Monopolization

Ian Remington ordered Governor Aymar to attack the Separatist Holdouts in Hummingbird Enterprises's interests. Governor Aymar raided facilities and factories throughout the Outer-Rim Territories, going as far as to even discover Rebel Cells and report them to a fellow Governor for them to eliminate. Bloodthirsty Trandoshan mercenaries were dispatched alongside Imperial Stormtroopers to act as an aiding force in their raiding operations. Hummingbird Enterprises would purchase the recently claimed and auctioned facilities, raided intel and droid schematics were confiscated by the Empire. Governor Aymar easily went through the red-tape and attained the items, handing them to Ian Remington personally. Hummingbird Enterprises would build droid factories under the supervision of the Empire. An Imperial License was granted, thus making Hummingbird Enterprises a legitimate corporation granted the ability for the manufacturing and sale of weaponized droids.

"Monopolization, Operation Breakdown" A Kilo Battalion Captain, simply known as Brutus, assembled a strike-team and are resting on a ledge on the side of a mountain. After a Rebel X-Wing flies overhead, Brutus and his team start climbing a wall of ice with ice picks. There is a harrowing moment when a pair of Y-Wing Bombers take flight overhead, nearly dislodging Brutus from his position on the cliff. Once at the top, they jump a small gap. A KB Soldier does not make it and nearly falls to his death when Brutus grabs his hand at the last moment, saving his life. Brutus brings the KB Soldier up, and they climb up the rest of the mountain. Here, Brutus teaches the team to use the Heartbeat Sensor attached to their weapons. They simultaneously down enemy patrols as they move to the airbase. Brutus then climbs a nearby ridge to provide overwatch with his thermal sight, while the KB Strike-team infiltrates the airbase. The team proceeds to the fuel depot under the cover of the blizzard using the heartbeat sensor to thread their way through vehicles and patrols. He then plants explosives on the fuel depot to serve as a diversion in the event that a quiet extraction is not possible, and moves to a hangar, rejoining Brutus, to recover a crashed satellite containing an Imperial Deathstar module. Brutus takes out the lone guard inside the hangar and, directs a soldier upstairs to retrieve the module.

As soon as the soldier grabs the module, Rebel soldiers hold Brutus and the team at gunpoint and the base commander Major Likio, threatens to kill Brutus if any other soldiers that were with him do not surrender in 5 seconds. As the major counts down, the KB Soldier detonates the explosives, sending the Rebel soldiers in disarray. Brutus and his team use this distraction to fight their way out of the hanger and towards the runway using destroyed X-Wings for cover. They reach a break in the fence and slide down a hill where they encounter enemy snowmobiles. After downing the crews the team escape on the snowmobiles and evade their pursuers, who use snowmobiles and an aircraft in an attempt to kill them. The last obstacle is a giant gorge which is taken at full speed to reach the LZ where Kilo Six-One is waiting. When Rebel soldiers fired potshots from across the gorge, Kilo Six-One responded with a TIE Bombing run. Brutus and his team escape with mission success and intel retrieved, Hummingbird Enterprises and the Empire do not need any further investigations of the rebel airbase. Finally, bombing it flat. The ice-world of Liozs in the Mid-Rim was rid of the Liozs Resistance. Hummingbird Enterprises and the Empire pooled resources, with a HE Manager ordering the Mining Union to start core-sampling for rich minerals. Liozs would be another planet under HE and Empire occupation.

"Monopolization, Operation Guns Down" Overseer received actionable intel on a militia running guns throughout the Tion Sector, a significant amount of Imperial-occupied systems with known rebel networks hidden deep and in plain sight. Overseer sends Kilo Battalion to capture Alello Rojjo in the slum city of Seeze. Having followed two militia members, Kilo Battalion finds Rojjos' assistant. The assistant guns down the two militamen before shooting at the speeder Brutus and a driver are in, killing the driver. Brutus chases the assistant into an alleyway, and under Overseer's orders, Brutus fires on the assistant's legs, crippling him before he could escape into the slum. Kilo Battalion sergeants begin their interrogation of the assistant, Overseer tasked Brutus and a split team to search for Rojjo in the slums. When they arrive, Brutus fires warning shots, telling the civilians to hide. The gunfire also prompts the militia to come out and engage the group, believing that the police have come to finish them off. Battling through the low-level slum, the KB team is eventually killed by the militia, leaving Brutus by himself.

Overseer informs Brutus that they have learned of Rojjos' location, and the KB Strike-team are on their way to apprehend him. Brutus will not have backup, as there is no time to call for reinforcements. Brutus battles his way to the upper levels of the slums as he encounters more militia, some of them armed with RPGs. The KB strike-team have several opportunities to incapacitate Rojjos, but Brutus does not allow it. It was too risky. The team continue to cut off Rojjos' means of escape, and when Rojjos seems like he is about to get away, Brutus tackles him onto a car. The Seeze militia attempted to intercept, while the KB team fends off the attackers, Brutus boards a transport shuttle and makes his way back to the closest Imperial station. Where Alello Rojjo would be interrogated for his supposed CIS supplier. The Imperial Empire then began bombing runs across Seeze. Next, Kilo Battalion soldiers displaced civilians out of their homes and burned it down, hunting down Militia members. The Seeze Militia was quashed eventually.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Torranix" The Aurodium Legion, named after the sparkling precious metal aurodium, is a contingent of hardened mercenaries centered in the Farlax Sector. Named, funded, and led by Dorn Zeke, a cold-blooded reptile from Barab I, the Legion historically specialized in missions so dangerous that the members of the company were regarded as 'dead men.' In the recent past, however, the Legion has chosen to focus on economic development and construction in the outlying systems of civilized space. Over time, the Legion has become a recognizable mercenary force in the galaxy and has successfully transitioned into a formidable government. As envisioned by Dorn Zeke, the purpose of the Legion is to remove disruptive elements from society and put them to use liberating worlds from tyrannical governments. Recruits include wandering soldiers-of-fortune, failed revolutionaries from remote planets, and deserters from various armies, both defeated and victorious. In its bustling ranks are thrill-seeking adventurers, swaggering bravoes, blockade runners, and professional bodyguards. Grizzled veterans are the dominant element — thick-skinned, surly-tongued mercenaries, with vibroblades in their belts and guile in their hearts. The Legion also has corsairs from the Mid Rim, including giant Trandoshan renegades, taciturn, dangerous, with Concussion Rifles strapped to their great scaly torsos — as mercenaries wear blasters openly in the Legion.

