[center][h3]Admiral Ximen
Bridge of The Keep, After the Briefing[/h3][/center]

*[i]Commander on deck[/i]* announced the [url=http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/f/ff/Tactical_droid_2_Naboo.png/revision/latest?cb=20121122163110]tactical droid[/url], as the Admiral, perched precipitously atop an clawed mechno-chair, clanked into the bridge, his voluminous blue robes spilling out from the heavy metal frame of his pressure suit.

"rePORT[i]-buzzzt-[/i]" demanded Ximen as he futzed with the voice-dials arrayed across his gleaming breastplate, "SYSTEms status."

His chair lurched to the center of the command platform, then froze and settled under his weight with a slow hydraulic hiss. Around him, B-1 pilot models hunched over terminals, beeping quietly as they monitored the [i]Keep[/i]'s subsystems and the asteroid field in which she lay hidden from Imperial sensors.

*[i]Aft turbo-laser batteries assessed at 37% capacity, deemed not fully recoverable in the absence of repair facilities.[/i]* the t-model replied, approaching the admiral with a data-slate, *[i]gas-leak in engineering located and repaired. [b]Keep[/b] assessed mission-ready despite sub-optimal offensive systems. Lightning Squadron has requested additional hangar space in-[/i]*

"Gr-[i]zzzzzt[/i]-anted," said Ximen, with the wave of a black-gloved hand, "Inform Major Sovv that he has my [i]-zzzt-[/i] backing in whatever he re-[i]zzzt[/i]-quires. Send LOM-8347 to remove any excess ground personnel from the h-[i]zzt[/i]-ngers. What of the Imperials?"

*[i]TIE forces continue to sweep the debris cluster[/i]* replied the t-series, as a holo-display of the asteroid field flickered into life in front of the admiral, with red indicators of enemy fighter locations, all distant from the Keep's position, *[i]Mynock Squadron in position to intercept/ambush any enemy scouts that breach detection radius.[/i]*

"Acceptable. The likelihood of our discovery?"

*[i]15%[/i]*

"Analysis."

*[i]Enemy employing standard Imperial search-destroy formations. No detected deviations. At current rate, enemy would breach Keep's detection radius in 7 months. Correction: 8.4 months. Two TIE units just destroyed by asteroid impact. 10% chance of discovery, contingent entirely on change in Imperial search procedure.[/i]* 

Admiral Ximen's beady eyes watched from behind round goggles as two red pin-points disappeared from the holo-display.

"[i]-zzzt-[/i]fools," he said in his mechanical croak, to no one in particular, "squandering their chance to catch us."

*[i]Quite agreed, Admiral.[/i]* replied the droid.

Ximen sat back in his chair. Behind his mask, a lipless mouth was curled into a frown. The clumsiness of his hunters was typical of the Imperial Navy, inept as it tended to be in anything but open engagements between ships of the line. 

At Anaxes, however, they had been anything but clumsy. Their ambush had been near perfect, failing to destory the [i]Keep[/i] only due to the skill of the Rebel ship's fighter screen. One well-placed ion torpedo had been the difference between life and death. 

Ximen doubted that whomever had organized the Anaxes trap was bothering to command the pursuit.

"Have you completed your analysis of the Anaxes engagment?" he asked the droid.

*[i]Yes, Admiral.[/i]*

"You may proceed."

*[i]Victory-class cruisers [b]Stalwart[/b] and [b]Firestorm[/b] identified. Engagement histories being uploaded to your data-slate now.[/i]*

"What of the Destroyer?"

*[i]Transmission intercepts identified it as the ISD-[b]Lycurgus[/b].[/i]*

"Her command-[i]zzzt[/i]-er?"

*[i]The databanks to which I have access only indicate that the [b]Lycurgus[/b] is not a garrison ship, nor does it appear in our roster of Imperial capital-class vessels.[/i]*

Ximen pressed the tips of his long, gloved fingers together. "Perturbing. Ask Commander Axton to report to the Bridge. Perhaps Alliance Intelligence knows more than[i]-zzzzt-[/i]they care to enter into our databanks. It will not do for us to ignore an Imperial who knows how to lay a competent ambush[i]-zzzt.[/i]"