Leaving, so Soon™?

[Akio Kahoshi]

How long had Akio been in this Otherworld inhabited by the dead? Too long. Long enough. He had visited with his ancestors, spoken with Imperials of old, and learned of many ancient secrets long forgotten.

More importantly he had learned of a potential future.

While the chaotic nature of the place had chaffed against his Imperialistic mind, Akio had decided not to attempt a reorganization of the place. At last not now. Instead he decided that he would be better off helping his people on the other side. Seemingly an impossible task, until recently.

Following a stream of other, more panicked, souls the late Atrisian Emperor stepped through a portal and found him self on a world that seemed vaguely familiar. Before he could determine which, he was overwhelmed by rage like he had never felt before. All consuming and demanding one thing: blood.

A task made somewhat more difficult due to the fact that he was still wearing the ceremonial robes and feathered fan of his position that he had been wearing at the time of the explosion.

No matter, he had been trained as Yovshin Swordsman since birth. One technique was that adaptation of sword forms to bare handed combat. Consumed by rage, yet letting none of the anger show, Akio's arm slashed out and to the side striking an individual who had just exited the portal in the throat, crushing it.

As Akio watched the man slowly die, a deep breath left the Emperor and the rage with it. "Your death will not be a meaningless one," he told the dying man. "You give your life this time for a greater cause."

Watching his step, and deflecting the occasional attack, Akio made his way through the other recently revived in the middle of tearing each other apart. Once clear, he looked to the sky. It was dark, but he could see where the sky was brighter. The light of a city.

After so long away from the Galaxy, his sense of time was no longer accurate. But eventually he reached the city. Seeing the style of the buildings, he finally recognized the planet as Alderaan, though the scenery seemed a bit worse for wear. Apparently he had missed some excitement in the other world.

His garb caught a few curious expressions, but they were ignored as Akio sought out a public holonet terminal. Finally locating one, he entered a very specific code. Nothing significant seemed to happen, but he knew from the display it had worked. A special code, programmed into the holonet receivers back on Atrisia, that would immediately send his location and an emergency call to the nearest Atrisian asset. One requesting the emergency evacuation of the Atrisian Emperor.

[member="Bottlecap"]

 

[Beowoof]

Lies.

There was no Empire. The Last True Empire had fallen ages ago. The following had only been mere echoes of what had once been a promise of order, peace, prosperity, and the right to remain uber-macho. Also, order.

There was certainly no Emperor. The One Sith went on their zealous cult killing sprees with little regard for anything sacred under the decree of some shadowy emperor few had ever seen. Foolish. The Last True Emperor had fallen ages ago. The tower had most certainly crushed him as its horrific collapse brought death to a people's hopes in one swift stroke.

That was the penalty for anarchy--lack of order. But at least it was an efficient way to take out a leader. Rasmus had to give the terrorists that much credit. Although it would have been cooler if they had gone at the Most Glorious Emperor with bared hands and chests like real action heroes.

There had been a disturbance on Alderaan, however. And with the buzzsawing of Corellia, not too much seemed off-the-wall these days. Maybe the Greatly Esteemed Emperor had had an heir hidden under everyone's nose. It was perhaps a little bit of a stretch, but this code was not just any code. Only a few of the higher ranks were supposed to have knowledge of such a digital key.

Well, it seemed as if no True Empire was rising from the graves these days. Might as well respond and get on the way. True Empires are not something one sees everyday, so some proactivity never hurt. A wild bantha chase could not possibly delay the return of a True Empire any longer than just sitting on a plastic bum all day.

And so Rasmus "Bottlecap" Bridjek took a transport decorated in very Atrisian designs to the Wonderful World of Alderaan.

[member="Akio Kahoshi"]

 

[Akio Kahoshi]

The outskirts of the city Akio was in were certainly not the most reputable of places on the planet. Some would probably be shocked that the glorious Alderaan had slums, but Akio knew that a planet without slums in some form did not exist. Even on Atrisia, though he still strove to make them as crime free as possible.

Standing and waiting as he was, he continued to draw attention. An Atrisian im such expensive looking robes would certainly be out of place, and probably a seemingly good mark as well. That he did not have to defend himself probably spoke volumes about what the residents had been going through as of late. Despite confirmation that the planet was under Republic control things were tense. As it were, when someone got to curious he simply leveled his gaze toward them and they scampered off.

He did not expect his luck to last, but that was when he spotted the shuttle that was unmistakably Atrisian. Stepping forward to the edge of an open area, he folded his arms behind his back and watched and waited for it to land.

[member="Bottlecap"]

 

[Beowoof]

Bottlecap had the urge to wear his Stormtrooper helmet once again as this was the first 'mission' he had taken in ages. He was starting to get a little old for a buckethead, for sure. But even as one may remove the man from the plastic, one can not remove the plastic from the man.