The Koornacht Cluster in the Farlax Sector has been chosen as the Legion's headquarters. They maintain a clandestine base on a barren moon orbiting a nearby planet. Nicknamed the "Blood Moon" for its rust colored soil and the red light of the Carosi sun, the moon is used as a listening post from which the Legion uses a captured HoloNet receiver to intercept and analyze transmissions throughout the sector. The information gathered is then sold to information brokers in the black market. The base also contains a bacta tank, a dozen Y-wing fighters, and several shuttles. They occasionally strike at targets along the Metellos Trade Route. The base personnel are highly versatile jack-of-all-trades who fly and maintain their ships while operating the bootlegged HoloNet receiver. The first sector, the Torranix Sector borders the Empire's Core Worlds. the Legion hijacks the controlling space station of the Orbital Defense Initiative, an orbital superweapon that utilizes kinetic bombardment, and use it to destroy several Imperial-occupied cities and other stations. In an attempt to defend the ODI from falling into enemy hands, but are ultimately unable to stop them from firing it on Imperial cities. With no other choice, the crew aboard decide to scuttle the station by sabotaging its key systems, the explosion killed the crew and caused the station to self destruct. The crew is then burnt in Stassia's orbit.

Ten days later, the Empire has fought the Legion to a stalemate along a front that comprises the destroyed cities and planets, also known as "No Man's Space". Brutus is part of a KB unit commanded by Colonel Potitus and during a patrol, they spot an Imperial is working with the Legion who is called Sam Tucker. Soon after, the KB unit is ambushed and rescued by Stormtroopers who are seeking their companion Jakz, who was captured by Tucker. Brutus and his team join the mission to rescue Jakz, but arrive too late to rescue him and after he is killed by Legion soldiers, they later reunite with Colonel Potitus. Believing Brutus is ready to join his unit, Potitus welcomes him into the unit and they learn from him that Tucker once were their leader. However, during a successful mission to assassinate General Alimago, then ruler of the Aurodium Legion in the capital Galantos, Colonel Potitus is forced to abandon Sam Tucker, who was presumed dead, but instead turned traitor and is now hunting down his former companions. Colonel Potitus and Brutus devise a massive attack in order to capture Tucker, but while flying back home, Tucker's men attack their ship. The team is then forced to land deep into the Kokash sector, right next to the Farlax sector, where they witness a rocket being launched with an unknown purpose. Once reunited, the KB unit storm a Legion laboratory in J't'p'tan, in the Farlax sector and obtain data regarding a classified operation in a factory at N'zoth.

To secure a path to the factory, the KB team destroy the Legion's Atlas oil platform located in Galantos to lure the enemy fleet away from their objective and sink their remaining destroyer guarding the N'zoth coast. Once inside the factory, the team discovers that the Legion had reverse engineered the ODI's technology and developed their own orbital bombardment system. After destroying the factory, Colonel Potitus and Brutus regroup in Metellos but are captured by Tucker who kills Colonel Potitus in front of Brutus who later finds an opportunity to escape. Realizing that once the Legion's OBS become operational they will be defeated for good, the Hummingbird Enterprises and the Empire pool all their remaining forces in a synchronized attack to take down an enemy space center in the planet of Widek while a small team of soldiers boards a shuttle to take over the Legion satellites in space. Once both objectives are completed, Brutus pursues Tucker to avenge the Colonel, in which he is successful. Only to discover, Sam Tucker was a Recruitment Liaison and under a short interrogation. Sam admits the second-in-command of the Legion, Dru Snotz can be located in the Galov sector. The Legion has a presence there, but the sector is governed by Moff Antoll Jellrek. Governor Aymar ordered the Moff to apprehend Dru Snotz. When special forces kicked down Dru's door, they were met with heavy resistance, sparking a massive conflict in the Galov sector.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Galov" Moff Antoll Jellrek deployed an Imperial battalion which begin attacking a Legion outpost on the agrarian world of Gamorr, home of the Gamorreans. As Legion pilots dash to their Defenders, Imperial Sniper airspeeders begin flying down onto the battlefield. Several hundred AP-2, AP-3 and AP-1-C attack droids gun down the lightly defended Legion infantry, as the Imperial Snipers gain the same advantage in the air. Dru Snotz contacts Republic Core Base for reinforcements, soon choking on smoke and collapsing. Just as a group of AT-ATs appear on the horizon and target his position. The AT-ATs then obliterate the outpost, while fending off Gamorrean clans who felt threatened by the occupation. The Empire then leaves, when the clans suddenly clash with each other, fighting over the destroyed outpost. Special taskforces dismantled the Legion's influence and power over the Galov sector, while the Moff swoops in and inherits the credit.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Farlax" Dru Snotz was apprehended and thrown into an interrogation chamber where a commodore would lie to Snotz, informing him that he's been betrayed by the Legion. Snotz was hesistant at first but fell for commodore's lies. Snotz would become an informant, betraying the Legion for his own salvation and the promise of immunity. Dru Snotz revealed Sob Connors was the de-facto leader of the Aurodium Legion. Imperial governors in the Irishi, Hijioan, Reecee, Bilbringi, Kokash, Kanchen, Praxlis, Vannell, Tamban sectors cracked down on the local resistance cells with intent of elimination or imprisonment. The planets of Cal-Seti, Aradia and Tamban were locked down and blockaded by the Empire. Trandoshan Clandestine Services sought out their fellow Trandoshan mercenaries, locating the "Blood Moon" acting on the intel told from Dru Snotz. A dogfight started between the Imperial TIEs and Rebel-affiliated Legion ships nearby the moon. A Kilo Battalion transport landed Brutus and his strike-team alongside New Breed Trandoshan PMCs, a skirmish between Trandoshans and Legion mercenaries ensued while Brutus and a Kilo Battalion strike-team are searching for Sob Connors to eliminate him. The Empire uses Connor's decapitated head as a message to the rest of the galaxy, to not attempt resistance and embrace the law and order. Hummingbird Enterprises was praised for its support in the war effort. Officially, capitulating the Aurodium Legion's territories into the Hummingbird Enterprise's and Imperial territories.

