The shuttle emerged from hyperspace, cutting through the inky darkness toward the glittering orb ahead. Even from the limiting sight of the viewport she could see the familiar Star Destroyers and support craft in high orbit that form the bulk of the blockade. It did not instill in her the sense of safety and security that she knew it should. Instead it felt like passing through the walls of a prison cell; and the moment the shuttle passed through she could feel the door slamming behind them. Her trip to the Core had been a vacation by comparison, and even though she had been hard at work it had not been unpleasant. Any situation spent with Vissica was a joy regardless of the circumstances.

And now she was back. Returned to her post. Coronet. The city grew in the viewport as they approached, and she was sickened by the sight. This was her prison of concrete and steel. The unwinnable battlefield for the hearts and souls of Corellia. Down there a small group of people hated the Empire; hated her. They would stop at nothing to destroy their enemy. They had already proven that when they dropped that Star Destroyer into the city. The Destroyer was gone but the scar still remained. A cut through the Industrial District; a massive trail of calamity. It was being cleared; stone by stone, but it would be years before it was all put back together.

But that damage was only superficial. The real damage was hidden below the surface. An open would in the minds of the people. They had done this to themselves, and they would never trust each other again. It was her duty to root out this great evil and win back the people. Or die trying.

They landed at the Garrison in short order. The landing ramp lowered to reveal the glowering face of Sergeant Wendal waiting for her. His usually impeccably clean white plastoid armor was dirtied. His black shoulder guard was grayed with carbon scoring. There was a sleepless paranoia in his eyes that was haunting to see in the face of the storied commandeer of the Raven Guard.

"Knight Sturkov. We have a situation."

"By the force, Wendal. I was only gone for a week. What has happened?"

"We lost one of the Destroyer reactor cores. It was being transported to Tyrena when it was ambushed and taken."

"How could you-." She stopped herself, rubbing her forehead in a worthless attempt to dispel the headache that was already bubbling up. The how was not important. "Do we know who took it? The Kingsmen? Shadowcel?"

"The Ascendant."

"The Ascendant, operating outside of the city? Come now, Wendal. Are you sure it wasn't a false flag?"

"Bane sent us a holo taking responsibility for the attack. He says he's going to turn it into a bomb, and detonate it within the city."

"I need to see that holo. We must find them first and, well, I don't know. I guess we should get a team together. This is an entirely different kind of threat. We have any experts on hand?"

"I've put together a few thinking heads but not many have ever had to deal with a radioactive threat. I've requested assistance from command. The only thing they could send on such short notice was one Goran Dala. A Rad-Trooper."

"Just one? Well, that should be interesting. Let me know when he arrives."