orbit CHAPTER 1 The second Death Star was far from finished of the gas giant Suspended in a synchronous giant Endor's forest covered moon the space station was at its present stage an immense exposed superstructure only partially covered by armored plating Enormous skeletal girders curled away from the completed areas wrapping protectively around the internal reactor core that ran between the station's poles Even in its unfinished state it was obvious that the station would be sphere shaped And like its predecessor the station had a super laser focus lens positioned in its upper hemisphere and a trench that ringed the equator However it had none of the former Death Star's design flaws The redesigned redesigned superlaser would require mere minutes not hours to be recharged and could be focused more finely allowing it to fire at moving targets such as
capital ships With a projected diameter of 160 kilometers kilometers and a substantial increase in firepower the new Death Star would be not only larger than the original but also much more lethal An Imperial Star Destroyer arrived near the building building site then a Lambda class shuttle and two TIE fighters fighters dropped out of the Star Destroyer's main hangar As the shuttle and its escorts traveled toward the Death Star its captain spoke into a comlink Command station station this is ST Three twenty one Code Clearance Blue We're starting our approach Deactivate the security shield From the Death Star a controller answered The security deflector shield will be deactivated when we have confirmation of your code transmission Stand by you are clear to proceed We're starting our approach On the shuttle Darth Vader peered through a window window at the monstrous assemblage He thought Even if it succeeds where the previous Death Star failed it is an infant's trinket compared to the power of the Force As Vader's shuttle neared the space station's equatorial equatorial trench its hinged port and starboard wings raised in preparation for landing The TIE fighters peeled off and the shuttle proceeded to enter a wide hangar where it touched down on a gleaming black deck In the Death Star control room the shield operators
operators sat rigidly behind their consoles A control officer turned from a viewport faced one of the shield operators operators and said Inform the commander that Lord Vader's shuttle has arrived Yes sir the shield operator quicky replied The Death Star's commanding officer was Moff Jerjerrod a tall confident technocrat who had risen through the ranks of Logistics and Supply Jerjerrod hurried to the hangar and walked quickly past the Imperial Imperial officers and white armored stormtroopers who stood at attention before the landed shuttle Despite his confidence Jerjerrod swallowed nervously as the shuttle's shuttle's landing ramp lowered There wasn't a single Imperial Imperial soldier who hadn't heard about Darth Vader's predilection for strangling those who'd failed to carry out his orders Jerjerrod had no intention of having his name added to Vader's list of kills Darth Vader strode down the ramp From his head concealing helmet to his shin armored boots he was a nightmarish figure clad entirely in black An outer robe fell from his shoulders to the floor behind him and he swept onto the hangar deck like a malevolent malevolent shadow Lord Vader Jerjerrod said this is an unexpected pleasure We're honored by your presence You may dispense with the pleasantries Commander Commander Vader said not breaking his stride as he
moved past the gathered troops I'm here to put you back on schedule Walking fast to keep abreast with the dark lord Jerjerrod said I assure you Lord Vader my men are working as fast as they can Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them Jerjerrod stopped walking and promised I tell you this station will be operational as planned Vader stopped too Turning to face Jerjerrod he said The Emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal appraisal of the situation But he asks the impossible Jerjerrod replied I need more men Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives Jerjerrod was aghast The Emperor's coming here That is correct Commander Vader stated And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress progress Jerjerrod had been standing straight but tried to stand even straighter as he said We shall double our efforts I hope so Commander for your sake The Emperor peror is not as forgiving as I am Vader turned and walked out of the hangar leaving leaving Jerjerrod behind Back on Tatooine C 3PO had troubles of his own Of course I'm worried the protocol droid replied
