The Empire begins with the Fourth Scourge.

Chapter 2774 The Fist of Orega

2773, The Fist of Orega
"Fist of Ulrezaj?" The name startled Demeteris-Zarin. He pondered it carefully but still couldn't figure out which race the strange name came from, and he had never heard of it before.

He could only judge from his scientific intuition that the pronunciation of the name must be very ancient and definitely not the pronunciation commonly used by humans.

Logically speaking, if they were truly pirates capable of rivaling the Scourge, he should have heard of them. After all, the Imperial Navy's intelligence department regularly publishes lists of major threats, and as a general in charge of scientific research, dealing with the transport of many rare materials and prototypes, he needs to be especially vigilant about pirates in various regions.

The information broker explained, "The Fist of Orega is a mercenary group that has only recently begun to rise in the Mandalorian Sector. They are actually a powerful group formed by the alliance of several pirate groups. Their leader is named Orega, and he must be a very charismatic guy who persuaded those pirates to form this mercenary organization. Some say that Orega was once a powerful Jedi Knight, but no one can confirm that."

“Jedi Knights? Utterly absurd!” Demetrius Zarin scoffed. “Then let’s contact this Orega. Let’s see what kind of person he is. Kronda, go and make the arrangements.”

“Yes, Marshal.” Kronda nodded in response.

He quickly left the command center and went to the communications center to arrange the liaison matters.

Three hours after the communication signal was sent, the other party replied with an encrypted message: they agreed to the meeting. So, in the conference room of the Zarin flagship, he met the mysterious mercenary leader, Orega.

Crimson flames burned on the screen, and within the flames, a pair of eyes radiating a terrifying light stared intently at Demetrius Zarin, a gaze that seemed to pierce right through his soul!
Just one glance at him sent a chill down Zhalin's spine—a fear that emanated from his very soul! He instinctively propped his chin up with his hands to hide his terror, forcing himself to remain calm, and said, "Very good special effects, Mr. Orega. At least on this point, I approve of your aesthetic sense."

He wanted to use these words to try and take the initiative in the conversation.

However, Orega remained unmoved and didn't even bother to acknowledge Zarin's pitiful probing. He coldly said, "Your head is worth a lot of money in the Galactic Empire. You should give me a reason... a reason not to kill you."

Orega's voice, broadcast through the communicator, was hoarse and terrifying, as if a saw blade were tearing directly inside his brain.

Zalin swallowed hard and said, “Based on my understanding of the Imperial army, if you take my head to them, they will just kill you and then collect double the bounty… But it’s different for me. As long as you can help me get rid of the Galactic Empire’s fleet and reach the Outer Ring Sector, I’m willing to give you… 20 billion Imperial Credits.”

He held up two fingers with trembling hands.

“You don’t have 20 billion credits,” Orega bluntly stated.

“But I have the complete data on the TIE Defender fighter jet! The Kingdom of Dawn and the Rebels are willing to pay a high price to buy it! As long as you can get me out of here and protect me to complete the transaction, then 20 billion credits will be in your account immediately,” Demetrius-Zarin said.

“But you also hired the Scourge,” Orega said.

Zalin gritted his teeth and said, "The Galactic Empire's fleet commander is Thrawn. He's not an enemy that any of your mercenary groups can take on alone! I also hired the Scourge to increase our chances of success. Don't worry, you won't lose a single penny of what I promised."

"Hehehe... Very interesting! Human. Fine, I grant your request." Orega laughed with great interest. "Tell me your plan."

Demeteris-Zarin pulled up a star map, marked a point on it, and said, "Thorain has set up a defensive line on Pengalan IV. I must break through here to enter the Hydia Passage. The Scourge has already begun heading to Azure. My plan is for us to gather there first, and then launch an attack on Pengalan IV!"

"My fleet will go." After saying this, the crimson flames gradually died down, and communications were shut down.

