Sarcasm is the best Medicine (Palinsa)

[Alexia Sturkov]

"And you expect me to do what with her exactly?"

"Show her the ropes. She's green. Very green. Hammer her into something with value."

"But why Corellia? This is a warzone."

"What better a place to test the mettle of a new warrior than war? I hope there will be no real objections."

"No, of course not. I will see to her."

"And Sturkov, she better not die while she's there. I will find out if you kill her."

---

The Imperial Coronet Headquarters was a constant buzz of activity. Soldiers coming in the front door to deliver reports, and officers running all around trying to put together intel, communicate with their legions, and otherwise facilitate the massive war effort that was mobilizing across the surface Corellia, and it's system beyond. Every day more supplies and soldiers arrived. Like feeding a giant, the Imperial war machine was growing bigger and stronger with the hopes of finally crushing the persistent rebellion.

All efforts to repair the city were grinding to a halt as Imperial forces were constantly ambushed and assassinated in the fields. The rebellion was forcing their hands, making them fire back. Forcing them to search the city home to home until the rebellion, like a cancer, was found and rooted out. They hid in plain clothes, waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. Cowards. They grew in power alongside the Empire. They recruited more to their cause every day, and no doubt have help from outside the system from the Alliance and others. There were others in the streets. Dangerous forces that wanted only chaos.

And now, despite all those incredible obstacles and dangers, she had a green recruit to babysit. Atrapes was punishing her. He must be. First he sent her to this horrible planet to wage an unwinnable war, was constantly calling Vissica back to the Core, and now was saddling her with a runt. It was infuriating. More so because Atrapes knew that she would try to get the runt killed one way or another. She wouldn't do it herself, but she was not beyond tossing her into a foxhole full of enemy combatants. Now she was stuck with the rookie, and there was no way out but to swallow the pill she had been given.

The landing pad on top of the Headquarters was large enough to permit a Lambda. The rooftop had been reinforced, was surrounded by sandbag and durasteel barriers, and had snipers and watchmen on constant watch. The Empress forbid an enemy sniper get in a position to threaten them. The day that happened was the day this war was lost. Standing at the edge of the pad, arms crossed against her black armor and blue robes, Imperial Knight Alexia Sturkov waited for her charge to arrive.

Her boot tapped impatiently.