Devin walked down the hallway of the prison facility housing more than 1,000 captured Imperial personnel. In addition to his duties as a captain in the navy, Devin was part of the Chrisslist military courts. His job for the next weeks would be to try to free an Imperial officer wanting to join the Chrisslist navy.
Beside him walked the commander of the Binarian force sent to save Chrisslist, Erin Chrono. The tall human wore his hair in spikes, as his ethic group demanded. Chrono's hobby was law and his friend was Devin, so he agreed to help on this case.
They walked up to a guarded room and identified themselves. Without a word, Chrono was handed a backpack and a baggie containing the officer's rank bars and insignia. "We might just have the easiest case", said Chrono as he looked through the bag, "Just try to tell me he wasn't deserting."
"Jackpot", Devin said as he opened the door. The man inside did not look very impressive, his hands chained to the table and his uniform bare.
"Are you the ones who are going to get me back into a navy", he said in a gruff voice.
"We'll try-What's your name?" Devin replied.
"Former Commander Hank Haywater, Imperial Navy"
As Devin began to take the contents of the bag out and lay them on the table, Chrono spoke up. "I'm acting rear admiral Erin Chrono of the Binarian Expeditionary Force and this is Captain Horacio Devin of the Chrisslist Navy."
"So you're the people that trapped us. You must of known we were coming."
"That we did. I..."
Devin cut in. "Gentlemen, we have a case to prepare for so I'd be glad if we discussed the battle sometime else. Now let's look at the contents of this bag. Mr. Haywater, is there anything on this table that may convince the judge panel that you are sincere about joining the navy?"
"I believe that the picture of my parents wouldn't be something anyone would just pack along to a battle. They...they passed away." Haywater said.
"I'm sorry. These other personal effects were kept in your cabin, correct?"
"Yes. These were the only things I could manage to find in the short time I had to look."
Chrono spoke up. "The military interrogation notes stated that you were taken down on a troop shuttle. Did the crew of the shuttle notice your backpack? And also, what were your plans of desertion?"
"To answer your first question, no they didn't notice the pack or dismissed its significance. They had other things on their mind. In answer to your first question, I planned to shoot the shuttle crew and flee toward a town and surrender or find refuge." Haywater replied.
"Crude but it might have been effective," Devin said, "Haywater, get your uniform cleaned and put your bars back on. The evidence should speak for itself. Court is in two hours."

Over the Outer Rim planet of Tflon 5, two massive orbital dry-docks were busy decommissioning two Victory Class star destroyers. The Outer Rim Imperial Fleet was replacing it's aging line of Victorys with new Imperial class star destroyers.
On the planet's surface sat the base housing the headquarters of a portion of the Outer Rim Imperial Fleet Command. Inside a building, outside the office of Admiral Magen sat a very nervous Captain Piett.
"The admiral will see you now", said Magen's cheerful secretary.
Piett rose and straitened his various bars and cylinders on his uniform. He pushed the door open and saw the aging Admiral Magen.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Piett," Magen said without looking up from his datapad, "I have just read your report again, and I still see no way that your advance scouts could not have noticed the heavy ground weaponry."

Piett started sweating. Haywater, he debriefed the scouts. It had to be Haywater. "Sir, my second-in-command, Comadr. Haywater was in charge of the debriefing of the scouts. He told me of the composition of the defense fleet, but gave me no mention of ground weaponry."
"Ah, but even you should know not to approach a planet without some degree of caution. Ion cannons can even hurt our brand new toys up there," He gestured to the orbiting ships, "It was pure arrogance and no degree of caution involved. You have now learned that even the uncivilized natives have toys, too. And big ones. And now we will move on to the ambush of your fleet."
"We, we had no idea that there were other ships coming to assist", Piett stammered.
"Well that means there must have been an informant in your fleet their is no way they could of got there so fast unless they were tipped off. They will be dealt with, if they didn't die in the battle. Your moments of indication also worry me. You should of pulled out and saved what you could of your fleet. Instead, you come home with one Star Destroyer and a handful of fighters."
"I believed the battle could be salvaged. The ground troops, they-".
"They had no chance to take over the weapons before your ships were chewed up." Magen paused. "Though my conscience tells me not to, you show great promise and I believe that you should not be reduced to the rank of ensign. Piett, you shall retain your Star Destroyer, but will not have another battle group for a very long time. Learn from your mistakes. Dismissed."
Piett gave a crisp salute. "Thank you sir." He walked out of the room. He had to contact the families of some very good commanders.