"Monopolization, The Echani Dominion" Ian Remington felt a blood-drunk like never before and demanded that Governor Aymar declare war on the Echani Dominion, a culture of respected warriors, being known as the best duelists of their time. The Echani Dominion was formed to represent this culture as a formal mercenary guild. Governor Aymar hesitates due to the Pentastar Alignment, written by Grand Moff Marmot Walker to make the Echani a neutral entity. Uncle Jack made Grand Moff Marmot Walker disappear entirely without a trace, therefore asserting the Pentastar Alignment void. Ian Remington warned Governor Aymar not to protest against the company. Hummingbird Enterprises declared war on the Echani Dominion, located in the Eshan system, Inner-Rim Territories. Ian Remington dispatched Uncle Jack to hunt down the Dominion, the mercenary guild. The Echani Command, the Echani government attempted to halt Uncle Jack and discuss diplomatically and resolve this peacefully. That Echani diplomat disappeared. Dominion facilities were discovered and sabotaged, Uncle Jack and his band slowly broke down the Echani Dominion's networks. Following the chain-of-command eventually finding the Dominion were based on a nearby planet, the uninhabited planet Phateem, located in the Nouane sector, covered in bamboo forests and mountains.

"Monopolization, The Firefight of Phateem" Trandoshan Clandestine Service agents and Kilo Battalion Captain Brutus meet up with the local chief, Eans, at a village where Eans gives them an update on the location of one of the two Echani leaders of the Dominion the TCS is after, Edward Revanchist. Eans is able to provide them some time to move in while turning his warriors away from their position. Uncle Jack leaves the bar and head into an alley where Brutus is waiting. After gearing up with their weapons, the team move into Edward's hideout where he is guarded by Echani mercenaries. The team open fire and clear out the room of Edward's men before moving up to the next floor where the team chases Edward through the rooftops and face resistance from more of Edward's men. After catching up with Edward by jumping over to the rooftop he's on and taking out the rest of his men, Brutus interrogates him on the whereabouts of the remaining Echani Dominion, discovering the de-facto leader is Amand Kadvar. He eventually tells them Kadvar is at the Corsin Run in the planet of Bogden for a meeting. After getting the information, Uncle Jack executes Edward Revanchist.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Eshan" Governor Aymar forced a final confrontation with the Echani above Eshan. He deployed a massive Imperial fleet to the planet. In utter secrecy, he had prepared the superweapon, ODI. The weapon was the centerpiece of a trap with which he hoped to bring about a conclusive end to the destructive conflict. Commanding the fleet and overseeing the device's use was a capable and jaded Imperial General, Klous Bo who had taken part in the recent bloody campaign against the Rebellion. Echani Command lured the Imperials to Eshan and a massive fleet battle ensued in orbit. Finally, as the fighting grew intense, Klous Bo observed that the Echani had taken the bait and that his trap was set to spring. With a nod of his head, he commanded the Imperial engineers to activate the secret weapon. Moments later, he watched in horror as a significant portion of both fleets were suddenly drawn from orbit into a vast gravity vortex that was powerful enough to crush the countless ships into the planet's crust and fracture the world to its very core. Few ships from either fleet survived the battle of Eshan unscathed, but the Echani sustained the worst damage and the highest casualties. In the wake of their fleet's almost complete annihilation by the ODI, the Echani survivors rapidly transmitted their unconditional surrender, thus ending the Echani Battle.

"Monopolization, Argent Company" Ian Remington bathed in the blood of both the Enterprise's and the Empire's foes, overpowered by this sudden slaughterous state of mind, felt that he had further monopolize a single racket. Gunrunning guilds roam freely throughout Imperial space, such as Argent Company, an Amani warband that accepts private military contracts for reconnaissance, territorial enforcement, and conventional ground combat. Specializing in airmobile infantry operations, the Argent Company is expensive but will take any necessary risk to achieve campaign objectives. Once a contract is accepted, they will entertain no other offers and will remain engaged until the last warrior has fallen or the opposition is routed. Commanded by Lorekeeper Outis Hawkwind of the Charnoq tribe, the corporate franchise was obtained from Outer Rim Consulting to serve as a commercial shell for interstellar contract negotiations. From its fortified headquarters at the edge of the Outer Rim, the Argent Company is one of the premier mercenary units of the galaxy and fights for any banner that can afford them. They operate independently and require no equipment or supply, only access to communication networks to receive orders and pass intelligence.

"Monopolization, Recruitment Center" Ian Remington decided to bust out a checkbook and employ the Argent Company, to start a series of campaigns against rival corporations. Such as the Blackscale Clan, Dark Star Hellions, the Exelis Syndicate, Galactica Security Services, the House of Zhug, Mecrotica Conglomerate, the Nautolan Society, Santhe Security, Shownar Rangers, Sons of Turul are all proclaimed rivals of Hummingbird Enterprises. Also employing the services of the Notron Centurions, a military force who took part in many early galactic conflicts: Formed from the veterans of the Taung Wars they defended holy Notron against all who threatened it, culminating in their participation in the millennia long crusades that took place during the Pius Dea era. The Centurions fought for their home world of Notron and continued on afterward during the expansion of the Galactic Republic. Disbanded centuries ago after the conclusion of the 34th Crusade they have been reformed by members of the Thirteen nations of Zhell under the leadership of Erasmus I, Vicar of Azurba and Legatus of the Notron Centurions to answer the call of the 35th Crusade.

