"It's obvious they are hiding something from us," the holographic image of Captain Jorr, commander of the Imperial Star Destroyer Corrin, said. He paused and scratched the thinning dark hair crowning his round head. "And judging from the manner in which they greeted you, sir, I would surmise they are wanting us to expect a hero's welcome. I don't like it at all, sir."

"Sir, I concur with Captain Jorr," Captain Jensen, commander of the Teiryan, said. "For whatever reason, they have refrained from telling us anything in regards to the current state of the galaxy. All we know is the Empire has fallen and an entity calling itself the First Order has risen in its place."

Admiral Prolov sat at the head of the table, relaxing as he listened to his men expressing their concerns in regards to the upcoming meeting with the First Order. He took a few seconds to gaze at the men assembled in the room briefly. All of them were holograms. The only two officers physically in the room were himself and Fleet Captain Aveen, his second-in-command of both the Apollyon and the fleet.

"Gentlemen, the reports provided by the First Order also spoke of a restoration of the Republic," Prolov replied. He remained in his relaxed posture while his men kept their eyes on him. "Which was to be expected since the Rebels apparently defeated the Empire. And the data also revealed that the Empire's final defeat came at Jakku, not Endor, as we presumed."

The commander of the Gladius, Captain Heelin, leaned forward in his seat. "That's why they want us to meet with them at Jakku. They want to show us evidence of our defeat. Perhaps wrecked vessels or other remains of the battle."

Prolov chuckled at Heelin's statement. "Good insight, Captain. Jakku is meant to send a message that we are no longer in control of the galaxy. It also intended as a warning of the consequences of conducting ourselves as if the Galactic Empire were still the governing authority."

"Which is why we must exercise extreme caution in this matter, sir," Jorr said. He creased his brow and continued. "This could be a trap to draw us in with open arms and then surround us with their fleet. Our data has confirmed the presence of vessels twice our size and some even larger. They have the advantage of twenty-eight years worth of research and development. Who knows what they have at their disposal to use against our fleet?"

Prolov leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Captain Jorr, I would expect you to know that technology can be manipulated...and even defeated. The First Order embraces their advancements as if they are a shield of invincibility. They have become so enamored with them that they believe mere possession of such advantages almost guarantees victory over any who oppose them."

Jorr shot a wide-eyed glance at Prolov. "Sir, you detected all of that in the files they sent to you?"

Prolov nodded and steepled his fingers. "General Hux and his subordinates exposed their desires, fears, and overconfidence. Their words have made it apparent that they believe the First Order has evolved into an entity superior to the former Galactic Empire. They also believe they have been purified through decades of trial and error."

"Sir, why would they send such information to you, especially knowing that you could detect their intentions through their own words?" Captain Noran, commander of the Impetus, enquired. He stroked his dark mustache as he gazed at Prolov. "Wouldn't that be a rather foolish blunder for such an evolved entity to make?"

Prolov cocked his head towards Captain Noran. "Their misplaced faith in technological advancements leads them to dismiss us as a threat. They ignored the relationship between my devotion to prose and tactical endeavors. In our day, the galaxy's flawed perspective of Grand Admiral Thrawn's embracement of art and culture was dismissed similarly. And the result of such ignorance came with devastating consequences. Likewise, the First Order believes that their gains during our twenty-eight-year absence make them immune to any tactical and strategic initiatives we may implement."

Captain Noran nodded. "That is somewhat consistent with Commandant Brendol Hux's philosophy. He desired to build an army that was superior to anything the galaxy had ever seen." He drew in a breath before continuing. "Which confirms your analysis of their faith in technological advancements. We also must presume they believe their armed forces are superior to ours due to advanced recruiting and training methods."

"Precisely," Prolov said, resting his hands on the table. "It goes hand in hand with their views on our technological differences. Any military commander worthy of such responsibility will understand that advanced training methods do not guarantee victory in battle. As with technology, advanced training can be defeated, if one cares to undertake the proper observation of such methods."

"Are we also to presume they do not know about the weapon in our possession?", Fleet Captain Aveen asked. All eyes in the room instantly shifted in his direction. "There has to be a more compelling reason they want to draw us in besides enticing us into serving them. Sir, I find it difficult to believe that they see any redeeming value in a fleet they view as inferior. That said, I refuse to believe they expect us to join them in any militaristic plans they may have for the galaxy."