Demetrius Zarin slumped into his chair as if all his strength had left him, finding his back drenched in cold sweat. Although it had been a simple conversation, the pressure Orega had exerted on him was immense. Zarin was beginning to believe that Orega might indeed be a fallen Jedi, perhaps even a Jedi Master!
“Marshal… I have a feeling that this Orega also has ill intentions…” said his adjutant, Kronda.

“I’ve checked his employment records, and his reputation is indeed excellent. He almost always completes the tasks we commission, and he never delays, never raises the price, and always keeps his word,” Zalin said in a deep voice. “Besides, we have no other choice but to get them here. Otherwise, the Scourge might really wipe us out!”

Kronda's face turned even paler at the mention of the Scourge.

When they first broke through the Inner Circle, in order to find outside help, they contacted the Scourge, which had already crossed the Imperial borders and was wreaking havoc throughout the Inner and Middle Ring sectors. This was because they had heard that the Scourge had been burning, killing, and looting all over the Imperial territory, and had even been involved in the murder of Silas Targ, one of the heirs of the prestigious Targ family in the Inner Circle, making them a notorious figure on the Imperial blacklist.

Zalin believed they wouldn't betray him, after all, they were all mortal enemies of the Galactic Empire.

Little did Zarin know that after they began cooperating, he discovered that the Scourge and their leader, Ron, were complete madmen! They were driven by profit and ruthless, and no one who fell into their hands had a good end. Ron never followed the rules, establishing his authority only through bloodshed. They had witnessed firsthand the Scourge massacre on a planet for resisting, with countless civilians killed, farmland and infrastructure destroyed, and rivers of blood flowing freely.

Moreover, during each meeting, Demetrius Zarin could clearly sense that Ron looked at him with a chilling greed, as if he were merely admiring a trophy about to be obtained.

However, at that time, his fleet still had considerable strength, and Arden-Lin had not yet left, so the Scourge did not take any outrageous actions.

Zalin also witnessed the Scourge's strange warships, which were generally equipped with optical radar arrays and possessed formidable power, which made him even more wary of the Scourge.

Now that Arden-Lin has left and his fleet has suffered heavy losses, Zalin has no doubt that Ron will kill all of his men before this operation and take all the TIE Defender technology for himself!
Demetrius Zarin's only desire now was to reach the Outer Rim sector as quickly as possible, sell the TIE Defender blueprints, and acquire enough resources to sustain himself. He knew that once he reached the Outer Rim, the Imperial fleet would absolutely not dare to pursue him, even if the commander was Admiral Thrawn.

The Outer Ring Sector no longer belongs to the Galactic Empire. Any Imperial fleet that dares to leave their controlled territory and enter the Outer Ring will immediately be attacked by the ubiquitous Rebel Alliance, their supplies cut off, their escape routes severed, and their last warship exhausted in endless harassment.

Therefore, even though many planets in the outer ring sector still claim to be loyal to the Galactic Empire, in reality, these planets are no different from independent and autonomous entities.

Once they can establish a foothold in the outer ring and rebuild the TIE Defender fighter production line, Demeteris-Zarin will at least have the ability to defend itself. After that, they can gradually expand further…

……

The next day, Zarin's fleet arrived at the Blue Planet.

His fleet is now quite meager, consisting of only eight light cruisers, one Imperial-class Star Destroyer, one Victory-class Star Destroyer, and 40 frigates.

Moreover, almost every one of these warships was riddled with craters and scars, clearly indicating that they had endured a very fierce battle. It was also evident that they had been nearly driven to the brink of defeat by Admiral Thrawn's fleet.

Zalin stood on the bridge, his hands behind his back, gazing silently through the porthole toward the blue planet.

About an hour later, suddenly a large white light began to flash, and a large number of warships emerged from the hyperspace channel and appeared here!

Moreover, the position of these warships after leaving hyperspace perfectly surrounded Zarin's fleet!
Such incredibly precise hyperspace jump technology alone is something that the warships built by the Galactic Empire could never achieve!
All I could see were the warships, which had a simple yet menacing design. What they all had in common was that each warship was equipped with a light-sensing radar array, which at first glance looked like solar panels.