"Monopolization, The Corporate War" Hummingbird Enterprises built more mining facilities to fund their war effort, produced a droid army to act as the bulk of the attacking forces, enlisted the help of the Empire and Kilo Battalion, ordered the criminal syndicates to start dealing with the Enterprise more often, sold more weaponry than ever before and employed the services of murderous gangsters, Imperial privateers, bloodthirsty legionnaires and mercenary armies. The massive storm that Hummingbird Enterprises plans to wage against their enemies will send ripple effects throughout the galaxy unheard of in history. Hummingbird Enterprise Droids are blockading and invading every planet, engaging in an all-out conflict with the opposing force. Overseer and Captain Brutus devise a plan for an Imperial intervention and reinforcements to re-establish law and order. The criminal underworld is plotting in the shadows to further their own enterprises by exploiting the war-waged worlds for their own financial gain. Ian Remington entrenched managers to supervise the ongoing businesses of Hummingbird Enterprises. The gangs and mercenary groups would act as lieutenants in the Enterprise's droid army, leading them as unit commanders. While, Imperial privateers threaten to raid and rob incoming groups attempting to provide humanitarian aid or supply the enemy. The Centurions was put on standby, nearby the invaded planets as an assurance to see through the invasion and occupation of these planets.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Kashyyyk" The Blackscale Clan mailed a formal letter of submission, out of respect of Uncle Jack and his band. Ian Remington graciously obliged. The Blackscale Clan were the ruling Trandoshan clan on Kashyyyk during the Galactic Civil War. They oversaw the capture of Wookiee slaves, from their compound north of Kachirho and the Avatar Orbital Platform in orbit above the planet. They were led by Lord Cyssc Blackscale and had a long-standing feud with the rival Zssik Clan. Ian Remington would only oblige if the Zssik Clan was wiped out. Lord Cyssc gathered his outfit of marauders and went hunting for Zssik allies. While the Zssik plotted to seize power in a series of meticulously planned operations designed to undermine the Blackscales and make them appear incompetent in the eyes of the Galactic Empire, even going so far as to provide the Wookiee resistance with the access codes for the Avatar Orbital Platform.

"Monopolization, The Campaign of the Seswenna Sector" Hummingbird Enterprise Droids march the on the planets within the Seswenna sector, cracking down on the Dark Star Hellion's operations. Perfectly timed operations were held by Hummingbird managers, squadrons of droids would start kicking down doors and basically terrorize the populace with demands of turning in the Hellions. The populations did such, going as far as hosting public executions for swoop gangs. The droids discovered a chapter of the Hellions, known as the Nebula Masters on the planet of Questal. Moff Bandor, an Imperial sector governor who represented the planet of Questal. Bandor championed the Hurlothrumbic Generator project: a device which could stimulate the brain into feeling fear. However, Governor Aymar ordered Moff Bandor to provide aid for Hummingbird Enterprise's crackdowns on swoop gangs. Moff Bandor, running a police-state planet, would then apprehend the entirety of the Nebula Masters and interrogate them in his own unconventional methods of conversation. Skirmishes between Hummingbird droids and swoop muscle often occurred throughout the Seswenna sector.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Questal" Once a quiet agricultural colony, Questal was overrun by mining interests and crime following the discovery of ardanium. Within a couple of years, Moff Bandor was installed by Emperor Palpatine to bring order to the planet, which he accomplished with widespread arrests and speedy executions. He then promoted the planet's preexisting criminal tyrants to official positions of power, enabling them to continue their reigns of terror. With the somewhat conflicting order from Governor Aymar, the swoop gangs retaliated with the criminal tyrant's aid. A political betryal, the population sided with the Empire to eliminate the known tyrants who supposedly swayed their way into positions of power. Stormtroopers conducted mass-arrests of known criminal affiliates and continued the speedy executions, resulting in attempted rescues leading to firefights between law enforcement and thugs. After a week of constant shootouts, Questal was under martial law and military intervention wiped the Nebula Master's influence from the planet. The Hellions felt a huge impact, having lost an entire chapter.

"Monopolization, The Subsidiary Strikes" Galactica Security Services and Mecrotica Conglomerate sold their holdings to Hummingbird Enterprises, without the use of violence, intimidation or blackmail. It caught Ian Remington by surprise, expecting resistance from the companies. Instead, they merged and molded themselves into Hummingbird Enterprises. Santhe Security itself is a subsidiary company of the Santhe Corporation, ran by the Santh family on the planet of Lianna. The Santhe family had significant influence throughout the Tion Cluster, famous for historically being the home of the short-lived empires of Xer VIII and his son Xim the Despot. However, the Empire already has influence over such areas and Phillip Santhe harmoniously approached to civilly decline their declaration of war. Ian Remington skeptically indulged. The House of Zhug was a family-operated mercenary guild, few but resilient, they've taken their operations underground to wait out the Enterprise's storm of conflicts throughout the galaxy. And were considered no longer a threat to Hummingbird Enterprises. Meanwhile, the Nautolan Society is a species-centric association that provides a framework for Nautolans spread throughout the Galaxy. Its mission is to provide financial assistance and networking that allows Nautolans to succeed. The Nautolan Society is composed of various clans: the Civil clan, known as the Nau’to’la, and the mysterious warrior clan, known as the Rak’Qua. The Rak'qua were a gang of Nautolan warriors, led by Overlord Rrynt'vor that had overrun Station Gamma, which was formerly a research station owned by allies of Jorj Car'das, a Corellian trader.

Monopolization, The Station Gamma Incident" Uncle Jack and his band, accompanied by Bossk, raided the Nautolan compound, a firefight occurred when the Trandoshan's lightening speed charged forward suddenly and eliminated half the compound. Training droids emerged from their capsules to attack the Trandoshans, they'd mow them down and suffer casualties when the Nautolans used the droids as a diversion. Overlord Rrynt'vor barked a retreat when the Trandoshans ran the Nautolans out of the Station. Uncle Jack felt something was off and decided to leave the station right after the Nautolans retreated. At danger close, the station exploded entirely. The Nautolans escaped in a pod and made their way out of the sector, evading the Trandoshan's tracking senses. With half of the Nautolans dead and their headquarters gone, Uncle Jack and his band turned their sights onto the Nau'to'la clan and eventually raided their compound with most of them missing or dead. The Nautolan Society cracked down under Uncle Jack's ruthlessness.

