we occupy on

the dance floor becomes all of reality.

The song ends and there is silence. Breathing deeply, I open my eyes,

praying with every fiber of my being that I will see you as surely as I

feel your presence. I look into the eyes of a young woman who has

apparently been dancing in front of me. Somehow, I do not feel a crashing

wave of sadness, but rather a light airy feeling. I know that, somewhere,

you must have been feeling me to. Bowing quietly, I walk to a vacant table

and sit. The young woman follows me and stands smiling at me until I invite

her to sit. Sinking down across from me, she smiles quietly and says that she had been watching me, and all night I seemed to be dancing alone, and for myself only. But

suddenly, in the middle of a song, I seemed to change, and I appeared to be

dancing with someone. Interested, she had come over to me. She asked if I

was dancing with anyone in particular, and I smiled gently and told him

that I was dancing with the Lady that I love more than anything else. She

nodded and asked if you were far away. Shaking my head, I touched my chest

and said "She's right here". Reflecting for a moment, the young woman

asked if I ever got lonely for physical company. As gently as I could, I

told her that my memories of you were all the company that I wanted, right

now. As I said it, I realized how true it was. You are still such a

presence in my life that it's almost as if you were with me constantly. I

keep you with me, forever and always. She smiled again, curtsied quietly and

walked back to the dance floor. I think she understood.

*******************************************************************************

In case it matters...I no longer dance...nor drive. No, I don't expect many

of you to understand why...the reasons are very private, suffice it[?] to

say...it causes me pain to do either. Thank you for listening.