Danik Kreldin
From SW1ki
| |
| Danik Kreldin | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Homeworld | |
| Born |
40 BBY, Corellia |
| Died | |
| Physical description | |
| Species | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Height |
1.8m |
| Hair color |
Gray |
| Eye color |
Brown |
| Skin color |
White |
| Political information | |
| Affiliation | |
| Rank | |
| Known masters | |
| Position |
Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces, Select Committeeman |
| Station | |
| Callsign |
Nightmare of Athaniss |
Danik Kreldin (40 BBY—reported 15 ABY) was the Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire. He was a veteran of nearly forty years within the Old Republic and Imperial navies and the most decorated officer in Imperial history. His long and accomplished career ended in 15 ABY after attempting to remove Aleister Vadim from the Emperor's throne and was reported executed by COMPNOR. He left behind a legacy of war and destruction, responsible for the genocidal butchering of the Griffon people, the Chandrilan Massacre, the Dacan Pandemic, and the "Imperial revival of 14 ABY", which included the recapture of Coruscant in early 15 ABY.
At the end of his career, Kreldin was revered as one of the best pilots in the galaxy, achieving a kill count of five hundred seventy-eight with thousands of sorties. He became known as the Nightmare of Athaniss for his performance during the Imperial Civil War's Athaniss Campaign, a nickname that stuck with him through the end of his career. He was also a cunning military strategist and tactician, plotting many of the Empire's victories, including the vaunted Imperial Blitzkrieg. Despite popular belief, Kreldin was not a "member" of the Old Guard, a term coined for the cadre of high-ranking Imperial officers trained in Old Republic naval academies. While Kreldin did serve the Old Republic and fight in the Clone Wars, he was originally an enlisted man. He would receive a field promotion to lieutenant after a shortage of pilots struck the Republic early in the war.
Before ascending to the role of Supreme Commander, Kreldin was a High Admiral and one of several chief officers in the Imperial Navy. In 14 ABY he retired from active military duty and took up the role of military adviser to Darth Malign and the Imperial High Command. It was through this capacity that he engineered the Imperial Blitzkrieg and the downfall of the Republic. However, the political climate in the Empire changed overnight with the Battle of O'paal; a majority of Imperial High Command was eliminated in a single blow, raising concerns for a fragmentation of the Galactic Empire. Kreldin was chosen to assume control of the military to prevent just such a situation, securing his promotion to Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander.
Kreldin was also renown as the founder of the Black Stars squadron, the infamous Imperial fighter unit often regarded as the best of the best. His trademark was having his starfighters painted a crimson red, an unusual choice that stuck out within the battlefield. Beyond combat, Kreldin was also one of the best swoop racers in modern galactic history, consistently staying in the top tier of the G4 circuit, and was an ardent collector of weapons and other equipment.
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life (40 BBY–22 BBY)
Danik was born to Kennith and Tesera Kreldin on Corellia in 40 BBY. His early life saw him raised within the confines of the massive Kreldin Estate and in a wealthy, upper-class family, the heirs to the House of Kreldin, a family of Corellian nobility under the Corellian monarchy in the centuries prior. Their wealth was largely generated by the Sindahar Mining Corporation, founded by Johan Kreldin generations ago and from their status as past nobles, though the greedy hands of the Kreldin family could be found within other business interests throughout the Corellian sector, as well as in the government of Corellia itself.
Danik saw very little of his father. Kennith, considered the black sheep of the family at the time, joined the Republic Judicial Department after his failed campaign to become Senator of Corellia. When Danik was fortunate enough to see his father Kennith would tell the young boy stories of his adventures across the galaxy, flying aboard spaceships and starfighters and combating enemies of the Republic. Danik's interest in space flight grew from these stories. Nevertheless, Danik could not go with his father aboard these spaceships and join him, as much as he desired. Danik was focused on his studies by his mother, but with his mind to the stars, gazing off to the future and adventure, he severely slacked in his studies and his grades in school plummeted. Despite these poor grades, however, some keen observers in school realized Kreldin's potential, seeing a bright, complex mind behind all his thoughts of space travel and excitement. For instance, he was a champion Dejarik player in school, a talent he acquired while playing the game at home with his droid "friend."
As a young boy, Danik was regarded as compassionate yet distant; he often refrained from any serious friendships, other than with his droid. He was respected by fellow students at school, generally for his fair play with others and the bits of leadership he would often exert at recess; while he was not a bully, he did not refrain from imposing his will on other students so that daily recess would match his tastes. Above all, however, Danik was known as an avatar of justice. Even at an early age, Danik had a strong sense of justice and fair play, lessons taken from his father. He took inspiration from his idols, the Jedi, and in his mind he would often pretend to be one of the Jedi Knights, preserving the peace and enacting justice, saving the weak and fending off the strong. This would play itself at during recess; when noticing others being bullied or generally put down by others, Danik would not hesitate to intervene on behalf of the victim and set matters straight. While Danik was not physically imposing, his father had taught him all about bearing and attitude, and for the most part that was all it took for Danik's opponents to back off and leave the weaker alone. Other times it would simply result in a beating for young Danik. But, despite setbacks, Danik remained headstrong and adamant in his resolve, like his heroes.
While Danik could not see much of his father, his grandfather, Jarth Kreldin, finally introduced young Danik to the wonders of spaceflight, which, up to that point, had been but a distant dream for Danik. Bringing Danik aboard his private yacht, Jarth took Danik behind the controls and blasted off into space. Jarth gave lessons to Danik each day, and Danik slowly but surely learned. Eventually Jarth purchased a fully-functional Swoop for Danik and the young man took the opportunity to register himself for several races on Corellia. While he never won any tournament, he continued to hone his skills and vowed to one day win the championship.
Danik began to totally neglect his studies, spending time out in the "real world," as he put it, finding the strict confines of the Estate dull. He explored across Coronet City and beyond, familiarizing himself with the underworld that would one day in the future come in handy for him during the War of the Throne. He also flew his grandfather's private yacht virtually every day, back and forth between Corellia and her sister planets. On his sixteenth birthday, his grandfather allowed him to venture through hyperspace for the first time, traveling along the Corellian Trade Spine to Coruscant, his first visit to the planet. There Danik was finally able to meet his idols face-to-face for the first time: the Jedi Knights.
Danik tried to sneak into the Jedi Temple to catch his heroes at work, but he was caught before he made it past the first level. Nevertheless, Danik continued to admire the Jedi; what had been school yard roleplaying had become Danik's future goals. Even though he seemingly lacked any aptitude with the Force, Danik vowed to one day be a Knight. Justice would be preserved for all. Peace would be raining free across the galaxy. And Danik would be at the center of it all, no matter what. And no matter what it took. When he returned to Corellia, he vowed to begin putting his dream into motion. He signed up for the Judicial Department, using his father as a means to get a quick appointment. Although he couldn't be a Jedi yet, he would do his part in the galaxy and help preserve peace and justice for all. The Jedi would just have to wait.
However, the drums of war were beating, and the Clone Wars were just on the horizon.
[edit] Republic career (22 BBY–19 BBY)
At the age of eighteen, Kreldin enlisted for service in the Republic. He was assigned to a Judicial Department corvette months prior to the Battle of Geonosis after completion of basic training. This was an act on Kennith's behalf; purposefully assigning his son to a lesser post so to minimize the threat his son may face. Although Danik did not realize this, he did realize he was bored and that his ideals of fighting for justice and peace were perhaps a bit unrealistic. How would he ever become a Jedi at this rate? Worse yet he was not fighting alongside his heroes. Things would soon change for the young adventurer, however.
The charismatic Count Dooku and his Confederation of Independent Systems had more or less declared war upon the Republic on Geonosis and the Clone Wars were in full-swing. Kreldin was transferred over to the newly reformed Republic Navy and stationed aboard a new Acclamator-class assault ship, the Aken, just days prior to the battle. He was assigned to a turbolaser battery, having specialized in capital ship weaponry during basic training.
Finally, Danik hoped to prove his worth and do his part for the greater good; for the greater good of society, for the galaxy, and for the Republic. He would fight for justice, for peace, and the citizens of the Republic. He vowed to make a quick end for the war to ease everyone's suffering; to ensure justice would prevail. Almost all his wishes were coming true. He was now able to fight alongside his Jedi heroes and prove his worth. He was able to uphold his values and fight for justice. He was now able to experience the thrill and adventure he had been seeking ever since he was a child. All but one wish had come true so far: he was not in a starfighter. What good was he if he wasn't behind the yoke of a starfighter? Flying was his passion, not manning a battery. Alas, there was little idealistic Kreldin could do; as he was not an officer, he could not fly. He would just have to wait and hope fate would intervene.
At Geonosis, Kreldin was credited with downing two enemy fighters and scoring a critical hit aboard a Trade Federation Lucrehulk-class battleship. Still, Kreldin remained unenthused: his passion, as always, was flying. It would be several years before Kreldin could qualify to be an officer through an academy so that he may begin flight training. The war was raging, and he was still stuck at a battery.
He remained steadfast, however, confident that one day he would get his chance. From Geonosis to Alaris Prime, Kreldin shot down fourteen enemy fighters as a gunner and scored numerous damaging blows upon enemy capital ships. The Battle of Thule, however, would forever change Danik's destiny.
The Republic was brought to Thule to deliver the final blow in their campaign to destroy the Confederate superweapon, the Dark Reaper, a devastating weapon which drew its power by harvesting the Force energies of all living beings and discharged the combined energies in a powerful blast capable of vaporizing all in its path. Danik had heard the rumors; many good lives had already fallen to the Dark Reaper. But Kreldin refused to allow himself to be one more tally to add to the Dark Reaper's list of kills.
The first few days of the campaign saw the Aken lose forty percent of its starfighter strength, and the battle only continued to intensify. The Aken's captain, Rikar Blomor, had no choice but to call up reinforcements from within his crew. Danik was chosen for his experience with flying on Corellia under his grandfather's tutelage, and because he was Corellian. No matter what, Corellians would always be known for their pilots. For once, Kreldin was entirely enthused. He had been rewarded what he sought. Danik knew he had to prove himself here, at Thule, or else lose all chances of ever being able to fly again. And Danik would do just that. Throughout the course of the battle's remainder, Danik would kill four enemy craft. Probably his most impressive feat of all was that he survived: of all the "reinforcements" called up by Captain Blomor, only Danik survived. Overall, the Aken lost sixty percent of its starfighter strength. Word of Kreldin's apparent skill and luck made its way to Captain Blomor; with little choice, Blomor decided to keep Kreldin flying, at least until more experienced pilots would be sent to him and losses repaired. But Danik knew his time had come. He was given the opportunity of a lifetime. He would no be on the front lines, fighting alongside his heroes and for justice. For the Republic. For all of civilized galaxy.
But the fear of being replaced by properly trained reinforcements loomed over Kreldin. Blomor might return him to the gun batteries. He needed one more chance to cement his position as a starfighter pilot that was worth keeping behind the controls. That chance would come at Sarapin. The two part campaign for control of Sarapin, which would be lost and liberated by the Republic, would throw Kreldin back into the chaos of battle in a starfighter. The two battles would enter Kreldin into the legion of Republic starfighter aces, even though he had never been properly trained. Kreldin was given a field commission to Lieutenant and given a permanent position in the starfighter squadron.
Danik's reputation was already steadily growing. He had become an ace after only a few confrontations in a starfighter despite proper training, and his knack for survival earned him the nickname Lucky Kreldin aboard the Aken. Indeed, Danik lost many squadron mates, but always managed to pull through, usually against staggering odds. As the war raged on he found himself transferred in and out of new stations frequently, each station usually ending up destroyed or rendered inoperable after engagements with the enemy. Nevertheless, Kreldin somehow survived, and eventually found himself as squadron leader of Red Squadron aboard the Jabiim's Ghost.
The Battle of Jabiim itself left a large scar on the hardened pilot's mind and emotions: the overwhelming death toll and raw carnage proved too much for the still relatively young man, and Kreldin found himself in a sick bay after the battle ended, diagnosed with severe emotional stress. He would begin to develop severe depression and mood swings after his release from the sick bay, and at times symptoms of a split-personality began to show. He managed to keep his emotional problems under wraps, however, his devotion to the Republic, his comrades, and their cause too great for him to give up on.
He would continue fight on at dozens of confrontations, including the titanic Battle of Coruscant, but by then the war was drawing to a close, and the rise of Emperor Palpatine had arrived.
By the end of the Clone Wars, Danik was an established lieutenant, ace and leader, one of the few famous non-Jedi pilots in the Republic. Throughout the war, Kreldin looked up to the Jedi as he always had - as his heroes, his rolemodels. He fought alongside them through countless battles. But with their "rebellion" against the Chancellor, Kreldin's morale was crushed and his childhood idols had turned into his greatest enemies. He swore revenge against the Jedi, and this thirst for revenge would continue throughout the rest of his life. He made it his personal goal to kill every last Jedi for what they had to the galaxy - and more importantly, him. Their betrayal ran hard through Danik; the deep would go far enough that he began to view all traitors, not only Jedi, as the lowest forms of life, making it his personal duty to hunt down and kill all those who would betray those who trusted them. This would not always be the case in the future, however, as would be the case with turncoat Sandor Woden, who had managed to earn the sympathy of Danik despite his treachery.