"Monopolization, The Campaign of the Strabin Sector" The Exelis Syndicate, once known as the Exelis Hunters, terrorized the Strabin sector for a long time, until a bounty hunter named Arcuse stopped them. Ian Remington employed Arcuse, a male Ubese bounty hunter and a member of the Granse Confederacy. The Granse Confederacy was a well-structured coalition of bounty hunters and trackers. They only have eight members, but all were formerly employed in some criminal organization, and were known for their abilities to locate and eliminate "problems." Arucse was sent to rid the Exelis Syndicate and their spice-running operations throughout the Strabin Sector with the assistance of Hummingbird Enterprise droid squadrons. Arucse devised a plan to send the droid squadrons away and storm their spice warehouses and distribution centers, while he attacked an essential stronghold belonging to the Syndicate. Cracking down on Exelis muscle and associates, the droids successfully seized their spice and turned the Exelis thugs to the local authorities where they would later be executed for their brutal crimes. Uncle Jack accompanied Arucse, maddogging him through the whole mission. The two work together in taking down the entire stronghold themselves. The Exelis Syndicate based on Asamin, located in the Asamin system of the Mid Rim. The world was a noted spice production site, running it through the Essien Run. A hyperspace route that would be later occupied by Hummingbird Enterprises.

"Monopolization, Operation Two-Fangs" The mission starts with Uncle Jack and Arcuse parachuting into the stronghold grounds at night and during a thunderstorm. As they approach the ground, Arcuse eliminates two guards with his pistol. The pair cross open space and hide behind an old wall as a patrol passes by. The two then drop down into a courtyard with numerous vehicles in it. Crawling under the vehicles, Uncle Jack plants ion bombs to cover their escape. Emerging from the last vehicle, Uncle Jack takes out a guard and Arcuse hides the body. A spotlight scans the area, and after it passes, the pair rush across to a platform. Crawling under that, Acruse plants a bomb on the underside. Once reaching the edge, a guard drops down and puts out his cigarette. Once he has left, the pair creep to the security center. Uncle Jack bangs on the door, and when it is opened, proceeds to kill all personnel inside. Studying the cameras, Acruse decides to go straight to the command center. Using a dead guard's fingerprints, he opens the door. The pair clear out a dark dungeon, using night vision to kill guards. The guards become wise to this and throw flares to help spot the attackers. Uncle Jack and Acruse are thrown into fierce combat, and clear out a floor full of enemies. Emerging outside, the two climb up a ladder to reach scaffolding attached to an old bridge, and Acruse places more bombs on it. After crossing the rickety bridge, they breach a wall in a corridor, timing it with the thunder outside so they do not alert anyone inside. The hole in the wall reveals a narrow, vertical passage with rickety wooden beams in it. Uncle Jack and Acruse climb up until they find a small vent, and overhear a conversation between syndicate leaders Belxiei and Morgan Sathel. which reveals that they've relocated on the Esuain Sector. A guard alerts Belxiei that the base has been breached, and Acruse throws a grenade through the vent to buy the pair some time.

"Monopolization, Operation Two-Fangs/The Battle of Asamin" The two slide down the passage and land in a kitchen where there are more hostiles. Uncle Jack contacts Ian Remington about the relocation of the syndicate and he and Acruse move outside where they face more enemy resistance. Returning inside, the two clear out an office and go through doors to a courtyard where more hostiles are stationed. They quickly dash through and end up on a platform overlooking the bridge. Acruse detonates the bombs that they had placed previously, killing a large force of enemies on the bridge. The pair jump off the platform and charge across the bridge towards another courtyard, where they encounter heavy resistance from infantry and vehicles. A tank blocks their exit so the pair steal a speeder and drive out of the stronghold. The speeder comes under more fire from enemy vehicles and the engine is heavily damaged, sending it plunging off a cliff. However the pair both have spare parachutes and safely glide down to the ground as Acruse signals for a shuttle to pick them up. The Empire, accompanied by the Notron Centurions, then laid siege on the stronghold, overwhelming and exhausting the remaining Syndicate members inside. The syndicate leader simply known as "Belxiei" broke under an intense session of interrogation from Acruse to reveal more information about the Esuain sector. The syndicate has hideouts throughout the sector and plan to continue their spice-production sites from there while laying low from Ian Remington's bloodlust and Acruse's persistence. Belxiei was told to deliver a message directly to the de-facto leader of the syndicate, having done so, Belxiei would later be found dead hanging from a bridge on Asamin.

"Monopolization, Shownarri Sins" Shownar is a paradise planet near the Torch Nebula. At night, the planet was illuminated by the nebula. Wind blowing through the vertag crystals created the Shownar Lullaby. It was an Imperial planet, though de facto ruled by the crime lord Oro Freatt. To gain and maintain power, Freatt built up a disciplined, professional criminal organization. Unlike most crime lords, Freatt made sure that the vast majority of the individuals in his organization were trained business people, rather than common criminals. This allowed him to maintain Shownar's image as a peaceful, pleasant, and safe destination. In particular, Freatt controlled the local law enforcement. This meant that profitable vices, such as gambling and smuggling, were allowed and even encouraged, while violent crimes and theft were cracked down on harshly. Ian Remington made contact with Freatt in high hopes of working together to eliminate the Shownar Rangers, comprised primarily of citizens of the Torch Nebula system; more specifically the planet Shownar. Instead, Oro Freatt insisted that they weren't rivals but potential business partners in the vice business. Remington considered the offer only if they swear to not interfere in his business, Freatt took his word for it and alternatively authorize an execution be held here for a known thief, standing aside to let Remington to viciously beat the thief to death.

"Monopolization, The Ryloth Raid" Ian Remington turned his sights onto the Zann Consortium owning a secret Consortium palace on Ryloth, these buildings were often built on worlds with strong Consortium influence, and served as the center for Consortium monetary dealings there. The building was well-defended, making it harder for Rebel or Imperial forces to destroy it. They were also equipped with a shield generator and a communications array. The Zann Consortium was an underworld consortium and crime syndicate led by Tyber Zann which sabotaged and interfered with Rebel and Imperial affairs, they gained most of its technology through its affiliation with the black market, and its Defilers, which were known for traveling to hostile systems and setting up illegal outposts which promoted piracy and sabotage. Led by crime lord Tyber Zann, the movement spread corruption throughout the galaxy and at some point joined forces with the Black Hole Pirates.

