Third Imperial Fleet (Pre-Y12)

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3rd Imperial Fleet
Information
Abbreviations	3IF
Motto	"Brothers All"
Active	Year 7 Day 228 - Present (Current form)
Branch	Imperial Navy
Garrison/HQ	Fakir Sector
Fleet Command
FCO	LTCMDR Athrun Zala
FXO	LT Faol Sean
CoS	Vacant
Operations/Missions
Calaron Holdout Adkinien Operation Hapes Escort Vakkar Operation
Awards

The history of the Third Imperial Fleet is one of the most storied and illustrious throughout the reign of the Imperial Navy. An organized, efficient and ruthless fleet, the Third set the standard of military supremacy from its earliest inception. Former members have gone on to achieve levels of greatness throughout their endeavors. Embroiled in a history fraught with intrigue and cunning, the Third was involved in events that would help craft the future of the Empire. Throughout the range of missions and personnel assigned to the Third, the fleet served with skill and distinction. The legacy of the Third has impacted events on a grand scale, influencing the development of the civilized galaxy.

Early History

The creator of the Third fleet was Grand Admiral Gorn Veynom, who conceived of and established the fleet prior to the implementation of a browser based interface during the time of SWSIM. The fleet was born from the European Division, a vision of Colonel Rahvin and Major Veynom, who devised an assault group that would allow the Empire to effectively implement round-the-clock war strategies to perpetually and vigilantly defend the Empire. Together, Rahvin and Veynom proposed their tactics to Warlord Vodo Bonias who approved the strategy. A revolutionary moment occurred in February of 1998 (circa Y-1 D60) when the European Division (ED) was officially commissioned under the command of Rahvin and Veynom.

The Third would come into existence as a prodigy of the ED naval segment, with the same commanding officer and pilots that were its legacies. Major Veynom commanded the naval division, operating in conjunction with Colonel Rahvin, who received responsibility for the army members. The entire division was under the administrative authority of Defense Minister Spytek, who would later become Emperor.

As the name of the unit indicates, it was a compilation of entirely European members. The disparity between time zones allowed the ED increased effectiveness in responding to potential threats and the ability to launch assaults on unsuspecting enemy factions. However, the joint venture between Army and Navy did not persist for any significant amount of time.

In March of 1998 (circa Y-1 D88) the European Division split into two distinct units. The army unit under the command of Rahvin who reported to General Nlyn. Veynom remained in command of the naval segment under the authority of Admiral Piett, which was designated as the ED Squadron. The fledgling squadron grew quickly, emerging as the Third Naval Recon and Strike Fleet, sometimes abbreviated simply as the Third Recon. During this time, Veynom continued to display his leadership prowess, garnering recognition and a promotion to the rank of Commodore in April 1998 (circa Y-1 D119). The flagship of the Third was the ISD Blitzkrieg; it served as a base, instead of a system, for the mobile fleet. In the distant future, the Blitzkrieg would become the flag ship of the Imperial Navy under the command of Vice Admiral Calor Assam.

3rd Fleet Commanders

Gorn Veynom

Veynom had a reputation for being a stringent and exacting commander, demanding nothing less than excellence from those serving under his command. However, instead of resenting these traits, the pilots respected Veynom, considering him a fair commanding officer that demanded brilliant distinction.

Indeed, many of the members of the Third have gone on to amass impressive honors, gaining notoriety across the known galaxy (I think this sentence is the beginning of a new paragraph that includes everything highlighted in blue). Among these are Veynom, Gunther von Elsing, Jessy James, and the notorious Fox "Spookie" Spookers. Gunther von Elsing would become a Moff in the Empire, eventually joining the Imperial High Council (IHC), a position testifying to his enduring efforts and dedication. Elsing was eventually revealed as a powerful Sith and now serves the Emperor as Darth Vraith. Jessy James served in the Third Recon as a Lieutenant, but would leave the Third to join the Hapan consortium. James excelled in the confines of the cluster and eventually became the Hapan king. His past in the Empire remains a poignant memory, and he continues to possess the ship which carried him away from his former fleet many years ago.