[edit] Imperial Career (19 BBY–15 ABY)
Danik's Imperial career began just as his career in the Republic ended. The Galactic Republic had become the Galactic Empire and Danik remained in the Navy, agreeing with the changes brought about by the New Order. Danik's reputation would increase exponentially during his time in the Empire.
[edit] Inter-war period (19 BBY–0 BBY)
Just days after the end of the Clone Wars, Kreldin's loyalty to the new regime was tested for the first time. The captain of the Jabiim's Ghost, Commander Rickar Cardi, refused to acknowledge the new government and its Emperor. Planning to seek out the last of the remaining Jedi, Cardi alerted his crew to his decision and his reasons why. Still loving the Republic he fought so hard for, Cardi gained the support of several of the crew. Unfortunately for the Commander, Kreldin and a significant portion of the crew opposed Cardi and executed a mutiny. Storming the bridge, Kreldin and the others siezed the bridge and the ship's captain. Cardi was executed weeks later for high treason, though this fact would remain hidden to all.
Immediately after the mutiny aboard the Jabiim's Ghost, the warship and her crew were deployed to Kashyyyk to participate in the Battle of Kashyyyk. Their objectives were simple: led by the Military Executor, Darth Vader, they would crush the Wookiees and bring the Jedi they were harboring to justice. Flying cover and providing air support for the Imperial Stormtroopers, Danik received his first taste of the new military's brutal tactics upon witnessing the orbital bombardment of Kashyyyk in the wake of the battle. At first Danik was shocked by Vader's actions, but further Imperial indoctrination and propaganda would do much to soothe the still-young Danik's mind and turn him completely over to the new government and it's New Order. Immediately thereafter, the Jabiim's Ghost would be deployed once more under Wilhuff Tarkin's command to assist in the subjugation of Dac. The Mon Calamari would end up enslaved, and once more Danik would be exposed to the harsh reality of the Imperial warmachine. His loyalty and commitment to the New Order, however, would not faulter.
After several years of mop-up operations against isolated Jedi resistance, Kreldin would be transferred to the Victory-class Star Destroyer Emperor's Might and given command over Razor Squadron in 16 BBY. Six years later, Kreldin and the Emperor's Might would be called into immediate action during the Reslian Purge to fight back and defeat the expansionistic and fanatical Lortan. With the war over, the Emperor's Might would be redeployed to Dac to serve in the continuing occupation force still present in the system since its subjugation by the Empire nine years earlier.
By now Kreldin had entirely warmed up to the Empire's tactics and policies. But he was not entirely swayed by certain policies put out by the Imperial Ruling Council, as evident by the fact Kreldin never took part in the High Human Culture present in the Empire. He never became a speciest, instead seeing the value and importance of other species. Still, Kreldin would never make light of this fact, and remained loyal to the Empire nonetheless.
Seven years later, the Emperor's Might would be called into action and redeployed from the Dac occuption fleet to join in the Imperial force sent to exterminate the Oswaft in the Battle of ThonBoka. The Imperials, however, would be met with one of their first defeats since the end of the Clone Wars. Startled by the defeat, and the heavy toll suffered by the Imperial fleet, Kreldin would shift his focus from pure starfighter tactics and combat to the larger scale. He began to write up his own strategies and tactics for use by the Imperial fleet against the enemy, putting his mind to work. During an engagement against pirates upon the Emperor's Might return to the Dac occuption fleet, Kreldin would offer his new strategic advice to the ship's captain, Reinth Helarc. As the Victory-class Star Destroyer squared off against the pirate forces, Kreldin's tactics would come into play, Reinth having decided to use them, and after only ten minutes of combat the engagement would come to an end. The pirates were entirely decimated, with Imperial losses at only three downed starfighters and a damaged turbolaser battery on the port hull.
A year after their defeat against the Oswaft, the Alliance to Restore the Republic would officially come alive with the signing of the Corellian Treaty and the issue of the Declaration of Rebellion. The military would be put on a higher level of alert. Kreldin prepared for the coming war. He began to study the Rebellion and its leaders, examining battle records from previous engagements against the rebels. He began to realize the Empire was not prepared for a small insurgency such as the Alliance, as the Imperial warmachine was built to combat large-scale forces in some comparison to its own. Kreldin put his mind to work on anti-insurgency strategies and tactics for use against the growing insurgencies across the galaxy.
With all this in mind Kreldin would have an opportunity to test some of his strategies against the insurgents on Dac who rose up against the Imperial occupation force in 2 BBY. After the Imperial fleet executed an orbital bombardment of three of Dac's floating cities in an effort to cow the population and end the rising anti-Imperial insurgency, the Mon Calamari and Quarren banded together in a concerted effort to throw out the Imperial force for good. The resulting battle would be intense, with the Empire caught off guard by the attack and unable to respond properly in the ensuing confusion. Dacan saboteurs in the shipyards orbitting the planet rendered many of the Empire's warships crippled or inoperable, including the Emperor's Might.
Due to the destruction of the Emperor's Might Kreldin was transferred to a newly built Imperial-class Star Destroyer, the HIMS Tyrant. There he would be put in command of Shadow Squadron. As Kreldin settled into his new home, the flames of war would engulf across the entire galaxy. The Galactic Civil War had begun.
[edit] Early Galactic Civil War (0 BBY–4 ABY)
The Galactic Civil War was in full-swing and war was now raging across the galaxy. Kreldin, however, was surprised by the lack of effort on behalf of the Empire to respond to the threat in full. Only a portion of Imperial resources were used to combat the rebels, as they were seen as nothing more than a bothersome fly, nothing to threaten the power of the Galactic Empire. Kreldin, however, now a commander in the Imperial Navy, knew better. Fortunately for Kreldin he had an open-ended and capable captain, Captain Lennox. Lennox took on Kreldin as one of his tactical advisers, agreeing with Kreldin's assessment of the threat posed by the Alliance.
Imperial Intelligence discovered a secret build-up of Alliance forces in orbit over Turkana. Not seeing a large threat, Naval High Command dispatched several Star Destroyers led by the Tyrant and Lennox to take care of the enemy fleet. Not one to underestimate an enemy, Kreldin took time to prepare for deploying into battle. This preparation would pay off, as the Imperial forces were put up against a new and unexpected enemy: the X-wing starfighter. Taken by surprise, the Imperial units were no match for the X-wing starfighters. Kreldin and Shadow Squadron managed to destroy seventeen of the enemy fighters at the loss of four in Shadow Squadron alone, but, ultimately, the Imperials were forced to retreat.
For Kreldin, however, he was able to gauge the effectiveness of the Rebel forces. The engagement allowed him to formulate further strategies for use against the Alliance forces and their new starfighters. Kreldin knew the aging TIE Fighter would be no match against the better equipped starfighters of the Alliance, despite the Imperial numerical superiority in terms of starfighters. Kreldin wrote a memo to the Chief of Naval Operations, alerting the Admiral to the obvious drawbacks of the TIE Fighters and their inability to properly fight against the enemy. Kreldin requested the development of a new line of fighters with shields and better weaponry, presenting the Battle of Turkana as a model for why this new line of fighters was needed, Kreldin hoped he could sway High Command to respond more fully to the Alliance. Kreldin, however, was able to convince High Command to have Sienar Fleet Systems begin development of a new line of fighter, the TIE/ad starfighter, otherwise known as the Avenger. Unfortunately for the Empire, the development of this fighter would never go into mass-production, and only a small number of them would ever see any combat during the Galactic Civil War. Kreldin and the Imperial Navy were left with their aging TIE Fighters for the time being, and never one to accept defeat, Kreldin threw all his efforts into training his squadron to survive against the Rebel starfighters and beat them.
The Tyrant would be called to support Lord Vader in his hunt for Moff Kalast. The hunt took Kreldin back to Jabiim, the planet during the Clone Wars where all of Kreldin's problems with depression began. Refusing to allow himself to succumb to his fears and depression any longer Kreldin put all his efforts into defeating the Alliance forces. Utilizing his new strategies, Shadow Squadron earned a reputation following the battle for their skill and bravery. Not a single fighter from Shadow Squadron was destroyed, and the squadron as a whole was responsible for destroying at least thirty enemy fighters. The Empire would succeed at Jabiim, and Kreldin considered the victory to be partly in due to the tactics he had put together. Nevertheless, the Empire's victory at Jabiim would help quell Kreldin's depression: having come back to the planet and succeeding so brilliantly boosted his morale and mental state of mind. Kreldin was ready to finish off the rest of the Alliance.
After Jabiim, the Tyrant would be redeployed to the Kwymar Sector to take part in what would become known as the Kwymar Suppressions. Kreldin would continue to advise Lennox throughout the campaign, which took them from Doniphon all the way to Telos IV. The Empire would roll across the sector, putting down the Alliance forces and subjugating the sector entirely. The entire campaign would be a major victory in the war against the Alliance, and for the first time Kreldin finally saw that the Empire was now taking the rebel threat seriously.
[edit] Day of Infamy (0 BBY)
After the Battle of Kalaan, in which Kreldin participated in as air support for the ground troops, the Tyrant would be transferred to the now fully functional Death Star. The Tyrant would be stationed at the Death Star for several months, taking part in the battlestation's defense fleet. On the very day of the Battle of Yavin, however, the Tyrant would be redeployed to Ord Biniir to assist in the Second Battle of Ord Biniir, saving her crew and particularly Kreldin from certain destruction aboard the doomed battlestation just hours later.
With Ord Biniir under Imperial subjugation, Kreldin received news of his near-death experience aboard the Death Star the next day. At first Kreldin was relieved he survived, but as the news settled in, with millions of Imperial servicemen now dead and years of construction down the drains, Kreldin grew angry and resentful. He began to feel he should have been there, confident he could have altered the outcome of the battle. Why didn't Tarkin deploy a larger defensive screen? The thought boggled his mind. Nevertheless, Kreldin continued onward, his hatred of the Rebellion intensified several dozens of times over. He did not even bother to pick up the news of Alderaan's plight just hours before the Death Star's destruction.
The Tyrant was immediately recalled from Ord Biniir to supplement Lord Vader's task force in the Yavin system to crush the Rebel base on Yavin IV. The Tyrant provided an essential part of the Imperial blockade in the system, and Kreldin's Shadow Squadron ran daily runs through the atmosphere for reconnaissance work. Kreldin urged Lennox to voice his concerns over the blockade, however. Kreldin felt the blockade was taking too long, as six months had already passed with little or no progress. The Rebels were merely slipping through holes in the blockade daily and preparing themselves even further for an attack. But Lennox knew better than to question Vader, a lesson which he would pass down to Kreldin.
After six months of preparation and anticipation, the final push would be made against the Rebels. The Battle of Massassi Temple would be a victory at relatively minimal loss, but the accidental collision of several Star Destroyers and the death of Admiral Griff would prove humiliating for the Empire, especially for the Kreldin, who felt Imperial proficiency was rapidly declining.
[edit] The Empire Strikes Back (0 BBY—3 ABY)
After Yavin was finally subjugated and the Rebels routed, the Tyrant was dispatched as part of the Imperial missions to supress rebel activity across the galaxy. The Tyrant's first mission was Solem. Led by Governor Malvander Bren, the Imperial task force fought against the Yolan Bren-led rebels and were ultimately defeated. Kreldin and Shadow Squadron provided air support throughout the battle and escorts for tactical bombers. Despite Kreldin's best efforts, the Imperials were defeated with the capture of Malvander.
Kreldin grew angry. He knew Lennox was a capable commander, but other units were merely a joke. The loss at Solem, and the previous destruction of the Death Star, proved to Kreldin that the Empire was in serious need of repair. But who could he voice his concerns to? Certainly not their Commander-in-Chief, Lord Vader. And the Grand Admirals were not one to openly discuss issues with such a low ranking individual as himself. Despite his concerns, Kreldin remained loyal to the New Order, confident the issues would eventually be sorted out by Palpatine. After Solem, the Tyrant would be dispatched once more to Jabiim to put down the rebel uprising on the planet. After yet another intense engagement on the surface, Vader would order the decimation of the planet's surface in a vicious Base Delta Zero attack. Kreldin witnessed this first-hand, his first Base Delta Zero, but certainly not his last. As he watched he felt as if his demons from the past were washed away in the ensuing explosions across the entire planet. He finally put Jabiim behind him and looked forward to a bright future rid of the Alliance.
As the war raged on across the galaxy the Empire began a massive hunt for the main base of the Alliance in the wake of their route from Yavin. To achieve their objective of discovering this new base, Lord Vader assembled a new task force led by the powerful and awe-inspiring Star Dreadnought, the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor. Several Star Destroyers were assembled to assist the Executor, and one to be given this notorious position was the Tyrant. Anxious to see how Vader would lead the Death Squadron, as the task force was named, Kreldin prepared himself for imminent battle.