Taking place at night on a storm-lashed Consortium freighter known as the Kutse in the hyperspace route, Ryloth Road, Captain Brutus leads a team of Imperial commandos onto the ship. His team, including Kilo Battalion newcomer Apollo, rope down onto the ship's deck. Their objective is to recover a suspected nuclear device, which is hidden in a crate inside one of the ship's cargo holds. Captain Brutus and his team clears the ship's bridge and crew quarters quickly, then proceed through the cargo holds, killing all of the armed guards. They find the package, which turns out to be a material synthesizer, a piece of Gree technology. It reconfigured the nuclear structure of matter to create items by turning common elements such as silicon, carbon, and hydrogen into rarer and more valuable elements, isotopes, or chemicals. But reports of "fast movers" approaching the ship mean they have to get out quickly, so Apollo grabs the shipping manifest and they leave the ship. As they are leaving, the ship is fired upon by the unidentified fighter. However, the team successfully extract from the ship in the nick of time as it begins to sink. The raid was a partial success, although they could not secure the nuclear device for safekeeping; the manifest seized by Apollo points to Consortium military and coup d'etat leader Khal as the intended buyer of the nuclear device.

The KB learns that their informant, who provided Hummingbird Enterprises with intelligence on their previous mission aboard the Consortium freighter, has been compromised and taken prisoner by the rebel forces. Realizing that the Consortium intend to execute the informant as a traitor, Brutus leads a rescue mission into the Ryloth mountains to retrieve the informant, remarking that "We take care of our friends." Inserting near the informant's position, the team first silently eliminates several guard posts before meeting up with Free Ryloth Movement soldiers led by Cham Syndulla. It is clear from their discussion that Brutus and Cham Syndulla, despite having fought alongside each other in the past, have very different objectives in this mission. For Brutus, the informant's survival is paramount and beyond all other considerations. Cham Syndulla, meanwhile, hopes to free the nearby village from Consortium control and eliminate the threat posed by their tanks. Since both need the other's forces in order to be successful, a great deal Eventually however, Apollo, frustrated with Syndulla's stalling, threatens Syndulla, succesfully getting the informant's location out of him, a house at the end of the village. Abandoning their FRM allies, the KB team makes their way to the house. Apollo and Brutus enter the house as a KB soldier cuts the power, and the team successfully secures the informant. With the informant secure and the village in control of the FRM, the team is extracted via shuttle that heads for an Imperial safehouse.

Essential information about the Consortium palace and its weaknesses, Kilo Battalion would assemble to aid Hummingbird Enterprise's raid on the palace. Hummingbird Enterprise droid squadrons would march on the palace. Exhausting the palace's resources, while Brutus, Apollo and the rest of Kilo Battalion flanks from the side to disable their shield generator. Apollo destroyed it with an Ion rocket, letting the droids march on the palace. The KB team went down the secret passageway, deeming the informant's intel as truth. Apollo disables the defense turrets throughout the palace and opened the palace gates, further allowing the droid armies to advance. of tension exists between the two men. As the FRM troops make their assault upon the village, Apollo provides sniper support from the nearby ridge and eliminates a force of Consortium transport troops flanking from the left, allowing the FRM to make greater gains in the village.

Eventually however, Apollo, frustrated with Syndulla's stalling, threatens Syndulla, succesfully getting the informant's location out of him, a house at the end of the village. Abandoning their FRM allies, the KB team makes their way to the house. Apollo and Brutus enter the house as a KB soldier cuts the power, and the team successfully secures the informant. With the informant secure and the village in control of the FRM, the team is extracted via shuttle that heads for an Imperial safehouse. Essential information about the Consortium palace and its weaknesses, Kilo Battalion would assemble to aid Hummingbird Enterprise's raid on the palace. Hummingbird Enterprise droid squadrons would march on the palace. Exhausting the palace's resources, while Brutus, Apollo and the rest of Kilo Battalion flanks from the side to disable their shield generator. Apollo destroyed it with an Ion rocket, letting the droids march on the palace. The KB team went down the secret passageway, deeming the informant's intel as truth. Apollo disables the defense turrets throughout the palace and opened the palace gates, further allowing the droid armies to advance.

Hummingbird Enterprise's droid army marches on the Consortium palace on Ryloth, while the KB team discreetly flanks the Consortium foot-soldiers by disabling their defenses from the inside. Consortium soldiers attempt to counter-strike the droid army to delay their advance. Their efforts are thwarted by Brutus and Apollo's team of commandos, the droids lay continue to lay siege against the palace. A Consortium leader emerged, J'zo Bobos, a nefarious enforcer attempted to flee the battle when he was intercepted by Brutus's brutal punch to the nose, knocking him out. Apollo swiftly swept the corridors of the palace with the team of commandos. The Consortium foot-soldiers fought to the last man, fighting mostly the droid army endlessly marching on the palace. Kilo Battalion arrested the Consortium enforcer where he would later be executed in an Imperial prison for his heinous crimes. The palace would be converted from a slaver enterprise into a spice-distribution center on Ryloth. Hummingbird Enterprises rebooted the defenses and reconstructed and covered up their weaknesses

"Monopolization, Kilo Battalion" Six months after enlisting for the Kilo Battalion, Apollo and his best friend Achilles are deployed on their combat assignment on Lavisar, the Strabin Sector, in an effort to repel a massive invasion force. Assigned to Hound Squad with fellow KB soldiers Sergeant Hoffman and Private Pioz, the squad inserts by drop pod into Lavisar but are thrown off course due to the opposing force's anti-air defenses. Hound Squad manages to regroup with friendly forces and are assigned to assist a demolitions team with the overall objective of destroying an enemy aerial launcher. En route they encounter an Hummingbird Enterprises rescue team lead by Imperial operative Captain Brutus who informs Hound Squad of the enemy presence in the next area before moving on.

