2374, Darth Vader's Counterattack
Outer Rim Territories, edge of Hutt Space, Ord Pardron.
This planet was the headquarters of the Galactic Empire's Thirteenth Army, Iron Lance. Since the Galactic Republic era, the military had monitored all of Hutt Space from here.
However, with the end of the Hutt Civil War, the Goresla Family had risen to sole dominance and attempted to establish a unified Hutt government. The Thirteenth Army's control had been severely challenged, and it had gradually lost its ability to deter Hutt Space.
The last intelligence they received was that the Goresla Family was working with a group of "space pirates" to build its own pirate fleet.
After the Galactic Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Dawn, the Goresla Family had consistently claimed that the Hutts would remain neutral. In reality, however, they had seized the opportunity to cut off contact between Hutt Space and the Galactic Empire.
Afterward, a Kingdom of Dawn squadron departed from Christophsis, defeated a Galactic Empire patrol fleet at Falrin Planet, then broke into Hutt Space and began fierce exchanges of fire with the Thirteenth Army.
According to communications intercepted by the Galactic Empire, the Kingdom of Dawn commander leading this squadron was named C and held the rank of major general. No one knew his real name, nor did anyone know what he looked like—because he wore a mask at all times.
Compared with the authority to independently command a fleet, the rank of major general was clearly too low. No one knew what considerations lay behind it.
Yet General C had led his fleet to defeat the Galactic Empire's fleet time and again.
Although the Galactic Empire had almost no forces left near Christophsis in the Southern Territory, repeatedly defeating the Imperial fleet had demonstrated the remarkable abilities of the