After dealing with them for a while, Demetrius Zarin was able to recognize most of the models: 180 Lumberjack-class heavy frigates, 50 Rift-class destroyers, 20 Jaguar-class destroyers, 10 Scimitar-class light cruisers, 3 Sickle-class light cruisers, and 10 Storm-class heavy cruisers.

Without exception, these warships possess terrifying firepower, terrifying speed, and terrifying agility. Almost all of them are designed to abandon defensive capabilities. Only a madman would pilot such warships.

Demeteris-Zarin also knew that this was not the full extent of the Scourge's strength; they had also established secret bases elsewhere, and no one knew the true number of warships and fighter jets they possessed!
At this moment, the Scourge's warships had surrounded his fleet, and the active fire control radars were relentlessly scanning the Zarin fleet. The dark muzzles of the cannons were aimed at the cockpits and engine cores of every warship, while the sharp, vulgar, and hoarse laughter of the ferocious pirates could be heard over the public channel.

The communication screen flickered, revealing a tall, muscular Farin man. His physique was completely different from the generally slender Farin men, and his face bore an incredibly ferocious and terrifying expression.

“Ron… what do you mean by this?” Demetrius Zarin asked through gritted teeth.

This person was none other than Ron, the leader of the Scourge.

“It’s nothing, Marshal,” Ron said sarcastically. “It’s just that someone told me you don’t have the money to pay our commission, which scared me a little.”

Zalin's facial muscles twitched as he suppressed his anger and growled, "I've told you many times! I have all the data on the TIE-Defender fighter jet! It's the most powerful fighter jet in the galaxy right now! The Rebel Alliance and the Kingdom of Dawn both want it! Just give them the data, and I'll immediately get enough money to pay your commission!"

“But… you still don’t have any money.” Ron made an ugly face.

"Can't you understand what I'm saying?" Zhalin shouted sternly.

“You should know that we’re the most trustworthy people in this line of work.” Ron spread his hands. “If you don’t have money, it’ll be hard for me to explain to my men. Look, last time I lost more than 800 men to cover your escape… How about this, you give me the compensation for those 800 men first.”

A chill ran through Zhalin, and goosebumps began to rise on his skin. He said, his voice trembling with fear, "I'll accept the compensation for those 800 people! As soon as I get the money, I'll give it to you!"

“The problem is, how do I know that the technology you have can sell for that much money?” Ron asked.

"You've witnessed the power of the TIE Defender fighter jet!"

“But can you prove that the data you have is from the TIE Defenders?” Ron shook his index finger and said, “How about this, I brought an expert with me. Give him the data and let him verify it, okay?”

As he spoke, he pulled a bespectacled, timid young man from outside the screen and pushed him in front of the screen, putting his arm around his shoulder and saying, "Let me introduce you, this is the galaxy's top fighter jet... uh, scholar, Professor Vazquez."

"Are you kidding me?" Zhalin gritted his teeth. This young man was clearly a graduate he'd snatched from somewhere; Ron's goal was still the TIE defender data.

“You should know that I’m not discussing this with you.” Ron gave a cruel smile.

Just then, piercing alarms blared from both ends of the communicator! Zarin and Ron turned around simultaneously, and their radar operators were reporting the same message—a large-scale hyperspace fluctuation had been detected!

Demeteris-Zarin breathed a sigh of relief. No matter who it was, even if it was the Galactic Empire's fleet, he really didn't want to face Ron, that bloodthirsty madman, anymore.

Amidst the dazzling white flash, one warship after another emerged from hyperspace and arrived nearby. The lead one was a Divine Will-class destroyer, and the flagship version at that! Its hull length reached 2177 meters!
"Let me see what happens next? Insignificant humans. Hehehehe..." Another communication was forcibly interrupted, and the figure enveloped in crimson flames appeared on the screen—Orega!