After fighting through the besieged city, Hound Squad locates the demo team, who were killed by the invading force, and decide to continue their mission. Being covered by Hoffman and Pioz, Apollo and Achilles proceed towards the Mobile Launcher and succeed in planting the demolition charge, although Achilles's heel is broken by a shutter panel and is unable to get free. Not wanting them both to die, Achilles sacrifices himself and throws Apollo off the ascending Launcher, being killed in the ensuing explosion. Apollo loses his left arm due to a piece of shrapnel severing it but is saved by Sergeant Hoffman, who promises to get Apollo home. The mission is successful as the Empire are able to repel the opposition attack, but at a massive cost: 600,000,000 Stormtroopers are killed.

Upon returning home to Coruscant, Apollo is discharged from the Stormtrooper Corps due to his injury and later attends Achilles's Funeral, where Hoffman delivers an eulogy for his fellow Imperial's bravery. After paying their respects to their fallen comrade, Hoffman ensures Apollo that he will support him through this ordeal, until they are interrupted by Ian Remington. While Hoffman offers his sympathies, the latter offers Mitchell a place in Hummingbird Enterprises, claiming that Achilles told him of the great soldier he was, and that he deserves to fight for an army as effective as he is. Apollo accepts and is given a "second chance" in the form of a high-tech prosthetic arm.

Apollo then goes through training at the Mygeeto headquarters of Hummingbird Enterprises in the Hammertong facilities, to adjust to his new arm. During a simulation in which they must extract the VIP from a terrorist occupied house, Apollo and fellow HE soldier Poker nearly succeed until Apollo experiences a malfunction in his new arm and is beaten by Brutus, who shoots the simulated VIP and comments on Apollo's sloppy performance. Regardless of their previous missions together.

Ian Remington then arrives to receive a report new Apollo's training, to which Brutus responds, "He's getting there, sir." Remington remains optimistic about Apollo, informing Brutus that Apollo's a good soldier despite his setbacks on Lavisar. Remington then offers Apollo a tour of the facility, giving Apollo the rundown of Hummingbird Enterprise's success and how they have become something of a freelance superpower. Remington then drops off Apollo and Brutus at the R&D Lab to get Apollo's arm recalibrated.

After getting his arm fixed, Apollo is brought to both the gun range and the grenade course to check out the recalibration of his arm, meeting fellow operative Rosa on the gun range where she'll comment on Mitchell's shooting if he beats her score. Apollo is then brought back to the simulator, where he, Brutus and Poker manage to successfully complete the simulation and is congratulated by Remington, who informs Apollo that he is ready for some real work.

"Monopolization, The Summit of Ord Mantell" Three months later, Apollo is given his first official assignment with Hummingbird Enterprises, to rescue the Neimoidian Prime Minister, Bute Abidoyo, from the Aspirant Insurgency Agency, a large anti-government, anti-technology terrorist organization. The prime minister and a few other technologists are held hostage at a technology summit on Ord Mantell, where the AIA's leader, codenamed Titan executes one of the hostages to assert his control of the situation. Assisted by Neimoidian Army Captain Aani, the team succeed in rescuing the hostages but soon discover that the AIA are not targeting the prime minister, but a technologist who was attending the conference.

They pursue the escaping AIA ships and recover the technologist, who is taken back to Hummingbird Enterprises HQ on Ian Remington's orders. Back in the quarters, Apollo, Brutus and Poker celebrate their successful op until they are interrupted by Remington, who proposes they have a toast to a job well done. Informing his operatives that this mission has provided Hummingbird Enterprises with wonderful opportunities, Remington makes the toast to his men in honor of their service.

"Monopolization, The Galactic Nuclear Disaster" Soon afterwards, the AIA launches a massive surprise attack on nuclear power stations all over the Outer-Rim. Apollo, along with a massive Hummingbird Enterprise quick-reaction force, is sent to retake a power plant in the Klaatu system. After successfully reaching the control room, Brutus attempts to get the reactor levels under control but is too late, the reactor has already gone near critical. Brutus refuses to leave until ordered by Overseer, who orders all forces to evacuate the area. Although their team member Shanks is killed, Achilles, Poker and Brutus manage to escape, but the reactor becomes critical and causes the facility to collapse. Soon, more nuclear plants around the galaxy become critical, with 50,000,000,000 people dead as a result of the AIA attacks.

Four years later, the Outer-Rim has recovered from the attacks with the help of Hummingbird Enterprises, which has provided aid and shelter to mostly everyone affected and has now become the largest corporation in the galaxy, effectively controlling a majority of the Outer-Rim's resources. Now one of Hummingbird Enterprise's most elite operatives, Apollo is deployed in the Airam sector along with Brutus and Poker to track down a AIA lieutenant, Grimman, who has information on the whereabouts of Titan.

"Monopolization, Operation Biohazard" Joined by fellow Hummingbird Operative Torres, the Team use swoop bikes to track down Grimman at his last known location, a hospital in the ruins of Essebra system, where they discover the bodies of several Hummingbird field scientists with their hazmat suits missing. Realizing that they've been working in disguise, Apollo and Brutus proceed towards their target until Apollo loses his footing on an unstable ledge, falling to the lower levels of the ruins and losing his weapon in the process. He is eventually able to regroup with Brutus and the team and track down Grimman successfully. While extracting him, the team are sidetracked by a AIA ambush and are nearly killed until a group of cloaked soldiers intervenes and saves them. Telling the team that they will cover their escape, the soldiers' leader tells them to move until he is stopped by Brutus, who demands to know who the soldiers are. The leader simply retorts that it's classified and moves on. The team then manages to reach the Hummingbird forward operating base on their bikes despite being pursued by AIA forces.

Grimman is then interrogated by Rosa, who manages to extract the intel that points to Titan being on Tatooine. Ian Remington, now a member of the Imperial Department of Military Research committee, shares this intel with fellow Imperial Officials despite their doubts of how solid it is. Wanting to catch the man responsible for chaos caused four years back, Remington proposes that he sends an Hummingbird team to finish this once and for all, but is chastised by the committee as they see it as committing an act of war despite Hummingbird being a private company. Remington then leaves with Apollo and Brutus, wanting them to be on the ground in the next few hours.

