"When did they come into the Endor system?" General Leia Organa asked.

Around the holotable stood her most trusted advisers, including the Resistance's best pilot Poe Dameron. The information they had received was both astonishing and a top priority to be discussed for the good of their cause.

Poe looked over to General Organa. “They came out of hyperspace a few weeks ago. Our scout reports indicate that they have interacted with the First Order, and according to our interceptions of First Order communications, the Imperial commander has been identified as Admiral Garren Prolov."

A few gasps arose from those around the holotable. General Organa leaned in closer to view the information. "The Butcher of the Outer Rim has returned."

Dameron nodded. "It appears so. Along with his entire fleet of star destroyers. Should we consider a preemptive strike, General?"

General Organa shook her head. "No. We mustn’t be so quick to act. The Senate is still unconvinced of the threat posed by the First Order. If we strike first, we would be easily construed as the aggressors."

Dameron looked away for a moment, letting out a sigh. "So, we just sit here and do nothing while they gather strength? With all due respect, General, this isn’t like you."

Leia glared at Poe for a moment before responding to the cocky young pilot. “Admiral Prolov was no threat to the main forces of the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War."

Poe raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid I don’t follow you, General. I thought you were adamantly opposed to the Empire.”

“To the Empire, yes,” Leia replied. “But Prolov was different.”

Poe shook his head. “Different? How so?”

Leia wasted no time delivering the next verbal blow to Poe’s egotistical inquiry. “He did us all a favor during the war.”

Dameron shot her a look indicating he was confused by her statement. "Did you a favor? How can that be, General?"

General Organa looked away momentarily, drawing in a breath before responding. "A pair of twin brothers who were members of House Jerek on Maruun III took their hatred of the Empire too far. They began targeting the families of Imperial officers. It was a sadistic pleasure for them. They were so disgusting that even a brutal mercenary like Saw Guerrera condemned them. Admiral Prolov’s wife and unborn daughter were victims of the Jerek brother’s rage."

Her words seem to strike Dameron personally. "Targeting civilians goes against everything we stand for."

General Organa nodded with a soft smile spreading across her face. "And as long as I am in charge of the Resistance, anyone under my command will refrain from targeting civilians, or I will see to it personally that they face severe consequences."

"Our scouts reported that Prolov has come to the aid of the First Order," Dameron stated. He looked around the table. "He eliminated forces surrounding Captain Phasma’s stormtroopers on Geneel. What are we to make of this?"

Admiral Ackbar cleared his throat before speaking. "It is a cleverly disguised deception. The First Order was testing Prolov’s resolve."

“Perhaps they are testing ours as well,” a gruff voice said from the shadows.

All eyes turned to watch a tall, athletically built man with military-regulation cut silver hair step into the light. His pale green eyes accentuated a vertical scar from just above his left eye to the corner of his mouth.

“You all know I served as a TIE pilot in Prolov’s fighter wing during the days of the Empire,” Colonel Tyron Veraan said. His rugged face maintained its stern expression as he continued speaking. “And I can assure you the Admiral is testing the First Order just as much as they are testing us. They want us to make the first move, and our esteemed friend, Admiral Garren Prolov, is the bait.”

Six months prior, Veraan and his wingman, Lieutenant Arnal Corteel, overpowered the flight crew of the newly commissioned Ravage-class assault shuttle to defect to the Resistance. After marooning the flight crew on a remote world, they set off to locate General Organa and offer their services.

They had become trusted and valuable X-Wing pilots, bringing much-needed intelligence operations to the fledging Resistance. Organa and her fellow leaders found the data within the computer banks on the assault shuttle to be of substantial aid to their cause.

“Yes, I remained faithful to the Empire and chose to serve with the First Order under the guise that they would build something better,” Veraan continued. “Until Corteel and I got a whiff of what Snoke was building in the Unknown Regions.”

Dameron’s jaw dropped. “Ah, I remember now. You mentioned something about the gates shortly after you defected. What can you tell us about them?”

“They are based on old Imperial technology. The Emperor commissioned the design of dimensional gates intended for the immediate deployment of his forces against targeted systems,” Veraan replied in his rumbling voice. “They were designed to launch instantaneous attacks without relying on hyperspace. Without wasting time on preparations and conversing long distances, Imperial forces could take their enemies by complete surprise.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Leia raised an eyebrow. “If they were that valuable to the Empire's military endeavors, why did Alliance spies within the Empire report they were suddenly abandoned?”

Veraan’s features seemed to lighten a bit. “Because they were an utter failure.”

“An outrageous discrepancy,” Admiral Ackbar firmly stated. “Alliance spies reported the gates were functional in their experimental period. How do you account for those findings, Colonel Veraan?”

Veraan exhaled and looked around at the others in attendance. “I was there, Admiral, when the gates were initially tested. I was assigned to a fighter patrol in that particular sector of space. The pair of star destroyers emerged from the gates as planned but were misshapen. What’s more, their scant crews were also deformed. Some were fused to the ship itself. I witnessed myself as my patrol being ordered to examine the hangar bays and fighter wing barracks.” He paused and shuddered before continuing. “What stands out to me the most were the solid black eyes of the survivors.”

Leia closed her eyes and turned away momentarily, reaching out with the Force to a brother who had long vanished. Instead of the soft features of her brother Luke, a dark vision flashed in her mind’s eye. A sinister evil reached out to her from within a shadowed region of space.