In the blackness of space between Tflon 5 and Chrisslisst, a Star Galleon raced through hyperspace. The Star Galleon had been built for the intention of the protection of valuable cargo and passengers. Inside the ship, hidden blasters could deter any boarders. As an extra degree of caution, the cargo bay was designed to detach and go into hyperspace by itself. Inside that cargo bay was the nerve center for the Chrisslisstian Liberation Movement.
Inside a lavish office/cabin sat the leader of the movement, Pash Riekken. His top-secret recruitment had already given him half the independent-minded military on the planet. Whenever he sent the signal, soldier would rise up against soldier; ship would rise against ship. The revolution would hopefully leave him in command. But his ambitious plans went further than that. He would create a Chrisslisstian empire in the Tan Kal cluster.
But for now he was reading Captain Devin's report of the Imperial attack.
"This is good, isn't it?" asked Comdr. Dalgrain, Pash's assistant.
"Well it weakened the Loyalist military, but we have no reports on which ones of our ships were destroyed," replied Pash, who had already taken to calling his recruited ships "his" ships.
An aide rushed to his office. "Sir, I have just received word that the Binarian and Zan Coltarian forces will be leaving in two days. We have also been notified of the repairing of two ships, a Carrack Cruiser and a Nebulon-B, captured by the Loyalists in the Cyrll Space Station." The Cyrll Space Station was a large space station that contained two dry-docks, trade ports, and defensive weaponry. It was high on the list of targets for the upcoming revolution.
"Thank you. Dalgrain, notify our ground forces that we have additional targets on the space station. Formulate a plan to take over the ships." Pash ordered.
Dalgrain snapped off a salute. "Will do, sir!"

