Imperial Intelligence Report

Report Filed By High Inspector [redacted-unavailable]

EMPEROR'S EYES ONLY

As was suspected, our agents uncovered that the Federation had indeed continued their work in biological weapons research even after the defeats our warships handed them in the Federation Contingent. However what we did not realize was the extent to which this research had progressed. The Federation scientists operating out of bases hidden deep within the Split cluster have isolated the original Pardus virus and have nanomolecularized it. In the first great war the Pardus virus moved through any medium and it killed anyone it infected. This incarnation is targeted.

Apparently attempts to make the weapon Ska'ari specific failed. The virus still killed hosts from the other three sentient species in the galaxy, making the weapon too dangerous for use. However, our spies have informed us that the Federal scientists were successful in keying the virus in on Keldon DNA. They intend to spread the virus covertly through the droid market. Nanites inside the droids would infect surrounding technology and then the virus would jump from every day machines into Keldon victims.

Computer models show a mortality rate of 85% with casualties in the billions. If infected droids were installed in a military outpost in any Pass sector in the galaxy every ship passing through would become a vector. Half the Keldon population of the Empire would be dead in a week if infected droids were installed in Empire space. From there Keldons across the galaxy would begin to get infected and near-extinction would follow within a year.

It is surmised that the research facilites are being converted into Droid Assembly Complexes at the time of this reports filing. Our agents believe the bulk of the production is being done in western Split and the southern part of the Old Human Core.

Report Ends

Things we must face.

I had given the droid to a young Keldon whose clutch had fled Urlafa at the end of the Insurrection. Osanj was of Lazebe and as such had a way with codes and numbers. He was also loyal to the resistance as his clutch-brothers had seen first hand the horrors of the Ska'ari occupation of Urlafa. He was someone with the talent to unlock the secrets of the droid modules. He was someone I could trust.

Which is why I was suprised when he contacted me, after months of silence, by a one-way burst subspace transmission.

The initial decoding process took a half hour and revealed only one word. Urgent.

It took Holdorn, one of the deck officers and most computer savy of my crew the better part of the next day to decode the rest. He rushed into my cabin with barely a knock. His scales a ghostly shade I have not seen a Keldon take in years.

"Clutch-Brother," he started, "You must see this at once."
"What is it Holdorn?"
"Death commander, death."