WILHUFF TARKIN

Admiral Tarkin stood on the bridge of his Imperial flagship, the Destructor. Without even batting an eye, he watched the ship disengaged lightspeed and come back into realspace and time. It was often dizzying to watch, but he was a seasoned military officer and had become quite used to it over the years.

As they approached the Cial system and its sole planet, which was orbited by three moons and an asteroid field, Captain Jenevan ran over to him, carrying three datapads. He was out of breath, as if he had just run from across the ship.

He awkwardly transferred the two pads he was holding in one gloved hand to his other one, and saluted stiffly when his hand was free. “Sir!”

“Yes Captain, what is it?” Tarkin turned him a skeptical eye.

“Sir, we’ve picked up an anomaly with the ship’s scanners.” Jenevan handed him one of the datapads.

As the admiral looked at the report and the visuals, his captain continued. “We’ve never seen anything like it. It’s almost as if there is some kind of shield down on the planet’s surface, but it displays none of the usual characteristics. It has no power source, and the visual scanners were the only reason we actually caught it.”

“Our analysis team is stumped. We don’t know if it’s…” Tarkin nodded slightly, indicating that he should proceed with what he wanted to say. “We don’t know if it’s a unique phenomenon related to the planet’s geology or its orbit, or something else entirely.”

“Very well,” his admiral said dryly. He knew that there were a variety of explanations for this. There were measures –either intentional or not – that could be taken to fool scanners. Fog, for example, would sometimes do the trick. And so could natural hot springs at the right temperatures. It could be anything really.

“I think, sir, that it would be wisest to send out the probes to make sure that nothing is happening down on the planet’s surface.”

Tarkin’s head snapped up. “What? Are you saying that we should be cowardly and hide while we send out reconnaissance? No! If it is one of the illegal unchartered settlements then we have no reason to fear! The might of the Empire is stronger than any flyspeck of a town! Do you understand me, Captain Jenevan?”

“Y-yes, sir,” the poor captain said, gulping audibly. He almost pitied the man, for a moment. But there was no room for weakness when Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin was in command!

“Now get back to your duties.”

“Um, sir, if… if I may, there is a power source somewhere on the planet.” So the man had the audacity to speak to him after being dismissed by his commanding officer? Now there was nothing saving his sorry hide from being court-martialed!

Tarkin pinched the bridge of his nose. “And why, captain, did you not say something before?”

“Sorry, sir. The power source isn’t related to the shield, though, and that is what worries me.” The man was beginning to recover some of his confidence again.

“Fine, fine, then. Send out the probes. If even the slightest thing shows up on their scopes, send a squad out and alert me immediately.” The man bowed slightly, but before he could leave, the admiral wanted to show him one more time who was in charge. “And captain. Be aware that the only thing that is keeping you from being count-martialed is this information. Now leave.”

“Yes sir.” Then the man scurried away.