A/N: Canonically, this isn't the next chapter to my story, but I thought I'd post this first, just to see how people would like it. Also, this was the only thing that came to mind when I forced myself to write a follow-up.

"Captain, we've detected more gravity fluctuations by the dark side of the planet's moon. Long-range sensors scan three more of their medium sized ships."

"Can you get me visual feed, lieutenant?" Pellaeon asked. The duty officer at the sensors station gave short, concise orders over the ship's local comm system. "Launching probes now, sir." "Negative, lieutenant," Thrawn commanded from the commanded chair. "Dispatch our four dreadnaughts with a Lancer frigate escort to investigate. Have the feed relayed to us." "At once, Admiral," came the reply.

The battle between Thrawn's new empire and the foreign humans had been going on for almost an hour now. Equipped with less sophisticated weaponry than their alien counterparts (the Covenant, as they called themselves), the foreigners have proven to be much easier to defeat, especially since the sophistication of their tactics seem to outdate even their technology. Already, the space around them was littered with half-molten hulks from the invaders' ships, ships that Thrawn hadn't bothered to completely annihilate.

"Dreadnaught party is engaging the enemy now, Admiral. Lancer is accelerating to meet their fighter squadrons." Pellaeon smiled tightly at the Admiral's prudence in sending out that Lancer-frigate. Ever since the battle at Yavin with the Rebels, the empire has been hard at work looking for solutions to the weakness most capital ships had to snubfighter tactics. Commonly known as "Trench Run Disease", capital ships suffer from this weakness when starships fly low and fast near their weapon emplacements, targeting and destroying vital systems that end up crippling the ship. The need to face this problem was answered by development of the Lancer-class frigate, a ship designed specifically to engage starfighter squadrons in way that make TRD-tactics useless.

The foreign humans knew that their ships' antiquated weapon systems could hardly match up to a direct engagement with their capital ships, so they normally opt to try techniques which avoid direct confrontation with Imperial forces. Thrawn, being Thrawn, anticipated them trying a TRD style attack on their battle group and countered with the use of the Lancer frigate against their fighter squadrons.

"Bringing up visual now, Admiral." On the second tactical viewscreen, a scaled down version of the battle between the invaders' second wave and Thrawn's dreadnaught party was brought up. The Lancer was still contending with the enemy's starfighter squadrons, methodically decimating each snubfighter with precise turbolaser shots. "Have dreadnaughts two and three pull back and target the enemy with ion cannon bursts, lieutenant. Cripple their weapons to give the other dreadnaughts an easy shot." Onscreen, Thrawn and Pellaeon watched as one of the enemy's analog frigates moved to engage the deceptively retreating dreadnaughts. Given an opening by the frigate's foolish maneuver, the remaining dreadnaughts were given an easy target on the frigate's defenseless ventral section. A few proton torpedoes and that ship was out of the fray. The remaining frigates were paralyzed by ion bursts before consequently being pulverized by turbolasers.

"Excellently done, Admiral," Pellaeon commented to Thrawn. "I believe the battle is won." "Yes, Captain. Send out the salvage crews and see if we can pull out records the invaders' wrecks. See if we can pick up battle reports or deployment records we can use to our advantage…" "Captain, we're picking up multiple signatures coming up from beyond the planet's equator. We count five…no…seven more enemy ships, five frigates and two cruiser-analogs."

"Call the dreadnaughts to pull back, lieutenant. Send a message to Captain Dorja to join us while we engage the enemy," Thrawn said.

Despite Pellaeon's grimace, Thrawn smiled thinly at the news. "I see our friends have picked up a few tricks in our dealings with them. How amusing, wouldn't you say so, Captain?"

"I don't understand, Admiral," came Pellaeon's perplexed reply.

"Well, they know that even with superior numbers, they cannot match us in firepower, so they decide to sneak up on us by luring us to a blind spot by the planet's moon with a feint."

Pellaeon nodded with understanding. "But Admiral, it does them no good to send ships out in these three waves. Why didn't they just begin with the feint and attack us full force with the second wave?"

"I suspect that this new group has a different commander, one with a different approach in tactics. Perhaps they are part of a different fleet deployment who simply answered a distress call sent by our enemies." Thrawn turned to the comm officer and signaled him to broadcast a message to their battle group. "All ships, reform around to reverse wedge formation, dreadnaughts to outer wings with Star Destroyers in the center."

Pellaeon carefully scrutinized the battle formation on the tactical holoprojector. A wedge formation was a useful tactic when it was used to break through enemy lines. A reverse-wedge was the opposite of that, presenting an opening in the battle group where the enemy can pass through for an attack. It was literally opening their armor and revealing their chest to give an enemy an easy shot to the heart. Yet… Pellaeon knew that there had to be a reason for this attack formation. Thrawn wasn't simply someone to give opportunities to his enemies if it didn't gain him an advantage.

"Sir, enemy ships have passed through the dreadnaught perimeter. We're taking fire." "All ships fire at will. Dreadnaughts, break formation and reform behind their starships. Once there, jam all their signals and resume firing." And with that command it became clear to Pellaeon. Thrawn initiated the reverse-wedge to tempt the enemy with an easy shot at their capital ships so that they could be trapped between the reformed dreadnaughts and Star Destroyers. A classic trick. "Scramble TIE fighters, Admiral?" Pellaeon asked. "Yes, Captain. Zonal attack pattern," Thrawn replied, amusement in his eyes.

An hour later, it was all over.

***

"Report, Captain." Thrawn said from his private command chair. "Minor damage to two of our dreadnaughts, Admiral. We've also suffered two starfighter losses, but otherwise our battle group was unharmed. Repairs are undergoing for the dreadnaughts already."

Thrawn nodded. "And were our salvagers able to anything important?" Pellaeon looked back at his datapad. "Our techs are still sifting through their records now, Admiral. So far all we've deciphered are past fleet deployments and records of previous engagements. We're hopeful of learning more from them."

"Very well, Captain. You are dismissed." Pellaeon shuffled his feet and prepared himself for the second part of his report, uneasy of what he had to deliver. "Admiral, there was another thing. The commander of the captured frigate we rescued is requesting an audience with you. She believes that she has something to say that you would like to hear." Thrawn cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "Really, now? She believes that she has something important for me to hear that she demanded my attention?"

Slowly, Thrawn stood up from his command throne, bright light spilling from sliding doorway as he walked with Pellaeon towards it. "Well, we should not keep her waiting, shall we?"

***

"Hello Commander, I am Grand Admiral Thrawn. Whom may I say I am addressing?"

"Keyes. Commander Keyes."

Second A/N: I always hated how the commanders in Halo deployed their ships. Their plans always relied so much on luck and their enemy's stupidity I'm surprised the UNSC even managed to still have a fleet by the 1st Battle of Earth [and don't even get me started on that stupid tactic at the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]. That alone should be enough indication that they would lose any war with the Star Wars Universe.

And how the hell did a frigate ever become the flagship of a Fleet Admiral?

PS

To the people reading, stop saying that the reason a Fleet Admiral's flagship was a frigate because there were no other ships left. If you all remember correctly, capital ships (and the officers that command them) were being pulled back to defend the inner colonies. Unless, for some inexplicable reason, a Fleet Admiral was removed from his Supercarrier or Supercruiser and reassigned to a crappy frigate, it doesn't make sense that Hood's flagship was a frigate.

PPS

Bonus points if you can identify the name of the tactic I used in this chapter. That means you are one of the rare breed of true SW fans.