The search for the rebels would not be easy, however. For months Death Squadron scoured the galaxy, until a lucky probe droid discovered a shield generator on the far-away barren ice world of Hoth. As the Imperial fleet came down on Hoth, Kreldin was deployed ahead of the main force with Shadow Squadron to perform reconaissance on the system and gauge the defenses of the Alliance. A planetary shield was soon discovered, and Kreldin reported back to Lennox. During the ensuing battle, Kreldin would assist in the battle against Rebel starfighters and escorting landers to their drop zones. The battle would prove to be an amazing victory for the Empire, one that led many in the Empire, including Kreldin himself, to believing the Alliance was practically dead.
With the Alliance routed from Hoth, Kreldin's job would not yet be over. The Tyrant would be at the forefront of the chase after the Millennium Falcon through the Hoth Asteroid Field. Shadow Squadron would bring up the rear of the Imperial fighter pursuit; Kreldin, however, disobeyed orders and kept his unit from directly entering the dangerous field. With his unit pulling back and accelerating ahead above the field, in hopes of cutting off the Falcon, Kreldin decided, against the wishes of his squadron mates, to give pursuit in the field. The decision would prove nearly fatal; once too many Kreldin came near colliding with wayward asteroids. But with superb flying and a bit of luck, Kreldin managed to survive long enough for him to come to reason and pull out and rejoin his squadron. The Falcon would escape, but at least Kreldin was alive. His unit would go down in distinction at Hoth for suffering zero combat casualties.
From Hoth, Kreldin would next be taken to Bespin to participate in the Siege of Bespin. While not directly involved, Kreldin would be one of the fighter pilots giving yet another chase to the Falcon in its escape from the gas-giant. Death Squadron would be redeployed away from the region following its failure to capture the Falcon to Imperial Center. Kreldin learned at Imperial Center that, despite their defeat at Hoth, the Alliance was still continuing its fight against all odds. Before long, Kreldin would once again be sent out with the Tyrant to the Vergesso Asteroids to fight against the Alliance in the Second Battle of Bajic. The Alliance would once again be soundly defeated. Kreldin could not contemplate as to why the Rebels were continuing the senseless fight. Defeat after defeat, blow after blow, they continued onward against all odds and with every one death seemed to recruit two more good men to their ranks. Growing disheartened, Kreldin just wished for a quick end to the war. Little did he know, that opportunity would soon present itself at far-away and seemingly unimportant Endor.
[edit] Defeat at Endor and the Collapse of an Empire (4 ABY)
Before being deployed to Endor, the Tyrant, along with the rest of Death Squadron, were recalled to Imperial Center for R&R. But not even Imperial Center could hide itself from the war. Black Sun leader Prince Xizor had betrayed the Empire and his death was sealed over Imperial Center when Vader ordered the destruction of Falleen's Fist, the Prince's skyhook which he was currently aboard. The Tyrant and the rest of the Imperial fleet, in a strange battle assisted by the Alliance, converged upon the skyhook and obliterated it, along with the Black Sun defense forces and the Prince himself. Kreldin took the battle as a good learning lesson; for the first time since the war began, he flew alongside Rebel starfighters against a common enemy. Taking note of their tactics and flying capabilities, Kreldin drilled his squadron for further confrontations against their resilient enemy.
Weeks later the Tyrant was redeployed to Endor with new orders: they were to safeguard the new Death Star and prepare for Emperor Palpatine's imminent arrival. Kreldin arrived and was rather surprised to see a new battlestation under construction, especially so soon. Wondering how draining the construction was on Imperial resources, especially since the new battlestation was nearly nine times as large as its predecessor. Kreldin considered the station an impractical war machine; he personally would rather have ten thousand more Star Destroyers and new TIE designs under mass-production rather than one more Death Star. Kreldin was ordered by Lennox, who had received orders from High Command, to begin drilling his squadron for a massive upcoming battle. Not sure as to High Command's plans, Kreldin did as he was told and watched as, day-by-day, more and more Imperial warships arrived over Endor. As Kreldin drilled his men, he received a new gift from Lennox: a custom-built TIE Interceptor Mark 2, a new design from Sienar. His model, however, was heavily modified, given an advanced engine and shield generator and covered in a more durable and resistant armor coating. In addition his new fighter was painted entirely red, an unique color scheme he would keep throughout the rest of his career.
As the drills went on, Kreldin began to see what was unfolding. Palpatine had by now arrived, and the Imperial battlefleet assembled was massive. He had heard rumors that the Death Star was to be attacked soon. Eventually, the genius of Palpatine's plan hit Kreldin like very superlaser they were coveting. The night before the battle was met, Kreldin would sleep soundly in his confidence that by tomorrow all that remained of the rebellion would be nothing more than a footnote in galactic history.
The battle, however, would be more than Kreldin bargained for. Kreldin hadn't recalled a battle so large in scale since Coruscant's invasion by the Confederacy in 19 BBY. As the Death Star began picking off Alliance capital ships one-by-one, Kreldin was confident in total victory and the entire annihilation of the Rebel fleet and its leadership. Kreldin scored at least thirteen enemy fighters destroyed before events began taking a turn for the worse; observing the Alliance tactics, Kreldin saw the rebel capital ships were now at point-blank, and yet the Imperial battlefleet was not returning fire. Wondering whether it was pure idiocy or if the Imperials genuinely thought they had the situation under control, Kreldin pleaded with Lennox to disobey his orders and return fire. All was hopeless, however. Before Kreldin could convince any of the fleet commanders to do their proper duty, the rebels were already beginning their assault on the Death Star itself. Palpatine was in danger, and Kreldin could not allow his idol to be put as such risk.
Giving chase to the Rebel starfighters and his old nemesis, the Falcon, Kreldin was one of the few Imperial pilots who flew into the superstructure of the Death Star in hot pursuit. The cramped conditions inside the Death Star provided a dangerous obstacle for the Imperial, but his skillful flying and precision enabled him to stay alive and keep up the pursuit. Kreldin surely would have died inside the Death Star if it were not for the decoys deployed by the Alliance. Unsure as to where to proceed, Kreldin gave pursuit after the A-wing starfighters. Before Kreldin could realize he was tricked, he was unable to turn around and was once again back in the space battle.
Kreldin knew he could not re-enter the Death Star at this point, and a more urgent situation had arisen that he was ordered to attend to: the Executor was under heavy attack and in danger. For reasons he could still not contemplate, Piett had still not ordered any return fire. Growing furious, Kreldin accelerated at full-speed to assist the Executor. But it was too late. An A-wing had lost control and slammed into the bridge of the Executor. Losing control and with additional fire from Alliance capital ships, the Executor plummeted into the Death Star and was consumed in a massive fireball. At a loss, Kreldin hesitated. Before him the Empire was crumbling and there was simply nothing he could do about it. His years of loyal service and total dedication towards justice and the preservation of peace were about to be wiped out by the pure incompetence of his superiors.
In a fit of rage Kreldin accelerated at full-speed towards Home One, the flagship of the Alliance fleet. At the time he was not sure exactly what he was thinking; blinded by fury, Kreldin intended very much so to take out the Home One at any cost. Suicidal or not, Kreldin launched his attack. He came under heavy fire, but he ignored all dangers; moments before coming up to the bridge of the cruiser, he was hailed by fellow Imperial pilot Fianar Sukhoi Reanus, unknown to Kreldin at the time. Reanus managed to talk Kreldin out of his suicide charge, and, in a hail of enemy fire, Kreldin pulled back and rejoined his squadronmates to continue the battle. Danik would later become best friends with young Reanus, the two moving on to create the Black Stars squadron years later. During the battle Reanus would be shot down and forced to crash land on the moon, and Kreldin would aid in the rescue of the Imperial pilot sometime after the battle.
As the battle raged on, Kreldin watched firsthand as the Death Star exploded. Confusion fell upon the Imperial fleet. Was Palpatine and Lord Vader, along with the rest of High Command stationed aboard the battlestation, dead? No, of course not. Palpatine escaped aboard his personal shuttle. He was seen being escorted out. There was an espace pod seen jettisoned from his throne room. All conflicting reports were tossed back and forth across Imperial radio waves, but in the confusion of it all Kreldin grasped the truth: Palpatine, the ruler of the galaxy since he was a child, was dead. And if the Imperials did not act soon, the Empire he had built would soon be joining him.
The retreat order was given, and Kreldin returned to the Tyrant a changed man. Slipping in and out of depression, Kreldin confined himself to his quarters as the Tyrant slipped into hyperspace and safely escaped from the havoc to the safe haven of Imperial Center. There the Imperials would reorganize and live to fight another day - or so Kreldin thought as he put himself to sleep that night.
The lessons learned at Endor would forever remain with Danik. He knew where the blame lay; High Command had once again underestimated the spirit and resolve of the rebels. So confident in their victory that they did not even allow the battleships to open fire. They had given themselves over to their ego, and the result was catastrophic. Danik vowed never to fall under the same mistakes as his commanders; he would never underestimate his enemy, he would never give them an advantage. He would mercilessly crush all who stood in his way without hesitation. To save the Empire, Danik figured, he would have to join the ranks of High Command. In the confines of his bunker, as the Tyrant approached Imperial Center, Danik had a vision, a vision of the future (which later, in 15 ABY, Danik would rationalize as a Force vision, his latent Force abilities sparking alive for a brief period before residing). He would be the savior of the Empire; he would lead the Empire to total victory. All would work itself out. His resolve boosted, Danik vowed to survive long enough for that vision to come true.
[edit] Mid-Galactic Civil War (4 ABY–11 ABY)
A state of confusion came upon the Empire. The Emperor was dead. The man who had been ruling the Empire ever since there was an Empire. Even before there was an Empire, it was Palpatine who led the Old Republic throughout the dark days of the Clone Wars. Who could possibly step up and take his throne? Danik pondered this question as he gathered the survivors of Shadow Squadron aboard the Tyrant as the Star Destroyer fled with several other Imperial warships from Endor to the safe-haven of Imperial Center.
When Kreldin arrived at Imperial center he saw the planet in a state of mass-panic. Riots were being conducted by civilians, only to be put down with heavy force by Imperial Stormtroopers under orders of the Imperial Ruling Council. A sizeable fleet was already in orbit over Imperial Center, consisting of elements of the normal defense fleet and several survivors from Endor. But already reports were coming in from Intelligence channels of certain Imperial commanders taking what they considered "theirs" and going Warlord. The Imperial Ruling Council, currently being led by Sate Pestage and Ars Dangor tried their best to keep the Empire from breaking into a million pieces without the leadership of the Emperor.
[edit] Post-Endor Imperial power struggle (4 ABY–8 ABY)
But the Ruling Council could not achieve this goal. The Post-Endor Imperial power struggle began and the Galactic Empire which had reigned over the galaxy for over two decades was fragmented. Kreldin watched around him as greedy Imperial commanders split off and began carving out their own "kingdoms", some even daring to call themselves the new "Emperor". But Lennox and the crew of the Tyrant remained loyal to the Empire, and thus the Ruling Council currently set on Imperial Center. Imperial forces began to dig in on Imperial Center, preparing for a long, exhausting campaign against the Alliance which, in the aftermath of their victory at Endor, were attracting even more recruits and member worlds.
Imperial Center would be the key to it all, or so the Imperial strategists figured. If Imperial Center was to be lost, so would all hope for the Empire. After months of building up defenses and adding new warships to the defense fleet that arrived upon request of the Council, the Alliance launched their attack on the Imperial capital. The Battle of Coruscant would be even larger than Endor and result in the destruction of a large number of warships on both sides. Kreldin fought long and hard against Rebel starfighters, and was tasked with Shadow Squadron to shoot down as many Alliance troop transports as possible before they touched the surface. Despite Kreldin's best efforts the Alliance gained a foothold on the capital and after weeks of fighting the Imperials were forced to retreat, largely due to the number of Imperial commanders who simply abandoned the Empire during the fighting.
Kreldin survived the engagement, but loss sixty-percent of his squadron. Amazed at the Empire's defeat and the Warlords springing up daily, Kreldin bunkered himself up in his cabin, fighting back his depression as best he could. His beloved Empire was dying. After Imperial Center's fall to the Empire, the Imperial Ruling Council - now at half its previous roster - fled to the distant Faylar system, deep in the Outer Rim, where they set up their remaining council on the dark world of Dreven. Dreven was announced as the new Imperial capital and the Tyrant arrived promptly to boost the planet's defenses and contribute its expertise and power to the dwindling resources of the "Galactic Empire". Warlord Tagger would eventually be declared the new leader of the Imperial Ruling Council, now called the Interim Ruling Council. Tagger had recently contributed his massive fleet to the Council, seeking to gain control of it and its territory and resources.