"It would be impossible for them to know about the weapon unless the Emperor recorded such information in the Imperial Archives," said Captain Nesset, commander of the Tenebris. "And, of course, unless we have a traitor within our fleet."

"We carefully monitor the behavior of our crew members. All outgoing communication from this fleet is only conducted with the expressed authority of Fleet Command," stated the reddish-gold mustached wearing Captain Talick, commander of the Sydonus. "I find it highly unlikely that we have a traitor in our midst."

"Unlikely, but not impossible," Captain Dorent, commander of the Zephyr, said as he rubbed his extremely square jaw. "Speaking of the weapon, I feel that they must know about it somehow. Therefore, it would be wise for us to operate as if they know of its existence without signaling our suspicions. Knowledge of the weapon could very well be the motive for their desire to rendezvous with us at Jakku."

"And what of the name Jerek?" Captain Jorr asked in a firm tone. "Is he in the same family as the Jerek's we brought to justice?"

"He is commander Sven Jerek, son of Daryn Jerek, our former ally and contact on Maruun III," Admiral Prolov responded calmly. "Commander Jerek ordered the assault shuttle to make contact with us, which indicates the First Order has placed sensors in the sector. Do not focus on that aspect, gentlemen. I have ordered Commander Bayda to locate and neutralize the sensors," He gestured open handedly towards the holographic images of the Captains in the room. "As far as the other concerns, you all have valid points, gentlemen. I assure you they will be taken into consideration going forward."

"Sir, do we have any information on the status of either Renda Noth or S'Varia?" Captain Jensen asked. His steel-grey eyes locked on Prolov. "Sir, I feel it would serve the best interests of the fleet if we knew where we stand in that regard. For all we know, the First Order or the reformed Republic could have seized control of either of those star systems, if not both."

"Captain, there have been no reports regarding either Renda Noth or S'Varia," Prolov replied. He rested his hands on the table before continuing. "I am sending Colonel Veriss to S'Varia as well as a pair of the Phantom Squadron ships to Renda Noth. I will inform you of the subsequent findings."

"Sir, what of this Captain Phasma?" Jorr asked with a sneer. "I'm skeptical of the information that claims a captain is in command of their stormtrooper corps. That is a rather low rank to be in charge of their entire regiment of stormtroopers."

Captain Talick cleared his throat. "My thoughts exactly, sir. One would think such a commander would be a colonel or a general at the very least."

Prolov nodded as he leaned forward. "Good points, gentlemen. It could very well be deception, or it also could be a revelation. Perhaps it shows that they are not as organized or as large of a force as we are led to believe. Whatever the case, it's clear they intended to throw us off with that information."

"And in realizing the possibility they are deceiving us, we are still permitting her and her entourage to board the Apollyon?" Captain Jensen asked. He shook his head and sighed. "Sir, I'm not so certain that it won't be used against us."

"That's a risk we will have to take, Captain," Prolov said, cocking his head towards Jensen. "Though I believe that scenario is highly unlikely. They intend to draw us into trusting and embracing them for purposes that remain to be seen. If we play along with them and refrain from hostility ourselves, then we will have a substantial advantage over them."

Jorr cupped his hands. "Sir, if I read the information correctly, she is two meters tall. A similar height as your wife, Annalisa, and most S'Varian women. They could be using her physical similarity to the women on your homeworld to gain your trust. Taking all of that into consideration, I'm not comfortable with this situation at all."

Captain Talick pursed his lips and glanced at Prolov. "I concur with Captain Jorr. If this Captain Phasma is S'Varian in origin, then we all know the risks of bringing her on board. The very thought of a S'Varian in chrome stormtrooper armor is unsettling. And we all know why I have come to this conclusion."

"She also could be Turasian in origin as well," Captain Heelin countered. "Their women were just as tall as S'Varian women, though they lacked the capabilities of their S'Varian counterparts. Based upon those observations, I concur with the assertion that Captain Phasma's physical attributes are being utilized in regards to you, Admiral."

"Captain Heelin, I believe your assumption is accurate," Prolov replied. "Commonalities are keys that open doors to connecting individuals. They assume her physical characteristics will draw me into their grasp. Give an individual comfort they are accustomed to, and you'll take the first step into entrapping them."

Captain Jensen shook his head. "Why would they make such an attempt? They are bound to know you will see through them, sir."

