The low-lit bridge of the RSSD Republic was in constant movement as officers continued to get ready for the upcoming operation. Datapads were being traded, Chief Officers were double-checking calculations, and Admiral Duylio continued to pace in front of his command chair slowly before he noticed everyone snapping to attention. He turned to see Grand Admiral Nelson entering the room and quickly snapped to attention himself.

"Admiral on deck!" Duylio barked before Nelson reached the massive center holotable and returned it.

"At ease everyone… Revan, bring me up to speed." Nelson said as three AIs let their avatars appear on the main table, life-sized. Once they had materialized, a planet formed between them with yellow unit markers all around it.

"Standard Coalition formation for defense, they found a Site that we couldn't get to because of the wars." The center AI replied.

"Any idea what it does?"

"Omega Archives suggest that it is storage for very powerful small arms as well as everything we need to make them." Revan told him, getting a slight scowl from Nelson, "Luckily for us, they haven't managed to unlock it and get it operational yet."

"Then I guess it's our job to keep it that way, especially given their reverse engineering capabilities."

"They'd be able to make mech-mounted versions, yes. If that were to happen, this war would get a lot uglier than it already has."

"Noted; operational status?"

"Everyone started heading to duty stations an hour ago, they're be ready in five minutes. We exit hyperspace in twenty… Lucky-7 is itching for a fight after we had to abandon Xesh last year."

"Kaylin will get revenge soon enough…" Nelson muttered.


"My Lord, I'm picking up contacts on the hyperspace radar… Eclipse." A Coalition Ops officer stated from his position aboard the CAS Gargantuan.

"How many?" Lord Udalna asked.

"Jus… oh my…. Gods…." The officer murmured in reply as the picture cleared up, "Either we're facing more than one Eclipse fleet… or we're looking at three of their big ships…"

"Let me see." Udalna growled, pushing the younger man out of the way before taking a step back. "Gods…"


"Status on Nihilus and Ragnos?"

"Ready and waiting."

"Send the message, standard Tri-Formation when we exit with launch groups ready to go as soon as we're clear." Ed replied before turning to head back. "Duylio, you and Revan have the bridge. I have some upgrades to test personally."

"Aye aye sir, I'll try and make sure the Admiral behaves." Revan replied as the Supreme Commander of the Fleets left the room. Once he was gone, the bridge sprang back into action preparing everything they could for the battle. Weapons were being charged, shields were spinning up, engines we recycling coolant to clear the pipes properly, and everyone aboard the 29-kilometer long vessel continued with their duties.

Admiral Nelson on the other hand, found his way onto the bridge of an Aggressor-class Star Destroyer where the crew was already prepared and didn't bother with giving the customary salute as he made his way to his command chair, waiting for Field Marshall Nelson to vacate it first, of course.

"How's Eddy?"

"Doing fine, I'm heading back to Republic to check on his caretaker and then do my usual from the comm room once you get my boys on the ground." she replied with a small grin.

"Good... I'll stay safe, I promise."

"Good boy, I didn't even have to say it this time." Hannah quipped, leaving a kiss on his cheek before bounding out of the bridge. Once she was gone, Nelson took his seat and punched up the necessary systems.

"Dawn, status."

"Ready to launch when you are, Admiral." The AI replied, "Entering realspace in 5."

"All hands at the ready, Combat Alert Red… get me a link to Revan and the other AIs too."

"You rang?"

"Last minute check of Republic's systems. Alpha?"

"Shielding at maximum, we're ready to take anything these bastards can throw at us."

"Omega?"

"Weapons at full charge and ready to kick some ass!"

"Revan, point defense?"

"Doubled and ready, Admiral… nothing. Is getting into. My bridge. Again." The AI growled in reply, his avatar flaring red for a moment.

"Good. I'll see you on the other side." Nelson replied before the com channels changed and the viewscreen depolarized to show the blue of hyperspace.

"10 seconds." Dawn muttered while everyone aboard strapped in. Nelson swore he could hear Kaylin from the flight deck shouting "LET'S DO THIS!"

The RSSDs Republic, Nihilus, and Ragnos exited hyperspace and immediately began opening fire on anything that didn't have an Eclipse emblem painted somewhere on the hull. HBCs opened up, turbolaser fire arced out, missile banks launched everything they had, and upon Nelson's order, hundreds of capital ships detached from the hulls and launched out of the massive hangar bays of the three Super Star Destroyers.

"Channel open?" Nelson asked.

"Channel open." Dawn replied, a savage grin plastered on her avatar's face.

"All ships, this is the RAS Morning Glory… Spirit Fleet. No quarter. Make these bastards pay for New Mandalore."


Supreme Chancellor Tinto smiled faintly as a small icon on the galactic map started flashing blue. He pressed it and suddenly the main holoprojector flooded his office with camera views of the freshly started Battle of Trill Site. The attack was a work of Nelson's ambitious tactical designs, though a risky one leaving only two supercapitals left on guard duty. However, with what Tinto was seeing, it was well worth the risk for a single operation to fight off another Coalition fleet.

