Dusk of a city

The Eastern rays of the early morning were basking Twin Mountain Base; datapad in hand, Tarn wanted to wait until the last moment before severing for ever his connection to the city's communet. The server was going to shut down along with the city, urging one last time to anyone still listening to log out safely - an unnecessary code phrase to leave the city urgently. Carried on the wings of the closing TIE bombers, the time of clandestinity had come. Twin Mountain Base had finally been confirmed as a Rebellious outpost.

Over the last years, the ranks of the Antarian Rangers had dwindled. From a 100 beings strong force and another 100 sympathizers, it was down to 44 beings and 44 sympathizers. The war had taken its toll on the organization - and today's raid was going to worsen the situation.

Although the city was now deserted except for Tarn, Ibaoki, Kelv, and Siot, the city's evacuation has come too late. ISB agents combing the future rubbles for clues would identify most members of the organization. The only good news - to an extent - was that the Empire didn't know of the evacuation expecting the Rangers to put up a fight, and thus had planned for a wave of atmospheric bombardments before entering the city.

Tarn knew that. Information from the Imperial Base came to him regularly and accurately. After all, the Rangers were adept spies and had a good network of informants...80% of the city was slated for destruction, but on Lok and several other planets, other destructions would take place too.

When the Empire initiated "Demolition Day", it relied on spatial imagery and records from Planetary Authorities to identify "abandonned" buildings to be removed, via all necessary means. A heavy-handed method to be sure, but effective nonetheless.

As far as the Rangers were concerned, it was the second most threatening policy the Empire had enacted. The first one, enacted few years ago, was the regulation of independant scouts and rangers. Faced with multiplying actions of sabotage and attacks on Imperial facilities or convoys from Republican loyalists and surviving Separatists, the Empire thought it best to "regulate" these professions. Almost overnight, all the independant ranger and scout trainers were gone. Hired into Imperially-approved guilds or executed. For the Rangers, new recruits and a valuable network of informants and sympathizers disappeared in a pinch.