The 3rd Recon was the elite unit of the Empire when accusations challenged the integrity of the fleet and its commanding officer circa Y0 D001. Captain Fox Spookers, Veynom's Executive Officer, accused Veynom of treason against Emperor Spytek, alleging that Veynom had conspired to usurp Spytek and seize power. To determine the validity of these accusations Emperor Spytek investigated the matter thoroughly. While the charges were grave, the reputation of Veynom was more than equal to the task. Veynom was acquitted and awarded a medal by the Emperor upon his declaration of innocence. It was then revealed that Spookers had lusted after the reigns of power in the Third, and when his treachery was undone he defected to the rebels where he gained such ignoble favor as to be elected their Supreme Commander.

The strategy in the Empire changed during this time, and the 3rd Recon was dissolved with most of the pilots being routed into the 2nd Imperial Fleet which was composed of the combined 21st and 22nd Sector Fleets. However, with Grand Admiral Veynom, then the Navy Commanding Officer, the 3rd would not remain inactive for long. The fleet was soon commissioned under the command of Fleet Admiral Simms, the Navy Executive Officer circa Y0 D151.

Knyte Simms

It was an expression of Veynom's confidence and trust in the Fleet Admiral when he assigned Knyte Simms as commander of the Third. Once again the Third Recon operated with a great deal of latitude and privilege not extended to the other Imperial Fleets. Assigned to the Outer Rim as its base, the Third reclaimed the glory of its former days. During this time, Opey Ryac - a lauded naval officer - would become the XO of the Third. Ryac had a strong history in the Empire and served admirably for years. What promised to be a productive and exemplary fleet for the foreseeable future was caught up in political intrigue when Emperor Connel took the throne. Knowing Veynom to be the legitimate Emperor, Simms protested the supremacy of Connel and defected to the Imperial Core about Y1 D214. When he left, most of the pilots from the Third followed their commanding officer out of a strong sense of loyalty and justice. Simms would later be known as Darth Knyte, a Sith in the service of Emperor Bonias and member of the IHC. The Third was maintained briefly under the command of Admiral Cherokee until sometime after Y1 D274. This closed the history of the Third for years until it was finally revived by Admiral Machkhit, who had been a young Lieutenant during the time Veynom commanded the Third.

Machkhit

The Imperial Navy underwent a series of reforms from after Y1 D274, eventually transitioning to six Sector Fleets and two Assault Fleets; the fleet was reformed again Y7 D211, when Sector Fleets were abandoned. In Y5 cira D32 the Imperial Navy converted back to Imperial Fleets, reinstating the 1st and 2nd Imperial Fleets while maintaining the two Assault Fleets. The Assault Fleets would ultimately be dissolved, and by Y6 D19 the Imperial Navy consisted of two fleets - the Home Fleet divided by sectors into four divisions and the immense 1st Imperial Fleet.

The Third was recommissioned under the command of Admiral Adar Machkhit on Y7 D211 with Alec Suba as his FXO. This evolution of the Third drew most of its pilots from the Coruscant Defense Fleet (CTDF) and was assigned to the primary Imperial sector. In order to most effectively execute their assignment, the Admiral ordered monthly patrols of each system in Coruscant. When Machkhit decided to retire from fleet command he turned over control of the Third to Alec Suba. From this point, the fleet went through a couple transitory FCOs. Suba took command on Y7 D269, however, he only served for about three months before retiring from his position. When Suba left, Dujaan Korr became the new commander on Y7 D355 and Suba's FXO, Dilnyrae Auvryndar, remained in the Executive Officer position. Eventually, Korr fell inactive and Auvryndar became the interim CO while Machkhit searched for an appropriate replacement.

Suba was eventually expelled from the Empire, although his presence would be felt again in a inimical manner. He would later infiltrate the Empire again as Arthus Calle and be found at the center of a rebellious organization known as The Brotherhood. When his conniving was uncovered, he fled the justice of the Empire.