Kreldin looked upon Tagger with disdain, seeing an incompetent and foolish political commander who sought only more power. A man like that could not revive the Empire, Kreldin was sure of. Nevertheless Kreldin did not want to splinter the Empire any further and he cast his loyalty in with Tagger and the Interim Ruling Council, as they represented the only legitimate form of power left in the remnant of the Empire. Kreldin managed to convince Lennox to remain loyal as well. The Tyrant was viewed as an impressive warship in the remains of the Empire, due to its past history and crew. Kreldin became a poster-boy for the Empire which hoped to regain the confidence of its soldiers and remaining populace, and the Tyrant itself became an icon of the Imperial Navy. Kreldin and the Tyrant were added to the roster of Tagger's newly constructed fleet, the Emperor's Pride Fleet, which he ordered with the retaking of Imperial Center from the newly declared "New Republic".
The Emperor's Pride Fleet took off from ports throughout the Faylar system, Bastion, and Yaga Minor and met at Toprawa. The plan was to sail across the Hydian Way, picking up reinforcements along the way and crushing any Republic units that came onto their path before crossing onto the Perlemian Trade Route at Esseles and heading straight for Imperial Center. When Kreldin first saw the entire fleet in formation at Toprawa he felt a boost of confidence and morale - the fleet was an awe-inspiring spectacle to behold. Unfortunately for Danik, Shadow Squadron was now full of raw recruits. The losses at Endor and Imperial Center took a toll on his fighter unit and he was left with only three veterans, not including himself. He knew it would be up to the veterans like himself to see the battle through. But with incapable commanders like Tagger leading the charge, he was unsure as to how successful the campaign would be. But as the fleet departed from Toprawa it was already doomed.
New Republic Intelligence picked up on the Empire's plan for attacking Coruscant from the Hydian Way. The fleet was sent from Coruscant to intercept the Empire at Bandomeer. The two fleets clashed, and Kreldin was caught in the middle, his green squadron performing far below average and simply losing outright to the hardened units of the Republic fleet. The Imperials were battered, but continued the advance from Bandomeer. Kreldin knew it was over, however: the Republic would continue to intercept them at various points along the Hydian Way and the Perlemian, weakening them bit by bit. And the Republic did just that. Kreldin survived each engagement all the way to the Empire's final arrival at Coruscant. But by the time the Emperor's Pride Fleet arrived at Coruscant they were so far weakened and exhausted, with morale at an all time low, that they lost nearly immediately. Kreldin's morale plummeted and all hope for a speedy recovery from their defeat at Endor and Coruscant vanished. The Emperor's Pride Fleet fell apart on the way out of Coruscant. Several units, including the Tyrant, returned to Dreven with Tagger. Others simply broke apart, to join other Warlords and would-be Emperors or to go on their own to add more fuel to the fire of the power struggle.
Upon their return to Dreven the survivors of the mission were met with scorn, including Kreldin, who had previously been touted as the Empire's poster-boy. Tagger vanished, believed assassinated, and Dobbs took over in his place to rule the Council. The Empire was radically weakened and the power struggle was raging like never before. All hope seemed lost for Danik.
Kreldin found no rest in the wake of the failure at Coruscant. Daily they were called to duty to combat attacks by various Warlords throughout Imperial territory. Attacks by the Republic were rare but did occur, as the Republic was concerned with adding new states through diplomatic means and fortifying their territory. As far as the Republic was concerned the Empire was dead, devoured by its power struggle. Kreldin felt the same way. He saw no hope for a revival of the Empire. He considered retiring and simply living his life out on some Outer Rim world, but upon seeing the faces of young Imperial servicemen aboard the Tyrant, green and ready for battle to save their New Order, he second thought it and remained aboard the Tyrant.
Two years would pass with constant fighting against the Imperial Warlords, with some gain. The Empire itself was on its last breath, exhausted of resources and manpower. But with each battle and skirmish against the Warlords, they were slowly but surely winning the power struggle. But it was not helping that the Empire was constantly plagued by ineffective leadership, and the Council caught up in political infighting on a near daily basis. The Council would go through several leaders after Tagger; Dobbs would be executed by Wyth Skellheim, who in turn would disappear after only several months of leadership and replaced by Alaric Darkstar. Danik merely saw pathetic politicians squabbling for power when they should have been focusing their attention on the two wars the Empire was caught up in. Wyth would return sometime later, causing a division amidst the Empire as Skellheim attempted to regain power from Darkstar. Danik took neither side during the fighting, and managed to convince Lennox to keep the Tyrant outside the fighting as well. Alaric Darkstar would eventually beat out Skellhim in the battle for the throne, but Darkstar himself would eventually step down and be replaced by Grand Moff Ariak Caldny.
As events settled down, and the flame of the power struggle begun to die down, the Empire was able to launch attacks against the Republic itself, which had been growing ever so in the wake of its capture of Coruscant. Danik and the Tyrant were ordered by Caldny personally to deploy immediately to far-away Kessel to boost its defenses against Republic attacks. Kreldin had been drilling his squadron ever since the failure at Coruscant, and the green rookies that had set forth on the mission to Coruscant were now all hardened veterans. The Tyrant and Kreldin were restored to their former prestige, and with a victory at Kessel impressing the Council and delivering a message to the Republic that the Empire was not dead yet, things were looking up. Danik, a commander now, received the Navy Cross from the Grand Moff himself for his actions at Sluis Van during the Battle of Sluis Van, which, while a defeat for the Empire, was an important and decisive battle for the fledging Empire.
All the skirmishes and battles during the Civil War, however, would pale in comparison and importance to the Battle of Etti IV. Two months after the battle at Sluis Van, Danik awoke within his cabin to a battle alert. The fleet was to deploy immediately to Authority territory. In the hangar bay of the Tyrant, Kreldin delivered orders to his squadron. Han Solo had been captured at Etti IV, and now the Imperial and Republic fleets were at a stand-off over the capital of the Authority. Tensions were high, but back-scene politics and interference from a Dark Lord of the Sith by the name of Sabbathius Osbourne had enabled the Empire to receive Solo as a prisoner. Danik flew daily runs with Shadow Squadron through Etti IV space, as reconnaissance and escorts. Kreldin ordered his squadron to prepare for imminent battle, although no one knew if battle would actually break out in neutral territory. But when news of Solo's hand over to the Empire came to light, the Republic was the first to attack. The Imperials responded immediately and swiftly. Kreldin flew with his expert precision and timing, taking down at least thirteen enemy fighters throughout the battle. The Republic would be defeated at Etti IV, a decisive blow to the New Republic and the Empire's largest victory since the Second Battle of Bajic.
Morale soared high through the ranks, and Kreldin was restored with confidence. Buying drinks for his squadron, Kreldin and his unit celebrated back on Dreven, and Kreldin himself was honored with a toast by Lennox. Despite the hard-won victory, the Empire was still in no position of restoring itself. The Republic saw their defeat at Etti IV as a minor set-back and remained complacent about the Empire, confident they would eventually swallow themselves whole in civil war and become a thing of the past.
After Etti IV, Caldny stepped down and replaced by the charismatic and mysterious Bacharan Valak, a former admiral in the Imperial Navy turned Warlord. Kreldin saw a calculating and brilliant mind in Valak, one that could restore the Empire to its former glory. Valak's leadership would take the Tyrant and Kreldin to outward planets like Tatooine, where Danik would participate in the eradication of the V'ez-Tcha criminal syndicate, and Sullust, where the Third Battle of Sullust would see the Empire's capture of the strategic Republic world and its facilities. Danik, now a Captain, was witness to the genocide unleashed upon the Sullustan population, but his hatred of the Republic burned far too much for him to care. They were all traitors, and they were all destined to die traitors. The Imperial occupation would last several months before the Imperials were forced to give up and retreat by constant Republic attacks. The Tyrant would be given a hero's welcome at Dreven, and commemorated by Valak himself for its actions at Sullust. Danik remained the Imperial poster boy, his reputation spreading throughout the galaxy as a feared pilot.
The next year would see a radical change in the galactic climate. Kreldin would participate in the campaign against the Griffon Alliance at Pride-1, participating in its capture and eventual liberation by the Griffons and a task force sent by the Republic. Afterwards, the Vigilant Movement would see its rise and fall, effectively putting an end to the power struggle. Kreldin remained absolutely loyal to Valak, who was whispered to be coronated Emperor by the Interim Ruling Council and the Empire as a whole. After the Movement was crushed and its leaders, including Lorn Rhys, put down, the Empire was free at last of the power struggle and Kreldin saw an opportunity for reconstruction and a renewed war against the Republic.
[edit] Valak's Great Campaign (8 ABY–10 ABY)
Danik would receive his second Navy Cross after the Caspian Annexation Campaign, a venture initiated by Valak to capture the vital Caspian system and annex the Caspian Democratic Union. Danik would score four killing shots against Caspian spacecraft and Shadow Squadron itself lost only one pilot. The campaign, led by Valak's Warlord, Jarl Rellik, would come to an end after the signing of a non-aggression pact between the two states. Valak would be coronated Emperor soon after, the first since Palpatine, but Danik would unfortunately miss the coronation. The aftermath of the Caspian campaign split up the fleet, with most of the Imperial fleet redeploying to Dreven and other vital Imperial planets, but the Tyrant was picked for a task force to be deployed to Tatooine to halt an attack by the Republic. Danik would once again fight over the desert planet, this time to save it from falling into the hands of the Republic. As the battle raged on, Kreldin pondered the importance of such a desolate world and why men were giving their lives for it. Orders were orders, but senselessly throwing away lives was pointless. The Empire would fail at holding Tatooine, its defenses too undermanned to hold back the Republic attack. After Tatooine fell, the Tyrant and the Tatooine defense fleet survivors were quickly redeployed to Bespin to halt yet another Republic attack, but the Imperials were yet again met with failure. Kreldin was nearly shot down over the gas-giant, a direct hit by a Republic A-wing damaging his starboard solar panel.
Kreldin kept asking himself the importance of such backwater worlds and why the Empire was senselessly throwing away lives to defend them. It all came clear to Danik, however, when the Tyrant was ordered to Gastus IV. There Danik witnessed a massive battlestation appear out of hyperspace, and after a battle against the Republic fleet, destroy the planet with a single shot from its superlaser. The Death Star III was introduced to a stunned galaxy, and the Imperial war machine was in full-swing. Danik, stunned himself, realized the Tyrant and himself were acting as distractions for the Republic, moving from planet to planet, defending backwaters like Tatooine and Bespin, to attract the attention of the Republic, who had since built up a hatred of the infamous Imperial warship and its crew of battle hardened experts. All a distraction to keep the Republic away from the real threat: the Death Star and Valak's new war machine that had begun to sweep across the galaxy, taking planet by planet.
But Danik did not remain so optimistic. He knew the past failures of the Death Star battlestations, both destroyed by the Republic. What were to stop them from destroying this battlestation in particular? But Kreldin did not allow his negativity to show to his crew mates, whom were booming with optimism and morale. For the first time the Republic was on the defensive, falling back before a powerful Imperial advance. From Gastus IV, Valak's campaign would take Danik back to Pride-1, Dac, and Sluis Van, leaving a path of destruction in the wake. Sluis Van itself would be entirely wiped out like Gastus IV, and Dac would fall to Imperial occupation and its shipyards wiped out from a blast emitted by the Death Star III. The Republic was on its knees, and the tip of the Imperial spearhead was pointed at Coruscant, with the Tyrant and Kreldin leading the charge.
Danik had been promoted to Commodore a year earlier after the Caspian Campaign, his fame throughout the Empire and Republic growing. He would help in the planning of the invasion of Coruscant, his expertise in starfighter tactics greatly contributing to the overall battle plan. Danik would lead the 301st Starfighter Battlegroup into battle over Coruscant, and after the route of the Republic fleet, his starfighters would fly daily runs over Coruscant's cityscape, dropping bombs and running reconnaissance as the month-long siege of the planet drew on. When the Imperials launched their final attack, Kreldin flew his crimson starfighter over the Imperial Palace after its capture by Imperial forces, his squadron shooting off fireworks and escorting Lambda-class Shuttles equipped with speakers playing The Imperial March to signify the end of the battle.
After the successful capture of Coruscant by the Empire, Kreldin was awarded with yet another Navy Cross, adding to his growing collection of medals and other awards. The victory was not met without hardship, however; the Tyrant was significantly damaged during the battle, and Lennox was seriously injured. Talks in High Command were said to be about scrapping the old warship, but with Lennox's recovery and Danik's pull as a Commodore, the Tyrant was saved from the scrapyards. Danik did not want to see the Tyrant smelted for scrap, the ship holding special meaning for Danik. Unfortunately for Danik, he was transferred off the warship to the Imperator II-class Star Destroyer HIMS Malevolent.
