Novgorod

[Meiers Brecklin]

22 years previous...

His office was not littered with the normal clutter one would associate with a man of his rank. In fact, it was very nearly stripped of any non-essential items save a desk, a few chairs, and a small munitions crate that'd been turned over to serve as a makeshift side-table. The only bit of any extraneous decoration was a bottle of corellian whisky and two tumblers, all of which rested on the aforementioned 'table'.

There was no clutter upon the desk, rather two datapads and a small holo-projector. Even the chairs looked to've been gutted from a speeder - which they were. It was a luxury speeder; he'd made sure of that at least. What little General Brecklin allowed himself in the way of comfort could all be seen in his office.

The small base that he oversaw was nothing more that a dugout, really. Carved into an asteroid, the rebels had had a time of installing grav and atmospheric generators, but their efforts were not carried out in vain. The base they had come to call 'home' was a staging area, the asteroid itself housing a dry-dock of sorts that had been constructed to hold one of the Alliance's newer acquisitions.

Brecklin, given the task of overseeing the project, had also been given further orders, but those he was not to act upon until the time to launch had fully approached.

It had taken many long months, but that time had finally come, and now the General only had to sit and wait. His request had been sent through the proper, secure channels, and the recipient notified by the Alliance's core group of emerging leaders to rendezvous with the contingent on asteroid 38-ku-3 for a new mission.

Brecklin knew that the news he was to deliver would be unexpected, and he took a small bit of amusement from that knowledge as he rose, striding to the upended munitions crate and taking up the whisky and tumblers. Idly he wondered if the man, Dan, would bring the Jedi woman with him. He'd heard the mess hall chatter and rumormill, but wasn't sure if he believed any of it. After the Purge, word had it that most if not all the Jedi had been wiped out, and if any had survived, they'd limped away to hide and keep out of the Empire's reach. Not that he could really blame them if that were the case.

"Sir?"

A short man with close-cropped red hair poked his head into the General's office, and Brecklin gave the man a glance from over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Shuttle docking now."

"Good. Care for escort duty?"

The redhead gave a laugh as he turned about. "Sure thing, General."

[General Dan]

Things could still be counted on to be mum, that was certain.

Dan didn't have details on the plan, only that the right people said there was one. That's all it took. Of course, he had no experience with General Brecklin. He was a General, which in the fledgling world of the Alliance meant little. Any wise guy with enough of a following could give themselves that moniker. Hell, that's how he'd gotten it at least. The title was only part of it. You went with sage advice from close people you respected. Dan had good words given to him, so that's all it took.

He eased the shuttle down to a resting point on the crater-blasted asteroid, looking at the assorted rabble and clutter all around. It was still decidedly more amateur than anything the Empire was doing, but the Rebels were learning by doing, and were now capable of bigger and better things.

Dan glanced to his passenger.

"We left Ithor for this dirtball? I hope for a good reason."

[s'Il]

Eyes closed, s'Il was still trying to visualize the forested beauty that they'd had to leave behind. It also helped to alleviate the sinking feeling in her stomach that seemed to always accompany her during space travel. Hyperspace wasn't so bad, but otherwise she found it unnerving. Uncomfortable though it was, the Lupine knew that it was inevitable, and so she stoically endured; only a few times had she vocalized her protestations at having to fly.

Of course, she'd very nearly balked at having to accompany Dan with the knowledge that they'd be passing through an asteroid field, but it seemed the man could be persuasive at times, and s'Il grudgingly agreed.

She made a face, her eyes still closed.

"I would've been just as happy to stay behind... "

Her good eye peeked open and she ventured a slitted stare at their surroundings before closing both eyes tightly shut once more.

"... instead of following you to some molly-hocked asteroid."

She fumbled with her crash-straps, fingers blindly unbuckling the latches before she turned in the seat to face him. Both eyes opened to regard him then.

"You had your orders. I however was bribed to come along."

[General Dan]

"Well, I'm not saying I'm above bribery."

Dan rose from his seat, and paused, making a face.

"Gravity feel a little light to you?"

Figures, the gravs they installed didn't quite seem to be zeroed. Dan hopped lightly, lifting imperceptibly higher than he should have.

"Oh well. I'm sure they've got some wood alcohol and a view."

[s'Il]

The Lupine gave a small shudder at his mention of wood alcohol. She'd ventured a few tastes when offered, but never made it past the first sip. Consequently, s'Il was always sure to stock herself with enough of her own native spirits to last her between the trips Dan took her on to Schwartzweld.

Rising from her seat, she awkwardly shoved her way past him... he was right, the grav generators were a bit wonky, and it took a few seconds to steady herself.

"Sometimes I wonder if you threaten to drink that horrid gutrot just because you know I've got better options with me on hand."

The Lupine grumbled as she continued her way to the back of the shuttle and the slowly descending boarding ramp.

"One of these days I'm not going to fall for your little sideways act, then you'll have to drink that awful swill."

Who was she kidding? She knew he could always manage to beg himself a shared decantur, and he knew it too. Ever since Zem had left, s'Il had found at least a small bit of solace in allowing Dan to share a drink or two with her.

[General Dan]

"I hope you're not taking my words in anything less than jest. That stuff will make you blind."

He winked at her as they walked forward. All around was the bustle of activity. The Rebels were hard at work to make this little staging ground into a serious installation. Dan paused in front of what looked to be the welcoming committee.

"General Brecklin's liason?"

When he was given the affirmative nod, he smiled. Good. He wanted to get right to the heart of the matter.

