It was during the next 5 years that Captain Sturm mentored the young Tarrick in how to fight. Sturm’s cautious ways and patience tempered the brashness and impulsive attack style of the younger officer. Under Sturm, Tarrick learned a new way to fight; a way that would save the ship and crew from destruction. Tarrick continued under Captain Sturm’s tutelage until disaster struck. They were running a supply convoy out of the core when a warlord’s fleet pulled them out of hyperspace with an interdictor. The Warlord, who called himself Mighty Battlelord Alheim offered Captain Sturm a choice. The Admonisher could join his fleet and renounce the Empire, or they would be destroyed along with the convoy. For Sturm, it was no choice at all. He refused. The battle was short, but bloody. Attacks from 2 different Star Destroyers targeted the bridge. Sturm was killed in the attack. Commander Tarrick managed to make it to the Secondary Bridge and take control. Earlier in his life, he would have fought to the end, but Sturm’s teaching had affected him. He issued orders to make for the interdictor. At full speed the Admonisher blazed in at the Interdictor. The other ship tried to shy away, and had to take its gravity well’s offline to get more power. Tarrick used that mistake to jump to hyperspace. He had saved the ship, but lost his Captain.
After reviewing the battleroms and the communiqués between the ships, the Moff’s Council, along with Military Command decided that Tarrick had done the correct thing. He was promoted to Captain and given command of the Admonisher. Once it was repaired, he would command the task force to hunt down Alheim.
It took 2 years and countless skirmishes and searches but finally Tarrick was able to avenge the death of his mentor. It was at the planet of Alturras VII in the Inner Rim where Alheim made his last stand. By now, he only commanded his ISD I “Marauder”, 2 Victory SD’s and 5 Dreadnaughts. Tarrick’s fleet consisted of the “Admonisher” now upgraded to a Mk II, 3 ISD Mk I’s and 2 Interdictors. He also requested 2 Lancer class Frigates to be assigned to the force.
As they arrived, the interdictors deployed behind the larger ships with the Lancers in front of them. They pinned Alheim in place. Only one side would survive. The tactic that Tarrick had come up with was one of attrition. They would destroy the smaller ships before handling the Marauder. The Dreadnaughts and Vics were pretty easy to handle, and after 20 minutes they were smoking wrecks. Tarrick’s own forces were dealt a blow when the ISD “Relentless” was crippled, her command tower was destroyed. To save the ship, Tarrick ordered it back to the interdictors and brought up the Lancers in its place.
Tarrick ordered no mercy and no quarter was given. The last part of the battle was Admonisher against Marauder, but the Admonisher was able to blast through the limited shielding of the Marauder. Towards the end, a message came out from Alheim himself, asking for a surrender, but Tarrick ignored it. He continued to blast the ship, until it exploded. As the Warlord died, Tarrick felt some of the grief in his heart disappear. He had avenged his mentor.
The next jump in Tarrick career came when the Vong attacked. At that time, Tarrick, now a Vice Admiral was in charge of Task Force Rancor, which consisted of the Admonisher, 2 Lancers, 2 Dreadnaughts, and 2 Nebulon B Frigates. It was during this time that he left Imperial Service to join the New Republic in its defense of the galaxy. With the early losses, Ragnus moved up quickly through the ranks, teaching Imperial Tactics to the New Republic Line Commanders. During the Vong War, Tarrick harrassed forward positions and was part of the force attacking Coruscant to replace the Galactic Capital.