Adam Diggins

Machkhit found a replacement for Suba in former Imperial officer Adam Diggins. Diggins returned on Y8 D39 quickly achieving the rank of Commodore. His followers accompanied him, integrating into the fleet as part of the 3rd Group that remained secret until after Calaron. During this time the 3rd Company was composed entirely of intelligence agents by nature and formally when integrated into the NIA. Originally, Captain Morbelis had been scheduled to replace Suba, but he was unable to fill this responsibility. Due to the lack of available officers at the time, the Third was in jeopardy of being disbanded due to lack of suitable replacement personnel.

Diggins immediately began training the fleet, bringing them to Dathomir on an exercise; a system usually outside their parameters. However, mid routine, they were dispatched on an urgent redeployment to the Calaron sector to meet a rebel offensive. The recently created New Republic was attempting to seize control of the Imperial systems in the sector as a show of strength by the fledgling government. On Y8 D45 the Third Fleet officially engaged the rebels in a build war known as the Calaron Holdout that lasted until Goth arrived with reinforcements on an appropriate level to build against the invasion fleet. The Third's role in Calaron ended on Y8 D150, and although the Empire would eventually lose the sector, their efforts attracted the notice of the Emperor and their labor was marked by the Calaron medal.

The fleet had twelve people to hold out against two rebel fleets that arrived prepared to wrest the planets from Imperial control. The rebels capitalized on a glitch in Darkness that allowed their NPC builders to continue building after they had been duly arrested. Even through these difficulties the Third harassed the occupying force, arresting hundreds while completing their own build projects. Ben Camden filled his ship with 400 arrested labors producing very cramped conditions for the prisoners before they could be sent to interment camps. However, it was the seemingly indefatigable aggression of Diggins that was seared in the memories of the rebels. A CR-92 would appear out of the darkness to capture rebels, just to disappear again under its cloak; it was scornfully named The Ghost of Calaron by the plagued enemy. The contention over planets was bitter, control switching several times between Imperial and rebel on vigorous days.

The Third was requested to escort the Emperor on a state visit to the Hapes Cluster to convene with King Jessy James of the consortium. The fleet arrived around Y8 D165 well ahead of the flag ship SSD Sovereign. It was, however, no token show of force that dropped out of hyper into the Hapan system; the entire fleet made the jump to conduct Emperor Vodo Bonias safely to orbit. The Hapan Navy was stunned to see two Imperial Star Destroyers and four Victory Star Destroyers, along with a couple supporting capitals and 400 fighters swarming out of the ships to light up their scanners. That organized jump set historical standards in terms of ships jumped within a narrowly specific window of time. When the Sovereign arrived, a contingent of fighters was immediately dispatched to accompany the SSD to the system interior. They departed the system Y8 D182 and returned to their normal patrols in Coruscant.

The next assignment to be entrusted to the Third was the building of the Imperial tax planet Adkinien in conjunction with other units from the Navy and Army. The completion of this project would take place under the guidance of another commanding officer after Diggins retired to create his own shadow government. However, the smooth efforts in the early days of Adkinien were interrupted by news of scandal perpetrated by the notorious pirate Teniel Djo.

News flashed through the galaxy that Djo had kidnapped a Tenloss High Commander and a personal friend of Diggins. The Galactic Empire was involved in diplomatic negotiations with Tenloss at the time; the successful rescue of the imprisoned official promised to be an advantageous bargaining point in favor of the Empire, Diggins reasoned, if it could be effected. Diggins made inquiries of his intelligence network and learned that Djo was hiding just outside the Lorel system; the Tenloss hostage, Asaryakatr, was still aboard her ship. Most of the fleet remained at Adkinien to continue work on the tax planet while the 3rd Group was dispatched to locate the hidden pirate. Diggins organized a grid search, choosing at random where his limited resources would concentrate their efforts. Through a fortunate stroke of fate, the Third located Djo's ship and rescued the Tenloss captive. However, Emperor Bonias had an arrest warrant issued for Asaryakatr for crimes against the Empire. Instead of holding her in custody for the throne to determine her fate, Diggins released Asaryakatr, saving her life, in defiance of the Imperial edict.

