Admiral Donan and Emperor Benaltep

Admiral Donan and Benaltep Admiral Hansal Donan peered thoughtfully out of the portal of his command shuttle as it approached the juggernaut NIS Cachalon , the flagship of the emperor's personal fleet. He'd been summoned to confer with emperor Benaltep. Meetings with the emperor were always trying for Donan. He never knew what to expect. At times the emperor just wanted someone to speak with to drive away the loneliness or to help focus his military genius. Donan and his colleagues had often been sounding boards for Benaltep, and so, witnesses to some of the greatest moments in the history of interstellar warfare. Benaltep could also be mean and petty, threatening even to shoot his officers for dereliction of duty when they had in fact been utterly courageous, if unsuccessful, in their mission. Donan's last meeting with the emperor had been less than happy. The battle for the Durian starsystem, a star in Donan's area of operation, was going badly a