Over the past three years, Coalition fleets had been probing Republic borders and in some cases managing to lay siege to Eclipse long enough to make the further outposts like Xesh evacuate under rear-guard action from the fleet. If anything good had come from the Coalition War though, it was the military overhaul that the Senate had authorized at Tinto and Nelson's request.

The Torcille Military Spending Act and Jacobs Recruitment Standard had been major boons to the war effort and had saved three planets from being glassed and overrun Coalition mechs due to the Fleet having the resources it needed to fight back with lethal efficiency.

"Kalina, please push back my meeting with Admiral Paaln and get me Admiral Terel."

"Of course, sir." a pleasant female voice replied before the holographic gallery of destruction was interrupted by a surprisingly young man appearing in the center. Despite his face being heavily scarred on the left side with plenty of prosthetics to match his arm; souvenirs of his first command as an Admiral during the Battle of New Mandalore.

"You rang, sir?"

"That I did. How's progress at Zel-Dai's old defensive line?"

"We're holding, sir." Terel replied, his face darkening a little with a tinge of remorse at the mention of his predecessor, "Patrols have been slowly coming back with fewer engagements along the main skirmish line to the point that some go entire weeks without encountering Coalition scouts or battle groups. I want to say that things are winding down here but he was never one for wishful thinking, thus neither am I."

"Duly noted. Send me a copy of your casualty reports and I'll see about getting the Mandalore stationed there permanently." Tinto replied, tapping a few keys and bringing up the file on the massive warship. Declassified files put her near the Lumarian capitol fending off a small bugger incursion of all things.

"Save her for offensive operations sir. We have some new toys out here that have been quite effective in helping us hold the line."

"Vornskr packs?" the chancellor asked, getting only a savage grin from the young admiral in reply.


A dozen Crusader corvettes streaked past the Coalition supercapital CAS Doombringer guns cycling through rounds as fast as the could. They swarmed towards the command deck much like fightercraft did to the regular sized capital ships, dodging incoming fire by practically dancing around laser and beam weaponry that arced up towards them. Crusader corvettes that were designated as part of a Vornskr Pack were refitted with heavy weapons and even higher output engines than the standard at the cost of armor and hull integrity around the reactor core; a risk but one that crews willingly took with how surprisingly low the death rate was for Pack crews.

The only reason for that though was that they were only sent up against Coalition super ships around the same size as the Alderaan due to a small design flaw that Nelson had R&D exploit as quickly as they could. The weapons on their big ships were meant to take out anything from a frigate to a carrier, with fighters and anti-singlecraft weaponry keeping bombers and fighters at bay. This left one ship size able to move in faster than the main guns that could actually hurt them could track and fire accurately; corvettes.

With their speed and newly outfitted firepower, Vornskr Packs had claimed 10 of the giant vessels, and if Trill Site turned into a victory, 11.

"Someone get Kath Hound squad some backup, Coalition corvettes and mechs are moving to intercept." Nelson ordered calmly as the Morning Glory flew through a debris field to get within turbolaser range of an enemy destroyer. Behind her, the RSSD Ragnos was busy laying down suppressing fire on a battle group, and a few hundred thousand kilometers to their port, a squad of Aggressor-class star destroyers lead by a Keldabe was charging straight towards the CSC Doombringer with plenty of fighter cover.

"Revan, concentrate half of your HBC fire onto that supercapital." the Admiral ordered, "Dawn, get us a firing solution on their bridge with our HBC. I want a shot hitting their command deck the moment those shields go down."

"Roger that, sir. Estimated time to shield popping is ten minutes, firing solution should be ready and clear within 5." the AI replied before she sent out streams upon streams of communications data to the rest of the fleet calmly yet forcefully telling everyone to get the hell out of the way of the blast that was about to fry several dozen decks of Coalition armor, hull plating, and officers.


"It appears that what's left of House Pyranius is having some problems with their little Republic friends." Lord Talvic said with a rather bored tone as he and most of the rest of the Dozen walked amongst an theater-sized display of the galaxy.

"And we still have not found The Cipher yet..." Lord Kalden added, noting the fleet icons moving away from Eclipse space or flashing red as they were engaged. Along a different skirmish line however, he noted with amusement how easily his ships were dispatching what was left of the Crandolian Navy.

Or at least the parts of it Abyss seemed to deem expendable to keep the Coalition at bay.

"Still having fun fighting off your little bugs?" a gravely, synthesized voice cut in. All off the Dozen who were present turned to see the familiar form of Lord Phyron stroll in with the Arch-Mage at his side.

"Considering your house is having trouble with the meatbags and mages assaulting your forces every time they probe Eclipse space, I wouldn't be making jest at the moment, Phyron." Kalden replied with a growl.

"Oh do hush up, Kaldy." the Arch-Mage replied, "We all know you're still sore because your encounter with Nelson ended worse than ours."