"Let them reap what they have sown, Captain," Prolov replied. He glanced down at his datapad briefly and then turned his eyes towards his men before continuing. "We have other matters to attend to within the fleet. The anomaly we experienced in hyperspace was unprecedented. Commander Bayda joined Colonel Veriss and me on a thorough search of the Imperial archives. We found a notable incident that had occurred over two decades before the outbreak of the Clone Wars."

"Sir, there have been other instances of time travel?", Captain Jorr gasped.

Prolov waved his hand dismissively. "Not exactly, but similar in some regards. The incident I'm referring to occurred aboard a freighter that became disabled after an explosion in its engine room. In its stricken state, the vessel began to drift in regions of space beyond the reach of rescue teams. The situation became even more desperate when all escape pods jettisoned prematurely, and life support systems began to fail. With his quick thinking, the captain decided to make use of the carbon freezing chambers on his vessel to preserve the life of himself and his remaining crew in hopes they would eventually be found and rescued."

Captain Talick fixed his gaze on Prolov. "Sir, I remember studying that incident in a survival tactics class at the academy. I believe the freighter was the Kryeen Pride, commanded by a Corellian named Tysin Veern. Captain Veern and his crew were suspended in carbonite for over a decade until a deep space salvage team discovered their vessel."

"Very good, Captain Talick," Prolov replied with a grin. "What did you learn from their experiences besides quick-witted survival tactics?"

Talick sat up straight and continued to keep his eyes on Prolov. "Sir, besides the expected bouts with severe hibernation sickness due to prolonged suspension in carbonite, the crew exhibited a wide range of emotional instabilities when the reality of their situation became apparent to them. The rapid changes in their lives overwhelmed some to the point they became emotionally unstable enough to justify long-term confinement within psychiatric institutions. All of the crew experienced nervous and mental breakdowns to some degree that required professional psychological treatment. Even those who were able to resume productive lives in society were left with emotional and psychological scars for the remainder of their lives."

Prolov steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. "Precisely, Captain. And that is my concern for our crews. Though we have not experienced suspension in the manner of the crew of the Kyreen Pride, we have been propelled from a reality we became accustomed to and thrust into a time where we are essentially obsolete in the eyes of those who have lived in this particular time period. However, we do share one common thread with Captain Veern and his crew." Prolov paused for a moment and glanced at each of his men before continuing. "We are just as prone to succumbing to the same emotional and psychological instabilities as them. But do not fret, gentlemen, we have the advantage of our extensive training and will utilize it as needed to curb any effects of such instabilities should they arise."

"Sir, should we include the Kyreen Pride incident in our continuous academy curriculum?" Captain Heelin enquired. "I feel that it could be a benefit to our men."

"I concur, Captain Heelin," Prolov replied. "However, we must also approach all instruction and training cautiously. We mustn't make the same mistake as the First Order by placing so much trust in training and education that it becomes a matter of destructive pride rather than a strategic benefit. Educate and train our men without inflating their egos."

"Consider it done, Admiral," Captain Aveen said. He cocked his head towards Prolov. "Are there any further orders for the fleet, sir?"

"After the Apollyon and Corrin depart for Jakku, the rest of the fleet are to remain at Endor until further instruction." Prolov gestured towards Captain Jensen. "You will be in command of those vessels. Maintain general quarters and constant patrols. As for the Apollyon and Corrin, there is much work to do to in order to accommodate our guests." Prolov glanced over to Captain Jorr. "I want you aboard the Apollyon when we welcome Captain Phasma and her entourage." He turned his attention back to the rest of the Captains in the room. "You all have your orders, gentlemen! Get to it!"

As the holograms of the Captains faded, Prolov rose to his feet and deactivated his datapad. He moved towards the door and paused. "Captain Aveen, I want Colonel Veriss to meet with me in my office after our rendezvous with the First Order. You are dismissed."

Aveen bowed before leaving the room. Prolov turned to follow him and paused when a sound like a whisper suddenly filled his ears. Thinking that a commlink had been activated accidentally, he turned back to the conference table. He moved from chair to chair, listening intently. After a couple of moments of silence, he chuckled in the realization that it was just his imagination.

He turned to the door again and paused when a male voice filled his ears, speaking within a foreboding tone. "Beware of her, Garren. She is not coming here for diplomacy. Guard your heart and watch your steps carefully..."