"Monopolization, Operation Remedy" Apollo and Rosa locate Titan, and Apollo shoots him using a sharpshooter droid, but it is revealed to be a double. The double is rigged with explosives that go off after his death and almost wipes out the squad if not for a sacrifice made by a Hummingbird operative. The compound is soon swarmed by other AIA operatives and the remaining Hummingbird forces must fight their way out. The real Titan makes an attempt to escape, but Apollo and Rosa stop him and, after a brief struggle, Apollo cuts Titan's throat. As he is dying, Titan utters the words "Remington knows" and gives Apollo and Rosa a storage device containing a recording.

With Hummingbird Enterprises now at the height of their popularity due to killing Titan and effectively destroying the whole of the AIA, Apollo and Brutus accompanied Remington at the Hummingbird headquarters in the thriving New Klaatu. Rosa shows Apollo and Brutus the recording that Titan gave them, and it reveals that the technologist from Ord Mantell warned Remington of the AIA attacks on the nuclear reactors, but Remington killed the technologist and deliberately kept quiet about the attacks in order to make a profit from the aftermath. Brutus believes the recording is a fake, but Apollo and Rosa attempt to flee the headquarters, only to be held captive by Hummingbird droid enforcers on Remington's orders.

"Monopolization, Insider Trading" Their unknown assistant turns out to be Apollo's old sergeant Hoffman, who is now a Major and is the CO of an elite Rebellion-led inter-galactic team known as the Division of Independent Investigation, whose priority was previously to investigate the AIA attacks and prevent anything like it from happening again. However, once Hummingbird Enterprises and Ian Remington grew in power, it became clear he and the company were the bigger threat, and the DII are now investigating Remington and Hummingbird Enterprises.

Apollo and Rosa defect to the DII and, along with Hoffman and Pioz, infiltrate Remington's home on Anaxes, Core Worlds to find intel on a mysterious Hummingbird operation called "Magnus". They find out that "Magnus" is a biological agent that only targets specific genotypes (those that are not registered on the Hummingbird Enterprise database) and will not affect any Hummingbird personnel, meaning Remington can deploy it in the midst of a battle without risking harm to his own troops, while the opposing force is annihilated. They tag a cargo capital ship that is about to transport a large shipment of Magnus before pulling out.

"Monopolization, Seizure in the Lab" Later, the Rebel forces move in on the Hummingbird cargo capital ship and bring it down over Alsakan, an ancient, wealthy world that had been a major political player for centuries. As they are attempting to secure the Magnus, a large Hummingbird droid force ambushes from drop pods and recovers the Magnus. Hoffman, Rosa and Apollo manage to take out most of the droid army, but are captured by Brutus and his squad. Brutus calls for evac before suddenly shooting his squadmates and helping the remaining Rebel forces dispose of the Magnus.

With Brutus now on the side of the Rebels, he is reunited with his old teammates once more. Brutus reveals where Magnus is being made, inside of a Hummingbird bio lab in Binaros. He and Apollo infiltrate the lab and destroy it before escaping in an experimental Hummingbird hover-tank.

"Monopolization, The Battle of Mygeeto" A month later, Ian Remington is inaugurated into the Imperial Congress. He issues a speech effectively declaring war on the governments of the galaxy, now obsessed with total domination and believing the world would be better off under Hummingbird Enterprises. His first move is an attack on the Koros Trunk Line from Empress Teta to Coruscant which Rebels forces attempt to repel. Unfortunately, they fail, and the Koros Trunk Line is demolished over an Imperial Navy capital ship, which is promptly boarded by Hummingbird droid forces. Apollo and Brutus are among only a handful of Rebel operatives to survive the attack, and are soon joined by Hoffman and Pioz, who help them in retaking the capital ship and destroying the advancing Hummingbird droid fighters.

With Hummingbird Enterprises now officially at war with the galaxy, Imperial forces close in on the Hummingbird Enterprises headquarters on Mygeeto. Apollo, Rosa, Hoffman, Brutus and Pioz are among the personnel involved in the attack, and they manage to defeat most of the Hummingbird droid forces in the area. With Mygeeto under siege and Hummingbird Enterprises losing, Remington deploys Magnus, which wipes out all of the Imperial and rebel forces in the area, including Pioz. Apollo, Rosa and Brutus survive since they were once Hummingbird personnel and are thus unaffected by Magnus.

Monopolization, Infiltration of New Klaatu" The three are captured and taken to an Hummingbird prison camp on Poseirei, the Butcher Bay correctional facility where they meet up with Hoffman. Remington meet the four in person and shoots Hoffman in the leg before destroying Apollo's prosthetic arm as payback for him defecting from Hummingbird Enterprises. Rosa and Brutus overpower their captors and rescue Apollo and Hoffman. Whilst escaping, they learn that Remington is planning to unleash Magnus strikes on military bases all over the galaxy from New Klaatu. They escape the camp after Apollo commandeers a manually-piloted mechanized suit of advanced armor, but Hoffman succumbs to his wounds and dies.

With little hope of taking New Klaatu and stopping Hummingbird Enterprises, Apollo and Brutus attempt one final, all-out frontal attack in a pair of mechanized suits, while Rosa guides them. They manage to infiltrate the Hummingbird launch center and destroy the Magnus rockets before they are launched.

"Monopolization, The End of Ian Remington's Bloodlust" However, because they had to access the rocket from the launch vents and they were caught in the blast, Apollo is in critical health, so Brutus has to carry him. Remington shows up and locks down their suits, rendering them unable to move, but refuses to kill them in an attempt to show that he still has some humanity left in him, still claiming that he was "saving the galaxy from itself." and Brutus arguing, "Twisted fucks throughout history have used the same argument". As Remington flees, Apollo manages to escape his suit and catch up with Remington in his office at the top of the Hummingbird headquarters. After a brief struggle, Remington nearly falls off the edge of the roof, but grabs onto Apollo's lifeless prosthetic arm and tries to convince him to pull him up to safety. Apollo, unable to shake Remington off, severs his own prosthetic arm with a knife and watches as Remington falls into a pit of flames. As Brutus arrives to help Apollo, he comments that Hummingbird is still at large and the war has only just begun.