Kalden's fists clenched in reply as the memory of a lightsaber severing his leg as ships from his most promising upcoming fleet burned around his command ship burst through his head for a moment. Then he remembered seeing Phyron gasping for pain as his half-brother broke all of his ribs simultaneously only seconds after he lost his leg and his scowl became a smile.

"Of course, of course..." he murmured as he turned his back on them, focusing more on the displays once again.

"Might I ask why you chose to grace us with your presence as one of your fleets gets decimated?" Talvic asked, gesturing to Trill Site's icon.

"We were told to return and take charge of a new fleet that House Hilvanius has just finished constructing. Apparently The Devourer doesn't trust the rest of you with it so it's going to House Pyranius." Phyron replied with a smug grin. Talvic and Kalden both seethed silently at the near-blatant favoritism that was being shown to Phyron's House.

"He's also giving me command of your shock fleet, Lord Kalden." the Arch-Mage added.

Almost instantly, his temper boiled over and he lunged at the two standing in the doorway before he felt a cold hand grab his legs and send him flying into the ceiling. He landed with a rather loud crunch as he dented the floor and shouted more in anger than pain as he realized that he had landed on his bad leg.

"Easy there, young one." the Arch-Mage growled, "This order came from His Majesty himself. He's not happy with your progress so he's reassigning one of your inactive fleets to me. I suggest you be happy he hasn't replaced you entirely with how many false leads you've come up with."

"You... I... of course, ma'am..." he finally conceded, hanging his head a little as he slowly got to his feet.


A bright red beam of energy lanced out across space, intersecting the command deck of the CSC Doombringer and instantly vaporizing it. All around the upper decks that were simply vanished or started melting, the intense heat of the high energy beam weapon was causing armor to slag and weapons to detonate as their power sources and magazines began to cook off. Nearby, Coalition fighters attempting to get out of the blast radius were turning into puffs of smoke and debris or losing power and going into death rolls into the atmosphere or the hull of the supercapital.

"Direct hit, all guns are opening up on the rest of her." Dawn announced.

"Just hit the weapons and try to disable her engines without detonating them, we're not forcing this one into the atmosphere like last time."

"Boarding?" the Ops officer asked, his fingers already working on sending out landing party designations.

"Yes, go ahead and let the entire fleet know, I want that ship under our control by the time the Ghost finishes up with the ground battle. Progress?"

"Thomason says they're doing fine and that he'll update you on troop numbers once they secure the region. From what I can see though, it's already looking rather good." Dawn replied, her avatar flaring a bit as new data came in. She was much more expressive than Joshua, and in some ways less mature as well. Nelson didn't quite mind though, she did her job and she did it well with efficiency that only a handful of AIs could match; and they were all aboard the Republic or dead.


Sergeant MP-092 of the Coalition's 5th Mechanized Armor Suit Division found that the soldier in front of him was becoming a much bigger problem than he had anticipated. For starters, he was much taller than his fellow soldiers. He also seemed to be wearing much more advanced armor than those around him as well.

He also happened to be the same man who had crushed Lord Phyron's ribs a year prior during the Battle of Xesh and put him out of commission for months on end as he healed.

Chris dodged another swipe that the large mech suit made at him by backflipping a few times to get out of range. In response, the Coalition pilot launched a missile barrage at his position which he deftly dodged by leaping over, jumping off of, or batting aside the rockets heading straight towards him.

One particular one he managed to get amazing leverage off of as he went soaring through the air, landing feet first on the large central optic that marked where the cockpit usually was. With a sickening yet satisfying crunch, Chris' sheer momentum not only crushed the cabin, but knocked the large weapons system straight onto its back. Marines around him continued laying down fire on the other suits or engaging them with explosives ranging from rocket launchers to satchel charges used by EPAS troopers. The effects were wonderfully colorful as the initial assault started to push the Coalition garrison back towards the wall of their main base of operations.

"Wave Actual this is Hammer One, armor is clear to engage across the front. Mech units have been disabled or pushed back to the wall." Chris announced over the main comm channel as he looked up at the rather daunting citadel wall his troops would soon have to assault.

Mass Driver shells, plasma rounds, and even the occasional bit of small arms fire lanced out moments after he sent his message, cracking against the shielded and reinforced metal and alloy walls with seemingly no effect other than to make more cowardly Coalition troops duck down behind the protective barrier. Chris didn't mind though, his job was just to get as many of the enemy inside the walls as possible before having his own troops hunker down and wait for a Venator star destroyer to line up in geosynchronous orbit above the stronghold.

Chris smiled as Canderous assault tanks came into his field of view and as the countdown to orbital bombardment started up on his HUD.

"All units, this is Hammer One. We have lightning in the sky, time to brace." he announced. The Centurion looked up for a moment, using his helmet magnification to see the faint outline of a Venator before leaping off of the mech suit he had crushed and heading towards the pre-planned safe zones with a feral grin on his face.

"Bring on the thunder."