“I’m almost done… But… General, when they notice this hack they will be here fast, really fast. Even as remote a location as this… they will not be more than an hour out.”

“I know Kale. Just finish the hack and get out of here, I can do the rest.”

The technician dutifully goes back to work and it isn’t but a few moments before the transmission lock out cuts off. “Its done… Gen-“ He turns around seeing the stare of his commander and stops speaking. The tall blonde figure before him nods toward the door and he needed no further prompting to leave. “… Good luck Squiddy…”

“Thanks, Kale.” Vicho said with a faint smile before looking down at the table and the controls in front of him. With a press of a button, the Core wide Emergency Holo-cast signal went online, cutting off every active holo-transmission with in Galactic Center. Only this chunk of loyal imperial planets would receive the live signal. Every other system from mid core out would receive relays, hacked transmissions, illegal copies several moments or days later.

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“Greetings Citizens of the Galactic Empire, and my brothers of freedom a like. My name is Vicho Goodman. I am a general in the Rebel Alliance, a son of Corellia, and a citizen of freedom and democracy. I will speak plain before you, and you will know my story, and you will come to find that it is not as unique or so different from the story of some one you know or someone you may love.

My body is a canvas that bares the scars, and wounds inflicted by the empire. Yes, we are at war. Both sides will kill, both sides will suffer wounds in combat. Just know that not a single serious wound on my body has come from the battlefield.” His lone blue eye burns into the camera. The picture on the holo-displays are of his face, handsome, but exhausted and tired from countless engagements. Even through the fatigue, it is obvious that he is no old man.

His gaze drops away a moment before he lifts his left hand into the frame to brush over his eye patch. His fingers remove it, revealing the scarred lids that had been sealed shut, never to open again. Their only duty now was to protect an empty eye socket. “Less than a hand full of years past I was a happy eldest son from a loving family. I had just graduated, was looking forward to starting my first real job. It was also the first time that the imperial influence began to be felt on Corellia. The Imperial Nominated Diktat began to sell of the freedoms, and liberties that Corellian’s all held dear. I was among the first of the young idealists to stage open protests against this abuse of power. One day I apparently crossed the line. In the dead of night, my family and I were dragged from our home by an imperial officer and his men. All of us, from my father, down to my little sister were bound at the wrist and forced to our knees.” He swallows dryly, his gaze falling from the camera for a moment before he lifts it back to meet the lens before him.

“My family innocent in all ways save being related to me; were forced to watch. Forced to watch as my body was paralyzed against any movement though the officer was kind enough to be sure I could feel everything. Forced to watch as my eye, was carved from my body. A-as I lay on the ground bleeding, the officer gave me the kindness of watching his men line up, and gun down my father, mother, and little bother. He made sure that I would see him dragging my sister away toward her new life as a slave.” He breaths softly for a few moments before continuing in a soft voice. “It is a face I won’t forget, and I will not pay him the same kindness that he did in leaving me for dead.”

“Were it not for the courageous actions of a hand full of my late comrades, I would have died in the grass on Corellia. Instead, I found myself here, given an opportunity to fight back. At the time it is with out a doubt what I wanted. Anger, and a thirst for revenge where my closest friends in the beginning. All I wanted was retribution.” He gives a half laugh. “The rebellion gave me plenty of opportunity. They trained me in warfare, strategy, tactics, and proper use of armaments. But they also helped me find something more than just killing. They gave me a cause not just to kill for, but to die for should it be necessary.”

“Just so there is no doubt. I am the high profile captive you might have heard whispers of. I was the one that was kept cozy in the bowls of the Imperial Barracks for ‘routine interrogation’. I assure you, their ‘routine’ is something you should all be made aware of.” The camera zooms out slightly as he lifts his right hand, the middle finger sliced neatly off. “This is their standard operating procedure. If a question doesn’t get answered, we sacrifice a body part. If that doesn’t work…” He lifts his shirt to show a long line of mismatched skin where his abdomen was sliced open. “Yes… If that doesn’t work, they will try to harvest your organs while you are still alive.”

“This is the empire that you belong to. These are the people that watch over your every move. These are the hounds and savages that the Emperor would unleash upon you all if he felt it would keep him safe upon his vaunted throne.” He sighs lowering his shirt as the camera zooms in on his face again.

“I have done things in the name of war. I have done things to achieve victory, or strategic advantage. But this…” He shakes his head slightly, he collects himself for a moment before continuing.

“Several systems have expressed outrage for the actions of my men and my self, Iridonia in particular. I stand ready to make an offer to the proud people of this system. When the empire is little more than dust, and when the senate, democracy and freedom is restored. I will surrender myself to the people of Iridonia to answer any charges leveled by their people against the Rebel Alliance.” He smiles softly for a moment and gives a smirk to the camera. “Let us see the Emperor take such action. Let us see Lord Vader surrender himself to the mercy of all those who’s lives he’s destroyed.”

He laughs sadly a moment. “The truth is you never will. Men who crave only power, are a disease that will devour anything and everything it can to survive, and it is these men that rule your empire, these men who serve as your Moff’s and Governors.”

“My time is short, but do remember my words. My story is not unique, I am not the only one marked by this empire. There are hundreds if not thousands that have suffered worse, or longer than I have… To those that know this face fondly, remember that I love you. To those that know this face is aware the full wickedness of their deeds, we will find you, we will catch you, and we will end you.”

He gives a sharp salute to the camera. “Good luck… And may the force be with you all.”

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The camera clicks off and Vicho nearly jumps out of his skin as he hears a voice come from the door. “You are friggin’ insane you do know this, right?” Kale said indignantly.

“Of course… Why do you think I ended up as a General? Come on, we need to get out of here.”

“Already wired up the det-packs, and the ships are starting their warm up cycle.”

“See… what would we ever do with a good Company Girl like your self always seeing to things?” Vicho laughs as he scoops up his helmet and they begin rushing down the hall.

Minutes later the small, hyper space transmission facility is obliterated in a screeching and rending mass of fire and molten emitter frames. Two small ships are just barely seeing jumping away on the far side of the asteroid field as an ISD begins to move into range.