Return of the THeX: Prologue

        “Clearly, we can’t just wait for them to rediscover us,”  said General Oren as he rose from his chair and mashed his fist onto the command control module, which caused the lights to flicker.  “Those Templars were sent here not to welcome us back but for some other motive.  Furthermore, General Eckse …”

            General Hoggar gestured with flick of his wrist toward General Eckse empty seat as he interrupted, “Then they left as quickly as they came.  This whole situation may be a misunderstanding.  Perhaps General Eckse did something to offend our guests.  I think I can safely assume that I speak for everybody else in the council that I have no doubt that our next contact from the imperium will go better, surely.”

General Oren snarled, “What of the other 2276 civilians in the area that were massacred in the aftermath?  Did they also offend our guests?  Pull your head out of the snow; don’t you see what is happening.  The Empire has changed.”

The bulkhead door rumbled then hissed as it opened.  Servitors poured through the room and rushed about the generals seated around the command control module.  Commissar Lithe’s grizzled and gnarled face emerged from behind the scurry of servitors.  His pristine dress uniform contradicted the look of man that should have died from his wounds long ago.  “Lord Governor Marshall Crix received over the holocomm.  On your feet!”

The room snapped to attention as the Lord Govenor Marshall appeared from the center of the command control module.  The servitors whizzed about the room stopping in front of each general ot send the image feed back to Fortress Echo on Tetrahoth.  The blue light emitters of the holoprojectors brightened an otherwise dour Lord Governor Marshall.  “I have received disturbing news from Monhoth.  Explain why I heard it from Representative Mannt and not my generals.”

“Sir, beg our pardon.  We were just about to contact you,” groveled General Hoggar, “but General Oren dissented to the opinion of the council that General Eckse offended or insulted the Templars and incurred their wrath.”

“Explain Oren,” commanded Lord Governor Marshall Crix.

“General Eckse was no fool, sir.  Since we were children Eckse has dreamt of the day when we would be brought back into the Emperor’s light.  He would not have offended in the slightest.  He even went so far as to get the most rigid and indoctrinated of the commissars on Monhoth to be sure everything followed Imperial Doctrine. You would have thought the Emperor himself was visiting.  I assert, sir, that the Empire may have changed or perhaps the Templars have become renegade.   It has been ages since last Imperial contact.  Much could have changed in that time.”

The Lord Governor Marshall waited for rebuttal from the other generals but there was not so much as a stir.  “There is wisdom in your thought Oren but I believe Hoggar’s explanation is more likely.  After all you have said yourself much may have changed, even Imperial Doctrine.  Perhaps he made a gesture or display that is now considered heretical because of some event in Imperial history that we are unaware.”  Lord Governor Marshall Crix paused and studied the smug expression of Hoggar as he glanced about the room to receive the silent accolades of his fellow generals.  “That said, perhaps to simply await salvation idly is folly.  General Oren and General Hoggar, you will take your regiments on an expedition outside the Hoth system.  You mission is to reestablish contact with the Empire and make known that the Hoth system is still loyal and remains ready to meet the Imperial tithes as soon as the trade ships arrive.  Generals, remember you carry the name of 1138th THeX.  Do us proud.  Dismissed.”