But he had to choose a biker helmet instead. People around here were not too fond of anything 'Imperial' these days. Little did they realize that the Republic was just the tip of a toe away from becoming imperial by its own right back when TK-4441 was in the Empire's service on the battlefields. Atrisia had seen its fleeting glory quashed--temporarily, of course--while the Republic had gone on some crusade to conquer the galaxy.

But at least they were not Sith. The One True Empire had understood the importance of keeping such monsters away, even if it did have an Inquisition that Bottlecap still did not know about other than the fact that there was such an organization at one point in his time as a soldier of Atrisia. Whatever it was seemed to have kept any holy Jedi or those disgusting Sith types out. Rasmus sighed at his own folly of having unknowingly assisted in the Sith slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocents on Alderaan--the very planet he was setting foot on just now.

As he stepped off the transport, the eternally-helmeted Bottlecap's perceptive eyes scanned the crowds not long before he spotted that On True Goatee. "Damn," he remarked under his breath as he slowly made his way towards the decked-out man who looked far too much alike to the One True Emperor.

He hoped his salute was not premature. "Sir?"

[member="Akio Kahoshi"]

 

[Akio Kahoshi]

While the man was not dressed as a stormtrooper, his mannerisms were obvious to a man who had spent his life in the Atrisian Navy. The surprise barely evident, and more felt than seen, was also not unexpected. Outside of lenends and myths, Emperors rarely came back from the dead. Especially deaths as spectacular as his. While he did not remember the explosion per say, it was easy to deduce what had happened from the memories of the other explosions held in his last memories.

Stepping forward his blue eyes seemed to look through the man, and sensing no obvious hostility Akio gave a small bow of his head to acknowledge the salute. "Come along soldier, no time to dawdle. There is much work to be done at home and less time to do it in."

With the confidence only a ruler could have, Akio stepped past and boarded the ship. It was by no means as fancy as the proper Emperor's shuttles were, but he found that comforting. Akio had been an Admiral before an Emperor, and he had never quite left the military behind.

After the trooper had boarded as well, Akio considered him again. "What is your designation trooper?"

[member="Bottlecap"]

 

[Beowoof]

Holy frak. It really did sound like the True Emperor. Not that clones were out of the question, since that just so happened to be the very origins of the Stormtrooper legions before it just became too implausible to maintain a standing galactic army through such methods. Also, everyone and their mother-in-law was cloning themselves these days. Nevertheless, Bottlecap was fairly certain he was not dealing with a genetically engineered life. Clones may grow into biological dopplegangers of their person, but that does not mean they become that person. This man knew who he was, and he was Emperor of the One True Empire.

So Bottlecap re-pledged his allegiance on the spot. The Emperor had returned!

"TK-4441 is my designation, Milord." He saluted his leader, then immediately ordered the ship's pilot to lift off the ship.

[member="Akio Kahoshi"]

 

[Akio Kahoshi]

After the shuttle began lift off, the Emperor watched the stormtrooper who had come to his aid. A memory of lists of personnel he had sifted through many years prior. "That designation sounds familiar. Were you part of the forces that joined from the Galactic Imperium?"

That had been a turbulent time for sure, and had been the start of the rise from Atrisian Empire to Galactic Empire. Of course now he knew it had been a lofty goal to try and restore the Empire so quickly. Akio had not given up the dream of seeing a Galaxy once again under Imperial rule, but he could never do so by himself. Which was not to say he would have no hand in it.

"Let us return home. There is much that needs to be done, and I may yet have need of your services." TK-4441 had proven to be loyal by heeding a call that, admittedly, should never have been received. Loyalty was always in too short of supply. It would be needed even more soon. His ideas would likely prove... unpopular.

But that was for later.

[member="Bottlecap"]

 

[Beowoof]

"Yes, Milord! I served the Galactic Imperium, but I served the True Empire as soon as I could." That was fact.

Could this be the dawn of the resurgence of the One True Empire? If the veteran trooper standing near the Emperor had any hope left in his plastic body, it was for him to see the rise of one final and lasting Empire that he could be proud to take part in bringing to its authority. He was fairly certain he had only one more Empire that he could serve, but this was the best shot. He believe in this Emperor--the one who had actually pursued the end that he had promised. The rest were fools; nonexistent and pitiful in drive. His plastic heart had been smashed more than a few times.

But experience proved truth. And that was that this was indeed the One True Emperor, back from the dead or someplace distant. If that did not demand some form of respect and awe, then what did? "It's a wonderful day to be back in the Empire's service."

The shuttle exited the atmosphere and angled itself towards its hyperspace entry point, then blasted onwards to whatever coordinates the One True Emperor had defined.

[member="Akio Kahoshi"]