After the liberation of Coruscant, the Empire was back on its road to full victory. Hope was on the horizon, and Kreldin's morale was back to its pre-Endor levels. In 10 ABY, he would lead a special task force to Mutanda to assist the Authority in combating the Griffons, and would later assist in the subjugation of Kashyyyk. Afterwards, Danik would return home for the first time in decades, assisting the Empire in attacking Corellia and ousting the Republic fleet. The plan, however, was not for the subjugation of the planet, but rather to force the withdrawal of the Republic from the system and set the Corellians up for a bid for independence, which many on the planet greatly sought. All these victories, however, would be short lived.
[edit] Imperial Civil War (11 ABY)
- "Let's kick some ass, shall we?"
- — Danik to Black Stars Squadron, at the start of the Third Battle of Athaniss.
After his transfer to the Malevolent, Danik finally encountered his old friend from Endor, Fianar Reanus. The two pilots grew closer and formed a close bond; they eventually became wing mates, and the two would discuss plans for an elite fighter squadron/commando unit for use on special operations throughout the galaxy. For now, though, their attention was on the matter at hand: the Republic, with the help of the Griffons Alliance and Talon Karrde, a man who would later become one of Kreldin's greatest adversaries, had discovered the location of the Death Star III and had sent an infiltration team to sabotage the station prior to its assault. Deep in the asteroid field of Sluis Van (created by the destruction of the planet several years prior), the Republic launched its assault, and Kreldin was prepared to defend the Death Star at all costs. He still partly blamed himself for the destruction of the previous two Death Stars; he felt if he had been at Yavin he could have avoided the destruction of the Death Star, and he also felt that if he had went down the other path within the Death Star II he could have shot down the Alliance fighters before they hit the reactor. Kreldin was adamant on stopping the Republic at all costs.
He was given command over the fleet's starfighter squadrons by the First Fleet Commander, Dyne Haederfeld, a skilled and able, albeit young, commander. The two opposing fleets clashed, and in the end, after a kamikaze run by countless Republic warships, the Death Star was destroyed. Kreldin was close to the explosion, and his Interceptor was nearly wiped out. He narrowly escaped to take charge of the Imperial fleet after Haederfeld's death, and ordered a retreat. The Imperial fleet regrouped at Selene and plans were made for the next step. Valak was still alive and in control, but the destruction of the Death Star loosened the Empire's grip on the newly developed Galactic Confederation and the galaxy as a whole. As defiance towards the Empire grew, a certain group took the opportunity to launch their surprise attack on distant Dac.
Led by a man saying he was none other than Palpatine, this group seized control of Dac, its resources and military force, and with "Palpatine" leading it, attracted a significant amount of soldiers and warships. "Palpatine" declared Valak a traitor to the New Order and himself, and declared war. The Imperial Civil War had begun.
The Empire was taken by surprise. An exodus of military personnel flocked to Palpatine and his banner. But the Empire was not entirely weakened, either. Danik saw through the fog of deceit; he was at Endor, he saw Palpatine die. There was no way it could have been Palpatine leading the opposition. And where was he all these years as the Empire ate itself up, until Valak saved it at the last moment? Kreldin made up his mind and remained loyal to Valak, and used his pull as a famous pilot and leader to keep many others from defecting. The war was in full-swing, with Outer Rim worlds falling at a deadly pace to Palpatine and his supporters. Palpatine's military eventually reached the Core, setting up a foothold on the vital Tarkin Corridor by taking Athaniss. But the Empire would allow no further advance of Palpatine into the Core; Admiral Kendal Osbourne was given charge of a task force by Valak to reclaim Athaniss and drive Palpatine and his supporters from the Core and back to Dac. Danik, now a Rear Admiral himself, was given charge of the task force's starfighter wings and assisted in the planning of the war.
No less than three battles would ravage Athaniss for control of the world, but finally the military force of Palpatine was forced to retreat. The Imperial fleet advanced full-speed, driving Palpatine back to Dac. Kreldin was given joint leadership over a special task force with Admiral Salin Fawzy to break-off from the main Imperial fleet and launch a surprise attack on the Griffons at Mutanda, as the Imperial fleet was nearby. The Empire had been craving for revenge against the Griffons since their betrayal at Sluis Van, and now was the opportunity, while they were looking the other way in light of the second civil war still ensuing within the Empire.
Mutanda fell swiftly, thanks to tactics employed by Fawzy and Kreldin. Danik received the Order of Liberation after the fall of Mutanda, handed to him by an aid of the Emperor himself. Bolstered by his award, Kreldin vowed to put an end to the rebels for all. He was once again given command of the fleet's starfighter wings prior to the final push against Palpatine, who had holed himself and his supporters up at Novar III after his defeat at Dac by a joint Republic-Griffons task force.
Danik would emerge victorious from the battle at Novar III. Palpatine was captured and revealed to be an imposter to the entire galaxy; he was then swiftly executed on live holonet for the Empire to see. The civil war ended, and the Empire put itself back on the road to recovery. While the Empire received a damaging blow to its infrastructure and strength, Danik emerged from the civil war as a hero and capable and admired leader. He was given the nickname Nightmare of Athaniss after ravaging the forces of "Palpatine" during the Athaniss campaign, a nickname he would come to be feared by for years to come. His crimson starfighter would be his trademark, signifying the presence of the Nightmare on the battlefield. Danik refused to allow himself to get swept up in his own ego, however, and put himself hard at work to rebuilding the Empire and preparing for the future.
[edit] Retribution against the Griffons (11 ABY)
Immediately after the destruction of the Death Star in Sluis Van, the Empire struck back with a swift strike at Cochran, the capital of the Griffon Alliance, seeking revenge for the Griffon betrayal. Danik fought long and hard, taking down four Mantarays and three Stingrays before ordered to retreat. The Griffon defense proved too tough to overcome. The Empire was forced to halt its revenge during the Civil War, and the Griffons recovered their losses in the mean time.
After the end of the Civil War, the Empire brought its attention back on the Griffon Alliance. The retribution was also underway during the Civil War when the Imperial task force led by Fawzy and Danik captured Mutanda, but more was to be done. Danik was given his first real fleet command, hundreds of warships assembled under his authority as a rear admiral, and charged with launching a massive assault on Pride-1, the famous space station sitting in the middle of Talon's Cut. Danik led his fleet well, earning the admiration of his personnel; his tactics were cunning and brutal, but despite his efforts, he could not punch a hole through the Griffon defense line at Pride-1. He was simply outnumbered far too much. Fortunately for Danik, the second attack wave arrived several hours into the engagement, led by Admiral Fawzy. The combined assault overwhelmed the Griffons. Danik watched as countless turbolaser and missiles poured into the spacestation. Before it could be destroyed entirely by the Imperial fleet the crew aboard the Pride-1 detonated the self-destruct, destroying it and several nearby ships and robbing the Empire of their sweet revenge.
The Empire was unable to fully complete its desired retribution; Cochran remained as the final Griffon stronghold, and after the failed attack on it months prior, the Griffons were put on the shelves by the Empire as Valak ordered to focus more on the Republic itself. Kreldin would have to wait several more years before enacting the Empire's revenge in full.
[edit] Late Galactic Civil War (11 ABY–15 ABY)
With the Imperial Civil War over and now a prestigious, famed and feared admiral, Danik looked to the future. It would be during this time that Danik's vision he had experienced after Endor would all come to bear. Nevertheless, a long and difficult road was ahead, filled with victory, defeat and sorrow. It would all culminate in his supposed death in 15 ABY, and his fight to restore legitimacy to the Imperial Throne.
[edit] The Black Stars (11 ABY–12 ABY)
- "It's them!"
- — Unknown New Republic pilot, shortly before being killed by the Black Stars squadron.
During the midst of the Imperial Civil War, Kreldin and Reanus, squadron mates aboard the HIMS Tormentor, went through with their plan devised months earlier and founded the Black Stars commando unit after discussing the plan with both Admiral Sabbath Osbourne and Vorn Paro, Director of the Imperial Security Bureau and Imperial Army general. The Black Stars were to be an elite squadron of pilots who doubled as commandos and spies, independent of the main military and free to execute missions and tasks on their own outside High Command's authority, while also accepting missions ordered by the Emperor, Osbourne and COMPNOR.
The team would consist of five highly trained soldiers flying five TIE Interceptor Mark IIs and stationed aboard a modified Corellian Corvette, the HIMS Admiral Canis, named after the late Grand Admiral Russel Canis. Danik was given command of the unit, while Reanus was made captain of the Admiral Canis. The other three original members were Tynan Aileron, Gorian Ingsa, and Jermaine Kerexis. The three were hand-picked by Kreldin and Reanus after intensive searching.
On the very first day of their conception, the Black Stars deployed on a mission to prove their worth to High Command by launching a solo assault on Athaniss, then controlled by Palpatine. The Black Stars managed to deliver a mocking blow against the armed forces of Palpatine, before withdrawing when faced with simply overwhelming numbers. Their effectiveness earned them the right to maintain their independence. Danik was proud of himself, and his unit, and put his unit to good use throughout the Imperial Civil War and the subsequent assaults against the Griffons.
Danik's reputation multipled several times over. He rose to the top of the Republic's wanted list, just below Valak, and earned the ire of Republic starfighter pilots the galaxy across. Danik led missions to Oro IV in a in a daring assault, and successfully defended Charad from a Republic attack, all with the Black Stars leading the way. They were given missions from COMPNOR's Vorn Paro, such as the much-acclaimed attack on the RMS Daedilus.
Danik began a personal rivarly with the smuggler Axel Vichten, who, during his time with the Republic, fought the Black Stars several times and each time eluded capture or death. Due to his growing power and influence in the Empire, Danik was awarded a spot on the highly secretive and influential Select Committee, the ruling body of COMPNOR. He would use this position to great degree, seeing to it that all went well in the Empire and for the Black Stars.
The Black Stars would also be enlisted for spy operations on behalf of COMPNOR, performing reconnaissance and other operations deep within enemy territory. During this time Danik would go under the alias of Jet Black, to avoid his real name being flagged. He would race under this alias at the Galactic Swoop League event on Corellia, his home world, which was still officially in Republic territory. He would go on to win the event, and would reveal he was Jet Black years later, when Corellia was finally under Imperial control.
Danik and the Black Stars would assist at the Battle of Kappa, which saw the route of the smugglers and criminals, and the believed destruction of the asteroid base. Axel would once again engage the Black Stars in battle in an attempt to lure them away from the main battle. Danik and his squadron mates would chase the smuggler through the dangerous Kappa Asteroid Field, dealing heavy damage to the smuggler's ship, the Boomstick, but Kreldin and his men were unable to capture Axel before his jump to lightspeed upon clearing the field.
Danik grew obsessed with tracking down and killing Axel, and ending his rivalry, but all this would have to wait. The unit would be disbanded by Osbourne, who had begun to take over the Empire in the wake of Valak's mysterious disappearance from galactic affairs. The unit had grown too far in popularity and had been attracting too much attention, as well as growing far too distant from the main Imperial military body. Kreldin was angry with the decision, but kept his mouth shut and went along with the decision. He was given command of an Imperial fleet and ordered to deploy to Kessel for fleet movements.
[edit] On the Road to Damnation (11 ABY–12 ABY)
The Third Battle of Kessel erupted while Kreldin's fleet was in system on fleet movements when a Republic task force entered the system in another attempt to liberate the planet and free the political prisoners locked away in the spice mines. Danik led his fleet to victory, driving the Republic task force away. He was promptly ordered back to Coruscant and given details on the Empire's next plan.
Preparation for the Fourth Battle of Coruscant was already well under way; the Imperials would lure the Republic into a trap and decisively crush their military. Kreldin was tasked with leading the defense fleet which would "retreat" after a short engagement with the Republic fleet to attack Bothawui. Meanwhile, Imperial troops on the planet would trap the Republic Army beneath the planetary shields and wipe them out.
Several days before the battle, Kreldin was on the planet and preparing to board his shuttle when a mysterious approached him and the Imperial checkpoint he was departing from. He was unaware that the man was none other than the powerful Jedi Master Aurejin. Aurejin used a Force trick on Kreldin to grant him access beyond the Imperial checkpoint. The trick worked, and Kreldin unwittingly allowed the Jedi through. He left the planet, completely unaware he had let one of his greatest enemies slip by him. When he returned to his flagship, the Tormentor, he was greeted by the arrival of a Republic-marked transport that had taken a wrong hyperspace jump. Danik immediately ordered the capture of the transport, which proved easier than he had imagined. The Republicans gave up without a fight, and the crew taken prisoner. They were locked up in the concentration camps set up across the planet, and Kreldin personally oversaw their interrogation. Whether it be pure cruelty or for his own humor, Kreldin put a blaster to the head of one of the prisoners, and ordered the other prisoner to kill a Bothan child, or else he would execute the other prisoner, a friend. The prisoner obliged, reluctantly killing the Bothan before breaking down in a crying heap. Kreldin was apparently satisfied, and let the two prisoners live until their rescue during the battle days later.