A guard ushered a fully uniformed Hank Haywater into the courtroom. In the front of the room sat four captains of the Chrysslist planetary defense force. Facing the captains was the small witness stand. To the side of the stand were the tables for the defense and prosecution. Behind the tables were the observation chairs, and behind them, the media, who was currently getting every view they could of him with their holocams.
Haywater sat down beside Chrono and Devin. "Annoying people, aren't they", observed Chrono.
Haywater nodded as the head judge stood up. "The case to decide whether Mr. Haywater will be allowed to join our navy or go back to prison will now be heard. There is no protocol for such a case, so I will be making some of our own rules. Counselors, we are prepared to hear your opening arguments. And please make it snappy."
Devin rose from his seat. "Today I will show the court that my client, Hank Haywater, intended to desert from the Imperial Military. I believe that the overwhelming evidence he brought with him from his star destroyer contained in a simple backpack speaks for itself. His experience with large capital ships can be very helpful to our military and he deserves to have a chance to join our navy. Thank you."
"Thank you counselor. Prosecution."
The prosecutor, also a captain in the navy, rose from his seat. "Today I will answer two important questions. The first is why should we trust this Imperial Naval officer? He was second in command on a ship sent to take us over. He came down on an assault shuttle carrying troops to kill our people. The second is how do we know the backpack was his? It could of been one of the pilots. There is no identification on the backpack. Haywater should not be allowed to join our navy. Thank you."
The chief justice stood. "It has been decided that both the prosecution can have one witness, with cross examination. The defense will call its first witness."
Devin rose. "Your honor, the defense calls the defendant Hank Haywater to the stand and presents exhibits A and B."
Haywater walked over to the stand. "Mr. Haywater, what was your duty during the Imperial attack?"
"I was in command of the Imperial Star Destroyer Supernova's ground forces."
"What decision did you come to before you left the destroyer?"
The prosecutor shot up. "Objection! Counselor is leading the witness."
"I'll allow it. Objection overruled. Please answer the question."
"I decided that this would be the best time for me to desert from the Imperial Navy", Haywater replied.
"What was your plan?" asked Devin.
"I planned to pack my valuables in a backpack and shoot the shuttle crew when we landed."
"Very ambitious. Are some of your valuables on this table?"
"Yes. Exhibit A."
"Would you tell the court in your own words what these valuables."
Haywater gestured to the holograph. "This is a holo of my parents in front of their yaht. It was taken before the journey that ultimately ended up in my parent's death. The brochure here is of my home planet. While in the Navy, I used it to remind me of home."
"Thank you. Are these things that any Imperial commander might take along to a planetary conquest?"
"Not at all."
"Thank you Mr. Haywater. Your witness."
The prosecutor stood. Against evidence like that, he'd be lucky to make a case out of this. "Mr. Haywater, you attended the Imperial academy, correct."
"Yes."
"And in this academy, they stress undying loyalty to the Emperor, correct?"
"Yes."
"So almost no officers ever defect, correct?"
"Yes."
"So it is probable that defection is just a cover to prevent prison, correct?"
"Objection!"
"No further questions, your honor."
The chief justice stood. "The prosecution will now present its case."
The prosecutor faced the jury panel. "I call private From Nickst to the stand."
A soldier rose and walked over to the stand. "Mr. Nickst, what was your role during the Imperial attack?" the prosecutor asked.
"I was part of a group of soldiers inspecting the remains of an assault spacecraft." From replied.
"What did you find in the cockpit of the vehicle?"
"I found two survivors, a pilot and an Imperial commander."
"Is the defendant this commander?"
"Yes."
"Was the defendant in the process of killing the shuttle crew in order to escape?"
"No."
"One final question. Where did you find this backpack?"
"I found it beside the dead copilot."
"Thank you. Prosecution rests." he gestured to Devin, "Your witness."
Devin walked over to the stand. "Mr. Nickst, what state was the defendant in when you found him."
"Um, he had just regained consciousness when I arrived." was the reply.
"One more question. During a crash landing, do things inside a ship tend to be thrown around?"
"Well yes, sir."
"Thank you. Defense rests."
The chief justice stood. "We will now hear closing statements. Council for the Defense, please."
"I ask the panel to look at the testimony of the defendant, and the overwhelming evidence he brought with him. This man planned to defect. Thank you." Devin said.
The prosecutor rose. "This man has used the memorabilia of a dead co-pilot to try to get out of prison. Don't let him."
The jury panel stood and left the room. A bailiff announced a recess for 30 standard minutes.

"I think you're about to get your freedom", Chrono said as the jury panel reentered.
"Don't be so quick." Devin warned.
The chief justice stood and addressed the court. "It has been the deception of this panel to allow Mr. Hank Haywater join the Navy with the rank of Commander."
The defense table erupted in handshakes and smiles as the justice continued. "Lt. Kashar in the back will watch Comdr. Haywater for a period of six months..." A Wookie in the back bowed. "...and Mr. Haywater will serve on the frigate Chrstll Star."
Devin looked around in amazement. That's my ship! "Comdr. Haywater, I welcome you to my command."

The next day, the Chrstll Star was arrayed with the rest of the small defense fleet in a farewell celebration. In front of them stood Rear Admiral Erin Chrono's Binarian Expeditionary Force and Zan Coltariot Task Force. "Thank you!" came the chorus from all commanders. Beams of light shot out from the bow weapons of the warships in a salute to their allies. With a burst of speed they left the system for their home planets.

Pash Riekken looked at the message on his datapad. "Our friends have left the planet. Comdr. Dalgrain, sent the signal. Tomorrow we will take back what is rightfully ours."

Prologue

Chapter 2