2906, Destruction of a Planet
May 30th, Year One of the Fourth Empire.
The Death Star's superlaser had entered the final stage of charging... Six green laser beams converged from around the dish-shaped focusing array, gathering at the central point.
Chardaan Planet's holo-broadcast system had begun continuously playing the planet's anthem. It had been chosen when the unified planetary government was established, but now, this beautiful song had become Chardaan Planet's requiem.
The people on the planet did not know what was happening, but they knew the Death Star was hanging above their heads. No one could connect this sudden anthem with destruction.
Perhaps the planetary government had once again knelt before the Galactic Empire, offering up some humiliating treaty and selling the planet's interests to those greedy Imperial politicians yet again?
At the same time, terrifying energy gathered, expanded, and compressed above the Death Star's dish-shaped main cannon, entering the final moment before firing.
"You do not need to ask me for instructions. Once charging is complete, fire immediately." On the Death Star's bridge, Wilhuff Tarkin gave a cold and cunning order.
Of course, he knew that whoever gave the firing order, whoever pressed the firing button, would bear the infamy of massacring more than a billion people.
Although he had given the order to fire, he had taken a roundabout path and placed all the pressure on the captain operating the Death Star's superlaser system.
That captain was named Purga. At that moment, he sat in his seat, pale and trembling all over, staring at the bright red button before him.
In his eyes, that crimson button kept growing larger, until it occupied his entire field of vision!
No, not merely his field of vision—it filled his life, his future, his soul!
With one press, he would slaughter