During the actual engagement, Kreldin executed his orders without delay, pulling back from Coruscant upon the arrival of the Republicans. During the "retreat" the HIMS Subjugator was destroyed by a concentrated attack, but she would be the only loss of the engagement before the Imperials jumped to lightspeed on the road to Bothawui. Kreldin's fleet would emerge from hyperspace and begin their attack on Bothawui while the battle continued to rage on Coruscant, losses on both sides mounting heavily. Bothawui was a different story, however. Kreldin's fleet ravaged Federation space for hours, suffering minimal losses and dealing heavy blows to both the Republic and Bothan defense fleets and facilities throughout the system. Ports were turned to scrapped, defensive batteries ruined, and planet-based facilities wiped out, and the Republic fleet was reduced to half its size before Kreldin ordered a withdrawal back to Coruscant to finish the battle.
Upon his return to Coruscant, Danik led his fleet once more against the Republicans and saw their systematic destruction. Heavy losses were inflicted upon the Republican assault fleet, and they were eventually forced to retreat with losses to much to bear. The success of the campaign would earn Kreldin his next Navy Cross and a personal commendation from the Imperial Ruling Council. He was in the spotlight now, but victory would not last long.
Running on their success, the Empire decided to launch another attack at Bothawui, the fleet led by Osbourne and Fawzy. The Imperial fleet arrived in system, expecting light resistance in the wake of the Coruscant campaign. But it was not to be: rushing reinforcements in after its previous attack, the Republicans held on to Bothawui with a firm grip, repulsing the Imperial attack and severely damaging the HIMS Dark Eminence. Danik knew Fawzy was an incompetent naval commander, and wrote to Osbourne saying as much in hopes of having the Admiral removed from his post. Kreldin's words were ignored however, but even if they weren't, it was all for null. Months after the battle at Bothawui the Empire would be drawn into yet another Civil War.
[edit] The Neo-Empire and the War of the Throne (12 ABY–13 ABY)
Valak's disappearance had left a gaping hole within the Imperial command structure that few were capable of filling. Valak had been the Empire's undisputed ruler for half a decade, and his leadership had saw the Empire rise from the ashes to nearly total victory in the Galactic Civil War. One, however, saw himself fit for such leadership: Admiral Kendal Osbourne, beloved within the Imperial Navy. It was the Navy's respect for Osbourne that enabled him to take grip over the Imperial Ruling Council and establish himself as the leader of the Empire. He would not declare himself Emperor for some time.
Danik would gain permission to reform the Black Stars squadron at this time; he recruited several new members, including Grymm Selcan and Mark Avery. Tynan Aileron was the only other original member of the reformed unit besides Kreldin; Gorian Ingsa, Fianar Reanus and Jermaine Kerexis had all but retired by this time. The new Black Stars met limited success, partly due to the troubling times: a new war was on the horizon that would rip the Empire apart.
Danik remained loyal to Osbourne despite his hard feelings regarding the Black Stars disbandment in the past. When Osbourne finally declared himself the new Emperor, civil war erupted. Lorn Rhys, the former leader of the Vigilant Movement that had been destroyed years prior by Valak, was still alive and had formed an alliance with Vassily Korolov, an influential and powerful figure in the Imperial chain of command. Rhys had earned the loyalty of COMPNOR, Intelligence, and the Stormtrooper legions, and with these groups, collectively known as the Whitecoats, launched a surprise attack against Osbourne and his forces at Selene.
Danik Kreldin was stationed aboard the Admiral Canis at the time when the war started; his first reaction was to fight back against the Whitecoats, but when it became apparent that the COMPNOR and Stormtrooper units aboard his vessel were not going to allow such an action, he was forced to cooperate and reluctantly kept his mouth shut. Danik watched helplessly as the Dark Eminence slammed into Selene, exploding and vaporizing countless civilians and Imperials, and rendering the planet inhabitable. After the Battle of Dreven, Danik finally decided it was time to stand up and fight back against the traitors that had ripped the Empire apart once again.
Aboard the Admiral Canis, Kreldin gathered his most trusted officers and his Black Stars, and together they discussed their current situation. Kreldin managed to convince his officers to support him in his attempt at fighting back. The plan was to catch the Stormtroopers off-guard, ordering their deployment to the hangar bay in preparation for a combat drill. When they reached the hangar, however, Kreldin would open the hangar to vacuum, sucking the Stormtroopers out into space. His naval security troops and other loyal crewmen would combat against the remaining Stormtroopers and COMPNOR Observers and Assault troops from CompForce. Kreldin, himself being a member of the Select Committee, was well aware of the placement of COMPNOR units aboard his vessel and prepared to combat them.
Over Selene, Kreldin ordered the helm to deploy to sector seventeen, an open area of space well away from the main Imperial defense fleet. They were on drill and were to execute a typical boarding operation; the Stormtroopers were ordered to the hangar bay to prepare for a boarding. Before the order could be carried through, a gun was pulled on Kreldin from one of his officers. The officer, in reality a COMPNOR Colonel, was well aware of Kreldin's intentions. After giving out a order, COMPNOR units across the ship sprung up and seized important controls and sections of the vessel, as well as apprehending suspected "traitors" with the help of the Stormtroopers. Kreldin would have none of it. Fighting broke out on the bridge; the COMPNOR Colonel was injured, and Kreldin shot in the arm. His crew, however, remained valiantly loyal to Danik. As Danik limped from the bridge, one crewman, equipped with a grenade in preparation for the "coup", detonated his charge with his last breath of life. As Danik entered the turbolift amidst a cross-fire between Stormtroopers and naval security troops, the bridge was completely wiped out.
Using his knowledge of his ship's layout, Danik managed to sneak to the hangar bay and avoid detection. An all-out manhunt for Danik began throughout the Admiral Canis, but the elusive Kreldin made it aboard his Lambda-class shuttle. When it became apparent that Kreldin was aboard the shuttle, Stormtrooper units rushed in to take Danik down. Danik, however, managed to escape in the nick of time, and after a hot pursuit by TIE Interceptors, whom were heavily outmached by Kreldin, Danik made the jump to hyperspace, heading to Nar Shaddaa.
Months prior, Danik's old friend, Fianar Reanus, had retired from the Empire. He entered business with Greiko Lornan, forming Sigma Star Industries. Danik and Reanus had both purchased a Marauder-class Corvette from Kuat Drive Yards, the Truth & Reconciliation. Danik allowed Reanus to take the Corvette with him on his business venture. When the civil war broke out and Danik's coup failed, he fled to Nar Shaddaa to join up with Reanus aboard the Truth & Reconciliation. Together, the two conspired to retake the Empire from Rhys and restore the throne; they laid down the foundation for the Neo-Imperial Movement. Greiko offered his support, and Sigma Star Industries became the front for the organization, its money used to fund the war effort. From the Truth & Reconciliation, the Movement took off, attracting many former Imperials who left in wake of the civil war. Famous Imperials such as Wescal Cantrell, Grymm Selcan, Mark Avery, Stark Kaempfer, and Palarain Todeth were amongst the ranks. Independent mercenaries such as Krackor Reincus also lent their support, and the ranks of the Movement swelled.
Months would pass with little progress in the war effort, however; Danik would eventually vanish from the Movement, as would Reanus. Danik went undercover inside the Empire to gain intelligence about the new government and its "leader." While Kreldin and Reanus were both gone, however, Greiko consolidated his power and turned the Movement around entirely. The Movement's objective turned from fighting Rhys to causing havoc for the entire galaxy; actions such as the Kashyyyk Massacre earned the Movement a bad reputation. The Republic added the Movement to their most wanted list; the exact opposite of what Kreldin and Reanus intended had occurred. Now the Movement was hunted by the Empire and the Republic, something the small Neo-Empire could not handle.
When Kreldin finally did return to the Movement with Reanus, he plotted against Greiko to remove him from the Movement. At the same time, he initiated a secret meeting with members of Republic High Command to patch up the problems of the past with the Movement. The meetings met little success, though the Republic did somewhat back down from its hunt. Kreldin next met with Morrison van Sen of the Corporate Sector. The meeting was a large success that sealed a pact between the two entities; the Movement was supplied with weaponry and ships, but the pact was to remain absolutely secret. Should the Movement be compromised, van Sen would deny any involvement.
Aboard the Truth & Reconciliation, Danik and Reanus, with their loyal supporters, attempted a coup against Lornan. The coup failed, Lornan's security forces too large to overcome. Kreldin and his supporters fled, leaving the Movement behind to found the Restoration of the New Order, keeping the same ideals of the previous organization.
It was decided to launch an attack against the old Neo-Empire by assaulting the headquarters of Sigma Star Industries on Nar Shaddaa. Danik led the assault, and after a fierce firefight Lornan was captured and the headquarters seized. When the smoke cleared from the firefight, Danik led Lornan aboard the Truth, now back in his hands, and planned his next move: restore the Neo-Empire and crush Malus. Kreldin traveled with Lornan to Etti IV to meet with Scaven Marx and van Sen to discuss Lornan's arrest; however, upon arrival, everything unraveled.
Marx had cut a deal with Lornan and the Empire. Upon his arrival on Etti IV, the Empire arrived and launched an attack on Kreldin and his small contingent of troopers. Petra Doom and Salin Fawzy shot Kreldin four times and brought the older man to near death; he was apprehended by Authority forces when they stormed the starport along with Selcan. The others escaped aboard the Truth to fight another day, blasting past the Imperial blockade over the planet.
Danik underwent intensive medical care under Authority hands. While recuperating, the Empire began negotiations with the Authority to have Kreldin handed over to face trial and his execution at the hands of Malus. After spending days in a bacta tank, Danik was visited by Marx. Marx was a high-ranking official in the Authority, and had extensive influence within the Empire. Marx offered Kreldin a chance to live and avoid execution. Marx had no love for Malus, and respected Kreldin deeply. Kreldin agreed, and Marx put into motion Kreldin's escape.
A clone of Kreldin was utilized, procured by Marx in an Authority lab, using Spaarti cloning cylinders. It was then announced Kreldin died from his injuries inflicted by Doom and Fawzy, displaying Kreldin's clone, lifeless body as proof. Meanwhile, Danik himself slid from the Authority medical complex with Marx's help and smuggled onto Marx's private shuttle and taken to Nar Shaddaa. Grymm would be released from prison some months later, but Kreldin would go into hiding, working in secrecy for Marx and performing his more dark operations.
Danik was slipping further into depression, however; he did not know how long Malus would remain in power, as all his attempts at usurping Malus had since failed. Reanus was also MIA, and the Neo-Empire was crushed. His hopes that grew during Valak's reign were all but gone. When Coruscant was once again invaded by the Republic, due to Malus's inefficiency and his lack of powerbase, Kreldin slipped into the battle zone to lend a hand against the Republic. While he did not support Malus, he did not wish to see Coruscant fall to the "rebels". He would later land on the planet in the wake of the Empire's retreat, hiding his starfighter and joining up with an Imperial resistance cell on the planet to damage the Republic effort on Coruscant after its fall. Danik would become one of the leaders of a cell, but after many months of fighting it proved ineffective; the Republic would come down hard on the Imperial cells, and Kreldin would be forced to flee the planet, joining up with Marx once more. The future for Danik looked bleak.
[edit] Return to Power and the Imperial Blitzkrieg (13 ABY–14 ABY)
- "But... I'd like to kill Danik Kreldin.
Then the scum is dead." - — Talon Karrde and Dalin
A new hope came upon the horizon, however; Darth Malign, an Imperial Warlord, consolidated a vast power base inside the Empire and had even earned the support of Korolov. The ineptness of Malus was apparent, and the Empire rose up against its "Emperor". Malign's fleet blockaded Dreven and Malus himself was imprisoned in a slate of carbonite. When news of this reach Kreldin, he came out of hiding and, with Marx, now a Grand Moff in the Empire, presented himself to Malign who approved of Danik's return. He was given a hero's welcome back, and was awarded the Order of Liberation for his actions against the Malus regime.
Danik was returned to the frontline in the Navy and given a promotion to High Admiral. With his newfound authority, Danik began to plan for the Empire's grand come-back. His plan called for the production of a new virus and a massive build-up of military resources, not seen since the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin. Towards the end of his planning stages, Danik was given yet another offer by Malign: to serve on the Imperial Ruling Council as one of the powerful Imperial Advisers. Danik was given the title of Military Advisor and he retired from direct naval duties, though he retained the influence of a High Admiral in the Navy.
Danik's plan was finally initialized in early 14 ABY. The new virus was released through the efforts of the Imperial Privateers on Dac, and soon spread throughout the entire galaxy, affecting daily life and shifting the political boundaries. The Dacan Pandemic would increase the territorial holdings of the Empire exponentially. All this, however, was a precursor to Danik's true plan: the Imperial Blitzkrieg.
Danik was given de facto authority over the Imperial fleets for his operation. Feigning an assault on Mikassa, drawing the Republic fleet out in preparation for a possible assault on Dac, Danik led his main fleet to Chandrila. In a battle that lasted a mere six hours, Chandrila was occupied. Danik would then go on to reclaim his homeland of Corellia in a sweeping victory through the good use of electro-magnetic pulse weaponry. Sometime shortly after the fall of Chandrila, Kreldin was admitted into Darth Malign's Brotherhood, where he was tasked with spying on Vassily Korolov and the COMPNOR leadership.