Following the mission, Commodore Diggins concentrated on developing some Naval reforms. Eventually, he led an anti-pirate operation meant to strike at the heart of the illicit organization; however, it suffered an ill-fated end and put Diggins squarely in the way of death. He tried to trap Djo on his capital ship, but ended up being captured himself. After trying unsuccessfully to plan his own rescue, he paid the ransom for his release. The peril taught him some amount of caution, and after completing his work on the reforms Diggins retired to Terra Stryker Industries circa Y8 D274.

Arkhan Gambit

Alina Diggins and Mara Diggins followed him when he left the Galactic Empire for the second time, crippling the fleet which was quickly becoming inactive. On Y8 D281 Arkhan Gambit became the commanding officer of the Third with Zakk Bourget as XO. The following day, September 10, the Beta squad of the 1st Imperial Fleet was assigned to the 3rd Imperial Fleet as part of a naval reform. Bourget was not with the fleet for long when he was transferred to the Imperial Army, and Anu Skycreaper replaced him as XO. It was under Gambit that the fleet completed Adkinien on Y8 D364. However, even as they were finishing up one planet, they had already received orders to embark on another project.

The Third was ordered to insert into the Fakir sector to scan and scout all of the systems. Fleet Admiral Slicer had originally planned for the Third to become the Coruscant Defense Fleet as part of the Naval reforms; however, Grand Moff Goth had other plans for the fleet. Goth chose the Third, under Gambit, for the Fakir sector because it was one of the first fleets to be organized following implementation of the restructuring. As such, the fleet was stationed in Fakir. Around Y9 D0 the fleet was assigned to the Vakkar system as its new base of operations, and work on the next tax planet would soon commence. Like his predecessor, Gambit would not remain as FCO to see the completion of work begun on the tax planet; the conclusion of the efforts on Vakkar would be overseen by Gambit's successor, Walter Boole. Gambit regretfully withdrew from command of the Third to transfer to government and Walter Boole became the CO on Y9 D62.

Walter Boole

Commander Walter Boole (aka Waterbool) came into possession of a young fleet with a fledgling command staff.

Patrick Martin

Patrick Martin became the CO of the 3rd Fleet following the standing down of Commodore Boole from naval command duties. Patrick was the last remaining officer in the fleet and one of only two original members under the command of Gambit. Having trained all those in the fleet since their entry, his taking over went smoothly. He took up command of the 3IF on the Dostra mission in the Corporate Sector, which he had been overseeing thus far under the command of Hack Skice. Following a little over a month as Commanding Officer, Martin was replaced by Rear Admiral Dale Chambers and transferred to the newly formed 9th Fleet as their Executive Officer. After a few months of service with the 9th, blighted by problems, Martin was offered a transfer back to the 3rd Fleet. Although moving down a notch on the chain of command and becoming Chief of Staff, Martin was pleased to be back with his "brothers."

Dale Chambers

Rear Admiral Dale Chambers became commanding officer of the 3IF on Year 10 Day 164. His time of service in the Third was brief and he was replaced by Gabriel Kaine. The most notable event to happen during his command was the discovery on Gorbas of Lt. Eole still trapped inside the mouse droid. Shortly after returning from the Admiral's meeting, Chambers was removed from the command for classified reasons.