“General, are you okay?” Poe asked. He placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a warm smile.

“I’m fine,” she said in a motherly tone and patted his hand. “It’s nothing. We have more important issues at hand.”

Poe nodded and turned his attention back to Veraan. “Perhaps the former Emperor saw something within the gates that drew his interest.”

Veraan shrugged. “That’s my assessment as well. Admiral Prolov contributed substantial amounts of information during the research and development of the gates. He also destroyed them when what lay beyond them became apparent, bringing us to the here and now. The First Order has resurrected this project for the same purposes, including whatever lurks in the dimension between the gates.”

“It’s Snoke,” Leia said. “He wants to connect with whatever is hiding within the gates. “He sees some benefit by opening to the darkness.”

“Snap Wexley’s latest intelligence report indicates that First Order also has interests in Maruun III,” Poe added. “It must have some connection, or else they wouldn’t have engaged in military action.”

“Wexley’s report also indicated that First Order stormtroopers were operating with mercenaries dressed in tan military fatigues,” Admiral Ackbar stated in his raspy voice. “We have also lost contact with Captain Daryn Jerek, who is presumed dead according to Wexley.”

“Jerek?”, Veraan gasped. “He is Commander Sven Jerek’s father. The younger Jerek not only serves the First Order but also oversees the new gate project.”

“And he’s the nephew and protégé of the Jerek twins, who were the younger brothers of Daryn Jerek,” Leia said with a frown. “With House Jerek under his control, he has free reign to use all of Maruun III’s resources for the gate project. But why are they relying on mercenaries to fill their ranks? And how does that relate to the gates?”

“From what Corteel and I saw before we defected, they are conscripting able adults and sending them through the gates in smaller craft, such as the new Ravage-class shuttles,” Veraan replied blankly. “It expedites the recruitment processes and covers their regular recruitment activities. And no one outside of the First Order is none the wiser.”

Leia shook her head. “Snoke and Jerek are fools if they think their efforts will prove to be a benefit in the long run. They are exposing the galaxy to a threat more dangerous than the Empire or the Sith.”

Poe gestured. “So, what is our course of action? We don’t have the resources or New Republic support to launch an assault on Maruun III. We can’t strike at Prolov’s fleet either without coming across as the aggressors and facing repercussions from our leadership.”

“We could launch a strike at the gates,” Veraan said. He paused when he noticed the curious stares cast at him. He shrugged. “Not a large-scale strike. Just enough to stall their use for now.”

“We have to know what we are up against first,” Leia countered. She looked over to Veraan. “You tried to tell us about the gates when you first defected, but we didn’t listen. We should have listened to you, Colonel.”

“No worries General,” Veraan replied as he pressed a button. A large holographic map of the galaxy. He adjusted the map to outline the shaded quadrant of the Unknown Regions. A subsection of the map suddenly brightened. He pointed to a sector just beyond the border of known space. “The First Order High Command shut down construction of a small shipyard in this sector. This is the last reported coordinates of the gates in this region of space. Unfortunately, I do not know the whereabouts of the second set of gates.”

Ackbar turned his head towards Veraan. “Colonel, what do these gates look like? They must be rather large to accommodate a fleet of ships.”

“On the contrary, each of the four components is no larger than one of our X-wing fighters,” Veraan replied. “The reason being they can be easily concealed. Their positions can be adjusted to allow ships and attack groups of all sizes to traverse them.”

Poe snapped his fingers. “I recommend we take eight fighters to knock these things out.” He gestured towards Veraan. “You and Corteel will join us. We go in, strike hard, and then high tail it back home.”

Leia held up her hand. “What about defenses, Commander Dameron? Are you sure eight fighters will be enough?”

“General, as far as I remember, the defenses are light.”, Veraan added. “I don’t know why, but Supreme Leader Snoke never assigned any star destroyers or other forces to guard them. And I don’t know about TIEs or point-defense turrets. However, I’m sure there will be a few to contend with.”

Poe glanced at General Organa and Veraan. “We can handle it.” He patted Veraan on the shoulder. “We have the best of both worlds flying with us, right?”

“My ego won’t allow me to say anything less,” Veraan said with a smirk.

Leia nodded and turned her attention to Veraan. “Good luck to you all. Go and prepare for the mission.”

In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Poe quickly walking away.

“Commander,” she demanded with a firm tone. “Can we have a word?”

Poe paused in mid-step and turned on his heels. “Yes, General.”

Leia waited for the room to clear before turning back to Poe. “Be careful out there. We can’t afford to lose you. In and out as fast as possible. No exceptions.”

“You’ll know I’ll do my best,” Poe replied, lightly patting Leia on the shoulder.

Leia nodded. “Poe this must be done carefully. We are taking a tremendous risk with this. And I need you to promise me something before you go.”

“Sure thing,” Poe said. “Whatever you wish.”

Leia’s expression became a mask of firmness. “Be a leader, not a hero. Understand me, Commander?”

“You got it, General,” he replied before turning towards the corridor leading to the pilot’s barracks.

She watched him walk away. A sudden uneasiness welled within her as thoughts of the upcoming mission raced in her mind.

She reached out with the Force again, hoping for the slightest connection with her missing brother while thinking, Luke, we need you now more than ever…