2586, Gideon Tarkin's Confusion
Meanwhile, on Charro IV Planet.
This was one of the Galactic Empire's Twelfth Army's key industrial worlds. During the Clone Wars, it had briefly joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems in opposition to the Galactic Republic.
But after the Galactic Republic launched its counteroffensive, Charro IV Planet in the Mid Rim swiftly surrendered. The Galactic Republic, and later the Galactic Empire, showed no courtesy toward this important industrial planet. They directly placed it under military occupation, replaced officials at every level, and appointed a Planet Governor.
After several years of development, Charro IV Planet had fully submitted to the Galactic Empire and was serving the Empire's military expansion plans with its formidable industrial output.
Imperial Admiral Gideon Tarkin was pacing anxiously around the command center, as though he could not remain still for even a second.
"Any word from Dak Planet? What about Garrosh's response?" This was the nineteenth time Gideon Tarkin had asked in twenty minutes.
"No, General. Nothing." The communications officer shook his head blankly.
Gideon Tarkin's chest heaved violently. "What about The Eye of Palpatine?" This was the seventeenth time he had asked that question in those twenty minutes.
"Not yet..." Before the communications officer could finish, he received a transmission and hurriedly looked up. "General! We have a message from Targon Planet!"
"Report!" Gideon Tarkin lunged over and leaned over the screen to inspect it himself.
The incomparably complex cipher on the screen was rapidly being decoded into plain text: Arrived at Targon Planet. The Eye of Palpatine is not here.
The message had come from an Aquitenes-class light cruiser dispatched to Targon Planet. Following Gideon Tarkin's orders, the light cruiser had been loaded with a vast quantity of supplies, including Coaxium, compressed blaster gas, Hypermatter fuel, and more.
At the same