Dozens of star systems would continue to fall daily. Sullust would be blockaded, and Dac assaulted. The Blitzkrieg, however, would come to a temporary halt with the rise of the Moff Sekirol Crisis. Danik was personally given command over Task Force Nebula to crush Moff Jorgen Sekirol and regain control over the INFERNO System Cannon and the entire Chiarn sector.
The crisis would culminate in the Battle of the Gate of Thrawn, a powerful battlestation. The battle would end with an Imperial victory over the rebel forces, and Kreldin would be honored for his success against the Principality. With the crisis averted, Kreldin would resume his Blitzkrieg. Sullust would finally fall after an intense battle, and after months of more fighting the Empire found itself entirely in control over nearly seventy-percent of the known galaxy, with Coruscant itself surrounded by the Empire. Kreldin settled down after the completion of the Blitzkrieg, looking forward to a swift victory after the fall of Coruscant, which he predicted to be near.
[edit] Post-Blitzkrieg (14 ABY)
- "No, Cantrell. I'm one of the weak. But I must go on fighting, anyway, for what I believe in. And that's what carries me on."
- — Danik talking to Cantrell, after a fight with Sandor Woden.
With the Blitzkrieg over, Danik found himself exhausted, physically and mentally. He considered retiring, confident others would lead the Empire to full victory by taking Coruscant and stomping out the Republic's remnants. But when he suggested this decision to High Command, he was met with an uproar: he would not be allowed to retire anytime soon.
By this time, Danik had gained a hatred of one particular vessel in the Republic's dwindling fleet: the NRSD Crusader. He plotted to destroy this vessel and reduce Republic morale vastly, already hit hard by the Blitzkrieg. He would draw the Crusader out by using the HIMS Conqueror, the flagship of the Imperial Task Force Hammer, and himself as bait. As he predicted, the Republic took the bait; unfortunately the plan went awry during the initial fighting. Johmac Mabru, a Republic Ghost Squadron pilot, landed a direct hit on the Conqueror's bridge with a torpedo. The torpedo pierced the hull and wiped out the bridge, taking its captain, Antal Brencis, with her. The ship, however, was saved from total destruction; she managed to limp to Etti IV on her secondary bridge.
Danik saw his plan unraveling, and he called in for immediate reinforcements upon his arrival at Etti IV. Docking at Theseus Station, the Imperials were forced into an agreement with the Republic forces, in order to uphold the Authority's policy of neutrality. Forced to cooperate, Danik put together an even more devious plan, one that would forever damage the Republic's reputation. With Imperial reinforcements just on the outskirt of the system, Danik collected an elite group of commandos and acquired Republic uniforms to utilize. Dressing themselves as Republic crewmen, the commando squad, led by Sandor Woden, Danik's special agent, infiltrated the Crusader, docked to the same station, and executed Kreldin's plan.
Reaching the gun batteries, the commando squad took control of them and opened fire on the Conqueror. The Imperials responded, declaring the Republic had broken the neutrality pact. The Imperials went in full-force, destroying the Crusader and several more warships, but at the loss of the Conqueror and the New Order, both iconic vessels in the Empire. The battle was deemed a success, despite the heavy losses; Kreldin, however, was not so happy with the results, and vowed revenge. But he had achieved his objective: the Crusader was gone.
A few weeks later, the Jedi Ai'kani Za'netra was apprehended by Imperial forces. Danik had some past history with this Jedi, squaring off against her on Athaniss during the foiled attempt to execute Han Solo. Danik oversaw her interrogation and ordered her shipped to OS Guardian, the Imperial orbital station over O'paal. Upon his arrival there, however, the station fell under attack by a Republic commando unit, the FST-01 Firecats. The battle would result in the destruction of the space station, and the loss of the majority of Imperial High Command. The battle would prove to be a decisive blow against the Empire, high on its victory during the Blitzkrieg, and the prospect of a fourth civil war loomed overhead the Empire.
[edit] The White Uniform and the Empire's Retribution (14 ABY—15 ABY)
- "To all Imperial units, this is Grand Admiral Danik Kreldin. Execute Base Delta Zero. Repeat, execute Base Delta Zero."
- — Grand Admiral Kreldin issuing the order to destroy Cochran.
The fall of Imperial High Command sent many in the Empire worrying; Danik, however, retained his calm and went into private meetings with Aleister Vadim, the secret leader of the Empire, and Vassily Korolov. It was decided that Kreldin, a highly influential figure in the Empire, would be elevated to Grand Admiral by Korolov and made the Empire's Supreme Commander.
The announcement of Kreldin's promotion quelled the Empire's fear of another power struggle; Danik was in charge now, and the end of the war was near. Kreldin's first action as Supreme Commander, however, was to set in motion a plan to deliver the Empire's long-awaited retribution against the Griffons, which had been set aside years earlier. He would invade Cochran full-force and wipe the planet clean of life, his memories of the Second Battle of Jabiim still fresh in his mind. Before he could execute his plan, however, he was kidnapped on Corellia by his old Jedi nemesis and former Rogue Squadron pilot, Johanna Siri te Danaan. Taken to Tatooine, Kreldin was tortured by the Jedi-turned-Dark Jedi and forced to denounce the Empire publicly to the galaxy, and to apologize for his war crimes.
When news of Kreldin's kidnapping came to the Empire, the military dispatched a task force to Tatooine to rescue him. The rescue operation went underway; Johanna managed to elude Imperial forces, but Danik was rescued and brought back to the Empire in time to launch the invasion of Cochran. Danik's back was broken by Johanna during his torture, and he was stuck to a medical bed during the entire battle. He had the medical bed and his medical equipment brought up the bridge of the HIMS Malevolence, his flag, so he could lead the battle, whatever condition he may had been in.
Kreldin's fleet moved in and sweeped away the Griffon Naval defenses in a matter of two hours; the subsequent arrival of a Republic task force led by Admiral Moralis Rodriga slowed down Kreldin's plan somewhat, but the Republicans were swatted away by Kreldin's superior tactics and command. With the Republic on the retreat, Danik ordered the Imperial fleet to open fire on Cochran, giving out the code word Base Delta Zero. Before the hour was over, Cochran was a wasteland, devoid of any life and rendered uninhabitable. His actions at Cochran would earn him the ire of the Republic, and his status as a war criminal would be thrown through the roof. He would recover from his injuries shortly after Cochran to begin planning for his final offensive: the liberation of Coruscant from the hands of the Republic.
[edit] The Sith (14 ABY–15 ABY)
- "Kreldin was a fool; just like that errand to Ord Trasi we tagged along with. The pathetic excuse for a Sith couldn't even finish that simple task and we had to be rescued by your brother... the only thing about him that was good was his piloting, and even that... Vichten was better."
- — Antoine Dareus, Danik's former comrade, commenting on Danik after his death.
He returned to Corellia several weeks after his successful campaign against the Griffons for R&R within his Estate. He stayed at the Estate for one week, where he finally decided to venture deeper within the grounds of his estate (something his father forbid, while he was still alive), where he came upon a vault. Careful analysis of the vault gave Kreldin access to many of his family's secrets, including a pyramidal-shaped object, which, upon touch, displayed the image of a human male who proclaimed he was Davin Keldan - or Kreldin, as he would later change his name to.
The object was a Sith Holocron, and the man within the object would explain to Danik the nature of the Sith, and Danik's own relation to the Sith. He was a direct descendant of a Sith Lord millenia ago, and Kreldin too had the very power of the Dark Side. Danik took the Holocron with him and sought out Darth Malign in the hopes he could undergo training to tap into his latent Force powers.
He was unsuccessful in locating Malign, and so he took it upon himself to free his inner powers. The Holocron he held told him of a Sith world in the Outer Rim where Davin himself was buried. The world was called Ord Trasi. The name appeared in no Imperial databanks, but a voice in his head told him where to look: the old Imperial Palace. Gathering a team of Imperial professionals, including Wescal Cantrell, Antoine Dareus, Krieg Inrokana, and members of the 501st Legion, Danik set out to Coruscant in an unmarked civilian transport. They would infiltrate the Imperial Palace via the sewers and launch their assault against the Republic security forces stationed in the Palace. As his troops held of the Republic forces, led by Danik's old protege, Sandor Woden, Danik made his way up to the throne room where Emperor Palpatine once resided. Upon entering the throne room, however, Danik was confronted by his old nemesis: Johanna. Danik engaged in a war of words with the redeemed Jedi, but Johanna eventually went on the offensive. Danik, however, pulled out his trump card. Days earlier he had successfully kidnapped Johanna's son, Etiel te Danaan, and was using him as a means to buy Johanna's cooperation.
Johanna reluctantly submitted to Danik. Imperial Stormtroopers and Republic security forces eventually flooded the throne room; Republic troops took careful aim on Kreldin, but blaster shots seemingly went around the Grand Admiral or harmlessly vaporized against his thick Enhanced Armor. As the Stormtroopers gained the upper hand against the Republicans, Danik and Johanna entered a secret passageway within the throne room that took them to a hidden vault. There, Danik found what he was looking for: a star chart that would lead him to Ord Trasi. With this treasure now in his possession, Danik called for his transport. The Imperials raced across the throne room to the balcony, where the transport awaited them, and escaped, with Johanna as their guest of honor.
Danik took careful watch over Johanna, studying the Jedi and hoping to use her as a catalyst to unleash his own powers. He listened to her words, and she became a teacher of sorts to Danik. They would land on Ord Trasi, however, and set out towards the Temple across a narrow valley. Little did Danik know, he was being watched by Malign throughout the entire journey, the Sith taking careful note of Danik and judging him. The team eventually made it to the Temple steps, where they were confronted by a creature of vicious strength and power. It was cut down, however, by the combined efforts of the Imperial Stormtroopers and Johanna.
Danik continued onward, traversing through the dangers of the Temple until he reached the Crypts, where Davin was believed to be buried. He checked every room until coming to his final destination: the Crypt of Davin Keldan. Grinning, Danik attempted to open the Crypt, only to find it nearly impossible. It was only through the Force powers of Johanna that the Crypt slid open. Danik entered, and inside he found nothing. The Crypt was empty, and had been for millennium. Furious, Danik blamed it all on Johanna, believing it to be Jedi trickery; before Danik could "dispose" of Johanna, however, the party was interrupted by a swarm of different creatures that came from all sides. The party ran as fast as they could, throwing grenades in an attempt to hold the creatures off. Darth Malign jumped in to save the team, holding off a swarm of them so Danik and the others could escape the Temple and begin the trek across the Valley. It was on the Valley that Danik was tackled down by a group of ambushing Terentatek; in the process, Danik's Sith Holocron slid from his hand and fell off the Valley into the endless abyss below. Losing his precious Holocron, Danik was about to be killed by the Terentatek before fire from Cantrell did away with them.
Danik, broken, made it back to his shuttle with the survivors of the mission and Johanna, and returned to Selene to think things over. He returned Etiel to Malign, the uncle of the boy, and Johanna and Etiel would both be released by the Sith. Danik, however, felt everything was lost. He was misled to Ord Trasi and came back with nothing, including the loss of his Holocron. In reality, however, the journey, and the cooperation with both Johanna and Malign, did much to help Danik set foot on the path to the Sith. After the journey, Malign came to Danik personally and took Danik in as an apprentice. Danik would begin his tutelage as a Sith apprentice: he would undergo several operations to appease his Master and his Master's Master, Vadim, by kidnapping Kitterick Brandis Finian and attempting to capture or kill Luke Skywalker, Johanna, and Ai'kani in one fell swoop by "negotiating" with them over the return of Brandis in his office aboard the Malevolence. The attempt would fail, and Brandis would escape Danik's clutches.
He was getting off on a rough start as a Sith apprentice, finding the lifestyle change too difficult to adapt to; he was drilled in the old ways of a professional military officer, and his concern was with the Galactic Empire and the New Order. Malign did much to try to turn Danik away and adapt to the Sith teachings, and Danik tried. The end, however, would soon be coming for the Sith.
[edit] Death of a Legend (15 ABY)
- "This is Commander Wolf to all TIE Fighter Squadrons, I want these NR slaughtered. I want their heads floating the debris of this war zone! I WANT THEM ALL DEAD!!"
- — Wolf, upon seeing Danik's red TIE destroyed.
The New Republic was on its last breath. The Empire continued to increase in size and power, its shipyards pumping out new warship after warship and its cloning facilities developing more and more batallions of Stormtroopers by the day. All seemed lost for the Republic, and Danik was riding high.