Gabriel Kaine

Gabriel Kaine, nephew of the deceased Rear Admiral Incubus Kaine, received his commission after spending some time as a advisor to the 9th Imperial Fleet. On Y 10 D 290, Vice Admiral Axe Vulcan sent out notice that Commander Gabriel Kaine would replace Rear Admiral Dale Chambers as the Fleet Commanding Officer. Despite the great success and activity level that the 3rd had, Kaine was appointed to the fleet to provide the pilots and officers with a strong Fleet Commander to offset the previous administrations shadow style of command. To his knowledge much of the responsibility of the fleet during the waining parts of Chambers stay rested on his Executive Officer, Commander Sola Tao. Shortly after taking command of the fleet, Gabriel pulled all of the fleet's officers into a series of meetings to better improve the fleet and begin changing its dynamics. The 3IF War Council had been established.

Until he transferred to the 2nd Imperial Fleet, along with his War Council and Fleet Command Staff, Gabriel Kaine continues to push the envelope on this great fleet and was pleased to know that the Third Imperial Fleet still remained at the pinnacle of the Imperial Navy.

Sola Tao

When Kaine left for the 2IF, his second-in-command Commander Sola Tao received the position of Fleet Commanding Officer to secure the recent vacancy. Tao had joined the Galactic Empire during the merger with the New Imperial Order, her service record was that of a distinguished officer. Under her command, the 3IF built up many of the planets in Fakir sector in coordination with Moff Sengir and the sector regional government. The build up was part of an Empire-wide initiative to increase planetary GDPs, raise the poverty line, provide jobs and offer a better standard of living. The 3IF completed their assignments before the deadline.

Eventually Tao grew impatient, desiring advancement in the Imperial Navy and transferred to Naval Communications. When she did not receive a promotion, the Commander defected from the Galactic Empire to the Krath Dynasty.

Marius Drake

Marius Drake received command of the Third Imperial Fleet in a sudden manner after Tao was removed from the post. Although the transition was not an expected one, the Lt. Commander had worked to make it reasonably smooth and keep the fleet efficient.

Unfortunately, within weeks of taking command, Drake went AWOL. This left the Fleet in even more confusion than before, and had a negative impact on morale and activity.

Athrun Zala

With the second-straight Fleet commander suddenly leaving, Lieutenant Junior Grade Athrun Zala was left to take command. The young Lieutenant's goal was to reverse the low morale and stalled activity of the Fleet and to make it one of the best in the Empire, as it had been in the past. Zala held the title of acting fleet commander until the NHC offically recognized him as the permanent Fleet CO on Y11 D293.

Missions and Operations

Calaron Holdout

An unplanned mission during which the Third Fleet had to fend off an assault by the rebels. The Third held two systems against the rebels fleets until reinforcements arrived.

Adkinien

Hapes Escort

Vakkar

The Emperor was to travel to the Hapes sector to meet King James. Emperor Bonias was to meet the entire Third fleet in Hapes, he would be aboard the flag ship SSD Sovereign. The entire Third Fleet arrived in orbit to welcome the Emperor's ship.

Adkinien Operation

Adkinien was the first tax planet to which the Third Fleet was assigned. Started under the command of Diggins and finished under the command of Gambit, the fleet distinguished itself well in the project.

Vakkar Operation

Shortly after a Naval reform the planet Vakkar in the Vakkar system, Fakir Sector, was chosen to be the next major development. The 3rd Fleet was selected to build it and would then be stationed at Vakkar permanently to be the Fakir Sector's Fleet.

Famous Past Members

Grand Admiral Gorn Veynom, Current Sim Master.
Gunther von Esling, Sith Lord and IHC member.
Knyte Simms, Sith Lord and IHC member.
King Jesse James, Former Ruler of Hapes Consortium
Isoldor Storm, Sith Lord. Deceased.
Thomas Cherokee, Current Emperor.

Infamous Past Members

Fox Spookers, traitor to Empire and former Supreme Commander of Rebel forces.

Careers

Are you motivated, adventurous and outgoing?

Then there will certainly be a job in the Imperial Navy to suit you.

For more information on a career in the Imperial Navy please visit http://www.swc-empire.com/join.php or drop in and see an Imperial Navy Careers Advisor at your local Imperial Centre for Recruitment office. (#CMG-Empire-icr)