[Meiers Brecklin]

The redhead - Kes - smiled an easy smile while nodding to Dan. His eyes went to the woman, idly wondering if this was indeed the Jedi that he'd heard a few of the transferred commandos talk about during their short stays. She was quiet enough, and the scar through her eye made him pause before once more looking to Dan.

"Not really confounded enough out here to rest on formalities and titles," he started, extending a hand to his fellow Rebel, "... so just call me Kes."

[General Dan]

For once, Dan was relieved to do without the requisite military pomp, admiring the junior officer's boldness.

"Kes, I'm Dan. This is my associate, Lok s'Ilancy. I trust our little rock in space has systems running better than the gravs at least?"

They walked together at a brisk pace, Dan not caring to waste any time, and Kes seemed to glean the senior officer's desire for expedience.

[Meiers Brecklin]

Kes gave a laugh at that.

"Yeah, the gravs aren't the best; bought them from some junk peddler out in the midrim, shipped them here, and patched them up as best we could. Still, we're getting better at what we do."

He gave a cryptic grin then to Dan, and continued to lead during the short trek to Brecklin's 'office'. Around a few winding turns, up a small lift, and down a narrow corridor they went until a single door was all that stood at the end of the hall. It was still closed, and as they neared the young rebel reached out, his hand closing around an old-style knob and giving it a turn. At least the hinges had been oiled, as they didn't make a sound when the door was opened.

Standing to the side, Kes motioned for the two to enter. He would not be joining them as his orders did not extend so far. Rather, he turned about and headed back the way he'd come, his step just a little lighter than it would've normally been planetside.



Glowpanels illuminated the interior, and General Brecklin looked up from the datapad he'd been studying as Dan and the young woman stepped inside, and without ceremony rose to his feet.

"Dan," he smiled genially.

[General Dan]

"General Brecklin."

He nodded, extending his hand.

"This is my associate, Lok s'Ilancy. Got the message for a rendezvous, and had just enough time to pack a sonic brush. I cleared six sectors to get here, so I'm keen to know exactly what we're scheming."

[Meiers Brecklin]

Brecklin gave a cursory shake of his head as he bade his guests to sit, and lowering himself into his seat he leaned back.

"Keen as you may be, there are matters which must first be addressed."

The General turned his gaze to the woman, and he blinked. She didn't much look like a Jedi; to be honest she looked about like a third-world straggler wearing fatigues and sporting damaged real-estate. Brecklin knew better than to make any such presumption however, and afforded her a polite nod.

"A comforting thing to see a Jedi among us. Most of what's left of you folk aren't moving around much anymore and I can't say's I blame them."

[s'Il]

s'Il gave a courteous nod, unsure of how to respond. She was more than aware that her attire was not entirely in keeping with how people saw the Jedi, but those were in the days before the Purge. Times had changed drastically, and the Lupine took at least some solace in the sabre nestled in its' sheath on her belt. At least the ever present companion and weapon of the Jedi was still a constant.

"A sad truth."

It was all she could think of to say.

[Meiers Brecklin]

"Mmm, indeed."

The General nodded in understanding, and he looked to Dan once more while reaching out to pull the stopper from the decantur of whisky. Filling both tumblers halfway, he pulled a third glass from one of the desk's drawers and filled it as well.

"Enough dreary thoughts however," he gestured to the tumblers, "have a drink."

Brecklin gave Dan a coy smile as he raised his own glass to his lips.

"Seems the higher-ups have enough faith in you to give you an official command."

[General Dan]

Dan accepted the whisky, swirling it gently in the tumbler before taking a drink.

"You almost make it sound like we're in an actual military."

He grinned at the sort of self deprication that came from fighting a war from the grass roots.

[Meiers Brecklin]

Brecklin shrugged. "It is what it is."

Any other time he'd have preferred to avoid the complications brought on by an organized military, but there was at least a semblance of underlying simplicity that formed the framework, and that simplicity came from the men who'd been in from the beginning and knew the core reasons of why they fought. Men like Dan, Bail Organa, Captain Antilles, even himself. There were many more who had been present since the first shot was fired, and now they were the ones that'd taken the cobbled resistance pockets and formed them into the Rebellion.

And they were growing. It was a necessary thing to organize; to shape a military from raw, uncut, and unreserved desire for justice to be served.

These were those first few steps outside of brute force tactics that so easily allowed them to overtake the outer-rim planets and wrest the Empire away. But, if they were to drive deeper into the heart of the beast they had to become more than what they were now.

"You and I both know we can't continue on in this manner. Any hope we have is dependent on rising up to meet the Empire blow for blow."

[General Dan]

"It's inevitable." Dan conceded as he nodded.

"Having a deep space rally point is something we need to force a real presence in open space combat. I imagine that's where you are thinking about venturing now."

[Meiers Brecklin]

There was a smile at that, and the General took another sip.

"Oh, a rally point is certainly useful, but that's not what this is. Here, we're just a cobbled together, glorified drydock in the absolute loosest sense of the word."

[General Dan]

Dan took another drink.

"Fair enough. What did you have in mind?"

He wanted some sort of insight into Brecklin's larger view of the war.

[Meiers Brecklin]

"It's time we pushed against the front with more than simple dropships and commandos, and whatever suppliers we have aren't in any state to be refit for combat. We have fighters it's true, but nothing to adequately carry them while holding their own."

He set his tumbler down on the desk's surface.

"We need warships, plain and simple. Large enough to stand against capital ships. We're not quite at that stage it's true, but we're getting closer with each step forward we take.

"Your new command - your new ship - is one of those steps."

[General Dan]

"A new ship?"

This caused Dan to pause.

"What sort of ship?"

It was true, what Brecklin said. Until now, they had been nothing more than guerrillas ferrying around in whatever was spaceworthy.