He was in a position of supreme power in the Empire, behind only Korolov and Vadim but with the respect from the military. He was also a Sith apprentice, on the road to ultimate power, or so he was promised. Danik began planning for what he considered to be his grand finale: the invasion of Coruscant. The seed of the invasion had already been planted a year earlier when he launched his blitzkrieg across the galaxy. For months he had been overseeing the blockade around the Coruscant system as Warlord Korolov infiltrated the Republic Senate as Viktor Faust in an attempt to undermine the Republic war effort and make invasion easier.
Stormtroopers were shipped into Coruscant daily under the guise of Coruscant Guards under a new directive initiated by Faust. All the while, Kreldin tightened his grip around Coruscant, crushing Operation Shado Kolpo and continuing to harass Republic efforts to feed and supply Coruscant.
When the time was right, the green light was given. On Coruscant, Faust revealed his true identity and destroyed the Republic Senate. Across the planet, Stormtrooper units went active and sprang up, taking over vital sections of the planet and military bases. In orbit over Coruscant, Danik's grand fleet moved in and a titanic struggle between the Republic and Imperial navies began. Overwhelming numbers and firepower pushed the Republicans back, and Danik's reinforcements from Byss in the Deep Core only helped to make the end faster.
During the early fighting, Danik decided to engage the enemy head-on in his starfighter, Black Star I, the crimson Interceptor he had been using for over a decade. Suiting up, Danik took off and went to the frontlines. Whether it be poor luck, old age, or simply destiny, Danik fought poorly against Ghost Squadron, forced to retreat back to the Malevolence for emergency repairs. The repairs were hurried by Danik, anxious to get back out there and fight again. His engineers did all they could, and Danik was back out into the fight hours later. He continued to harass enemy fighters and bombers while the Malevolence itself came under heavy fire by a Republic task force, aimed to destroy the Dreadnought and hopefully take Kreldin and the Imperial leadership with it. The Malevolence faught off the attack, and the Republicans regrouped.
The Republic soon learned that Danik was not on the Malevolence, but was flying Black Star I. The Republic Navy gathered a task force led by the NRSD Reprisal and several hundred starfighters. The goal of the task force was to hunt Kreldin down and eliminate him. The goal of hunting Kreldin down was achieved rather quickly; his crimson starfighter stuck out like a sore thumb. Kreldin was escorting a bomber squadron as they prepared to assault the NRSD Monarch. Kreldin faught back with every ounce of skill he posessed, his years of combat flying proving too much for the Republicans. Strangely, he began to hear voices in his head, taunting him and whispering words of torment and death. It was the Dark Side, taunting him. Danik refused to listen, and continued to fight, confident he would overcome. He zipped in and out of his opponents' targeting computers, destroying ship after ship in nearly impossible feats. He was at his best. Eventually, however, the overwhelming numbers would begin to take its toll on Kreldin. As the HIMS Broadsword and War Shrike Squadron moved in to assist Kreldin, a lucky shot by Kyrin Sh'vani landed against Danik's Interceptor. The shot sent Kreldin spiraling out of control, and the ship exploded moments later.
After the end of the battle, Coruscant was in Imperial hands. Kreldin's loss was a heavy blow to the Empire, and High Command scrambled to find a replacement. Survey teams found the remains of Black Star I, but Danik's body was never found. It was written that his body was simply wiped out in the explosion, and Danik was listed as KIA. The Old Man of the Empire, the Nightmare of Athaniss, was finally dead. A state funeral was held for Kreldin on Corellia, and later on Coruscant. While the Empire mourned the loss of its hero, it also rejoiced in the defeat of the Republic and the liberation of Imperial Center. Vadim would reveal himself as Emperor of the Galactic Empire, seating himself on Coruscant. The galaxy would enter a new age.
After Kreldin's death, whispers that he survived spread throughout the lower ranks, where the young and more impressionable soldiers believed he would return when the Empire needed him again. Since Kreldin's body was never recovered after the battle, the rumors intensified, finally bearing fruit months later with Kreldin's surprise return to the galactic field.
[edit] A Survivor's Tale (15 ABY)
- "Dead? No, not yet. Still something I have to do."
- — Danik to Krieg Inrokana before bringing him into the plot to overthrow Vadim.
Whether it be a stroke of the Force, or Danik's own skill, can not be determined. After Black Star I was destroyed, Kreldin found himself in the cargo bay of a freighter, watched over by a medical droid. Completely unaware of his surroundings or who he even was, Kreldin was soon greeted by the owners of the freighter. They told him he was found by them sometime after Coruscant fell to the Empire, floating amidst wreckage in space. Unable to leave a fellow human for dead, the freighter crew took Danik in as they prepared to make their journey to the safety of Dac, which was receiving the largest numbers of refugees from Coruscant.
Danik, nothing on him other than his pilot's uniform, took on the name of Alois until his memory could return. Thanking the freighter crew for their generosity, Danik set out on Dac, anxious to rediscover himself and get back to where he belonged. While on Dac he would encounter his old friend and enemy, Sandor Woden, an agent for the New Republic Intelligence agency. His memory still lost, Danik was unaware of Sandor's true identity, and Sandor himself failed to recognize Danik behind his changed appearance, as he was now sporting a rather messy beard and other alterations. Nevertheless, the two would become friends again on Dac, and Sandor would influence Alois' way of thinking regarding the current political atmosphere.
Unaware of his Imperial ties, Danik, or Alois, decided to join Sandor in his own self-righteous crusade. The pair would be responsible for the terrorist bombing on Caspar in a botched assassination attempt, and later for widespread destruction on Corellia. However, as the weeks went by, Danik's memory began to recover. Soon, Sandor realized Alois' true identity. Before long, Danik was back to himself. But nothing would be the same.
[edit] A Failed Plot (15 ABY)
- "Maybe I will replace all your statues and tributes in the Empire with memorials to Axel Vichten, a true patriot to the Empire who rooted out your treachery to me."
- — Darth Malign to Danik
With his memory back, Danik sought to return to his old position in the Empire. Unfortunately for the aging veteran, things would turn out this way. The Empire had changed during his time as Alois. The government and military, and all aspects of Imperial life, were under the rule of Vadim and Korolov. Danik believed Korolov was incompetent and only concerned with his self-preservation, rather than the glory of the Empire and the ideals of the New Order. And Danik's opinions of Aleister Vadim were even more low; Danik had been one of the few to know the truth behind Vadim long before his galactic unveiling. Danik knew Vadim was not human and, above all, had no care for the Empire or the New Order. Vadim's address to the galaxy only proved Kreldin's fears.
Even though Danik had lost his connection to the Force during his ordeal, he had not lost his fighting spirit or devotion to the true precepts of the Empire. He knew it would be up to him to save the Empire before it fell even further under the sway of Vadim. Danik, using his leverage as a respected war hero and former Supreme Commander, began to secretly reach out to other trusted Imperials still in the military and government from his Estate. He brought the most prominent of these individuals to his Estate for a private meeting, including Lynae Cassius-Caiton, Antoine Dareus, Krieg Inrokana, Solon Halwinder, Keline Nelhrn, Dises Diaglo, Wescal Cantrell, Damien Loki Katon, Thraken Quadrix, Juran Reinzhiner, and others, to discuss the situation that he felt was destroying the Empire.
Surprisingly, Kreldin found that most if not all of those he contacted felt the same way. Hoping that he would receive the loyalty of the military should he make a move against Vadim, and with the support of his "inner circle," Danik felt that the Empire could still be saved before it fell completely by Vadim. Unfortunately for Danik, before his move could be executed, a mole revealed the intentions of his organization. COMPNOR, under the authority of Korolov, and the Sith, moved quickly. The Estate was attacked, Kreldin arrested, and the movement fell apart. Everyone involved was rounded up and questioned extensively by COMPNOR. Members of Danik's "inner circle" received the most scrutiny; Loki was executed after refusing to accept Vadim, while others were either exiled and discharged from Imperial service or simply accepted Vadim as their leader, despite their previous feelings. Danik was held in prison, his public figure destroyed in the eyes of the Empire by the workings of COMPNOR. Vadim now had utter control over the Empire. From the isolated chambers of his cell, Danik felt the Empire was doomed. In his mind, he had done his best to save it and he failed to live up to his vision he had witnessed so long ago. Left to rot in his prison cell, Danik's fate after his imprisonment is unknown to all but Vadim and his lieutenants.
[edit] Weapons Collector (13 ABY–15 ABY)
Danik began collecting weapons, equipment and rare items in 13 ABY. Within a year he was the owner of the single largest privately owned weapons collection. It was said that Kreldin could supply a small army. Many enthusiasts traveled to browse his collection of goods, and his collection was eventually showcased on Etti IV in late 14 ABY at CDEW.
[edit] Bounty Hunting and Galactic Swoop League (13 ABY–15 ABY)
Danik retired from active service in 13 ABY as a High Admiral, taking on the duties of Military Advisor on the Imperial Ruling Council. He gained some more freedom that allowed him to venture on his own (while he still planned for the upcoming Imperial Blitzkrieg). His adventures would take him across the galaxy as he took on the role of part-time bounty hunter, operating alongside Sandor Woden, his protege, and his bodyguard, Sethas. He even earned a spot as a manager of the Galactic Swoop League, his reputation as one of the galaxy's most famed swoop racers finally doing him some good.
He would never actively participate in bounty hunting again once the Blitzkrieg was underway, and his role as a GSL Manager was limited to begin with; the post-Blitzkrieg enviornment would see Danik return to active service as a Grand Admiral, and once again the military was put to the front of his concerns.
[edit] Black Sun (14 ABY)
At the urge of his savior, Scaven Marx, Danik was brought into the fold of the highly secretive criminal organization, Black Sun. Danik, however, was uneasy about this new appointment, fearing what the Empire would do to him if he was discovered, or what Black Sun would do to him if they discovered his involvement in their destruction at the Battle of Falleen's Fist in 3 ABY.
Danik was made Captain of Expatra, the military branch of the organization. Danik, however, had his misgivings about serving with a criminal organization as it went against his belief in the rule of law and the Imperial justice system. He felt obligated, however, to continue assisting Scaven, his "savior." However, when Scaven left Black Sun, Kreldin did not take long to sever all ties with the organization in late 14 ABY. Gimel Daleth, leader of Black Sun, confronted Kreldin aboard Malevolence, threatening him. No one was allowed to quit Black Sun, and any deserters faced death - Kreldin, however, ignored Gimel's empty threats and politely had her "escorted" off of Malevolence, never to bother him again. He left her with a warning: should anyone in the Empire find out about his involvement with Black Sun through her or her agents, he would bring down the harshest form of Imperial retribution that a Grand Admiral could. Satisfied that his secret was safe, Kreldin left Black Sun completely behind him.
[edit] Corporate Sector Authority (14 ABY–15 ABY)
The Etti IV Crisis in 14 ABY, which saw the large Second Battle of Etti IV, brought up the need for a new appointment of Imperial Advisor. The role of Imperial Advisor was previously held by Dises Diaglo, but Kreldin, then a Military Advisor and the overseer of the Empire's operation during the Crisis, was given the appointment and made Imperial Advisor to the Corporate Sector Authority. He would serve in this capacity until his death in 15 ABY.
[edit] Appearance and Equipment
Danik Kreldin stood at a less-than-intimidating 1.8 meters, and was, for all intents and purposes, average in his appearance. Following his retirement from the military, Danik was often seen wearing a fedora atop his head, covering his ever graying brown hair, and a trench coat over a Corellian-made suit. Eventually he would wear his white grand admiral's uniform upon coming out of retirement.
At least three sheaths were worn under his trench coat, holding a variety of melee weapons, typically Vibro-Rapiers, and throughout his body he had many Rodian Daggers and assorted knives concealed, as a last line of defense. He would later come to possess a Corellian Rapier, a rare and treasured weapon exclusive to the Corellian nobility.
From time to time, especially during his bounty hunting days, Danik could be seen in Enhanced Armor and its attached jetpack, carrying high-class weaponry, including two ZCF Grenade Launchers and two MWC .48 Enforcer Pistols.
In space, he came known by his trademark crimson-painted starfighters and starships, including the infamous TIE Interceptor Mark 2, the Black Star I, known to his enemies as SF-5085, its transponder.
His other vehicles were the Z-95A Head Hunter II, the Red Comet; the Z-96 Headhunter, the Der Kummer; the Scimitar Assault Bomber, the War Horse; the A-wing, The Nightmare of Athaniss; the Lambda-class Shuttle, the Corellian Hope; and prior to the fall of the Neo-Imperial Movement, the Marauder-class Corvette, the Truth and Reconciliation. All of these vehicles were purchased by Kreldin over the years, with the exception of The Nightmare of Athaniss, an A-wing which he disabled in combat and took as his own.
[edit] Medals and Awards
[edit] Battle History
Danik Kreldin's battle record is highly extensive, spanning thirty-six years and numerous conflicts.
[edit] Behind the scenes
[edit] Achievements
- Winner of the first MUSHy Awards for Best Actor.
- MUSH Legend, November 2002.
- Official Feature Character, 2005
- Imperial Assistant Faction Head, 2005-2006
- Sith apprentice, 2006
