Author Notes: So I may have over reacted when I posted the first chapter. I've had a week to work out the kinks and get a hold of myself. This chapter will highlight the main change between Star Wars proper, and this AU. This dives into the political situation of the world, what happened to the Republic, and sets the time period. I also tried to write a large battle. I unfortunately couldn't find many references, so if anyone knows examples of battles from a bird's eye view or a general that would be greatly appreciated.
Even after all these years Coruscant still shined as the jewel of not only the new United System, but the galaxy as a whole. The planet was abuzz with activity, and every building glowed in the sunlight. Looking upon the city from the large window that acted as a wall was a man dressed in an elegant purple robe. In his hand he slowly swirled a glass of red wine. Though withered with age, his face retained a chiseled appearance. His hair and goatee were mostly silver, with only a few streaks of brown. The carpets, walls, and roof of his office were all red. Grey stairs lead to his desk, with 5 chairs seated in front. In the center of the room was a holo pad. Near the edge of his desk was a small golden statue of a hooded figure. The man turned around as he heard the hissing of his office door, and the sound of footsteps approaching.
The man who had just entered was somewhere in his early thirties wearing a dark brown cloak and black short robe underneath. The most notable feature of his appearance was the faint scar that barely missed his right eye. Attached to his hip was a gleaming metal cylinder adorned with gold ornaments, and a ring of black rectangles along the bottom.
"Anakin Skywalker, the hero of the Clone Wars. To what do I owe the honor?"
"High Chancellor Aborus. I have come to inform you that the fleet is ready to begin the operation."
The jedi's tone was professional and reserved, but a solumness lingered in his voice.
"Excellent, and are you sure this new Admiral is the best choice?"
The Chancellor's voice became grave.
"This clone was trained from birth under the best military strategists. Utilizing the clones in leadership positions may give us the edge we need in the war effort."
"I hope you're right. If this Admiral Vigil fails it will reflect poorly on both of us."
Anakin's expression became thoughtful, almost hopeful.
"If he does succeed, will soldiers from the Clone Wars be promoted?"
"Quite possibly, but we can not risk any more controversy. That is something that can be handled on a later date. Now we must focus on breaking the CIS Blockade."
"And what about Mandalore and The Galactic Alliance?"
"The GA and Mandalore are formidable even in a 2 front war. They are a far cry from the Rebel upstarts from the Great Fall; however, the CIS is a far more pressing enemy. I believe the CIS is trying to keep something from us. They have been spending a large amount of resources on expeditions beyond the galaxy, and our intelligence suggests that they have been producing warships to be sent out into the far reaches of space."
Silence returned to the room. The New Chancellor had noticed that the war hero's attention had shifted to something outside. It was a large golden statue of the late Chancellor Palpatine. It was built as a memorial to the battle of Coruscant where his predecessor had died under suspicious circumstances. While Aborus trusted the testament given by Anakin and his former master Obi Wan, he always found it odd how they were the only ones to witness the event besides Count Dooku who had escaped the ordeal. Abours gave his top general a somber glance.
"Palpatine was a great man. He set a precedent for the United System and its government."
Anakin's slight shutter didn't go unnoticed by the Chancellor. Rather hastily the Jedi turned to Aborus.
"I will take my leave and signal the fleets."
"Very well."
The Chancellor waved him off and was once again left alone in his office. Once he was assured that the Jedi had left, he reached for the small statue on his desk. From it he pulled out an elegant lightsaber that gleamed with silver and gold like metals. Aborus kept most of the art his predecessor used to decorate the office, and he stumbled across the device when examining the statue. The Chancellor held the weapon delicately in his hands. He knew that the Jedi had omitted the truth behind Palpatine. The only question now was what the Chancellor stood to gain from such information.
Outside several fleets, marked by the colors of white and red, began to rise. Even after the military reforms the Star Destroyer model had acted as the base of the United Systems fleet, but they weren't the focus. The chancellor believed in quality over quantity, and the starfighters of the Unity were some of the best and diverse in the galaxy. The New Venator Mk 2 Star destroyer exemplified this. Though larger than its original, aspects from the original were still removed to increase carrying capacity. The side indents were removed and the middle area had essentially become one massive hanger with three exits. Another common ship was the new Interceptor Star Destroyer. This wasn't too different from the original Venator, but the ship's hanger space was removed for more point defence, and for the addition of a Gravity Well to stop ships from jumping to hyperspace. These ships were their answer to the guerilla tactics of the Alliance and Mandalorians. However the jewel of the fleet was a ship commissioned at the start of the war. The Dominance Dreadnaught. These massive capital ships were achievable once most of the industrial complexes were integrated into the government. They were the largest carriers in the galaxy and had some of the most powerful long distance cannons; however they had no point defense, and were ungodly expensive to create. Only 5 were ever made.
Aboard the Dominance Star Destroyer Admiral Vigil stood in the bridge making the final checks on the fleets. His face was one of hardened resolve and determination. He was one of only a few clones who were elevated to the position of Admiral, and this battle could change the military hierarchy of the United Systems. He was taken out of his thoughts when the hologram of Grand General Skywalker appeared before him.
"Is everything in order for the operation?"
"Yes sir."
"Very well then. Have the main fleet jump to hyperspace immediately. It is imperative that you hold the line at Rusalor until the interceptor fleets have dealt with the CIS Blockade renforcments. Do not fail."
With that, the hologram dissipated.
"Contact all fleets. We are approved to begin the operation."
Immediately the bridge was abuzz as the message was sent and the ships prepared to jump to hyperspace. It wasn't long before they left the atmosphere and were able to make the jump. Their destination, Rusalor, was an isolated planet in the far reaches of space; past Illum. The red planet didn't hold many resources and was practically barren, but it's position made it perfect to act as a platform for expeditions further into the unknown reaches. The CIS annexed the planet from the Galactic Alliance who were simply unable to continue supplying their colonists. They then turned it into a droid charging base and expedition platform. Taking it would be essential to penetrating the CIS blockade.
After hours of traveling through hyperspace, the Dominance Star Destroyer accompanied by five Mk 1 Venators emerged right in front of the CIS blockade fleet that consisted of 5 Recusant Light Destroyers and three Lucrehulk Command Ships. Below the two fleets was a red planet, covered by swirling dust storms. The space above erupted into a dizzying array of green and red. The Venators began to advance to meet the Recusants, as both sides began to unleash their fighters.
"Deploy interceptors and starfighters first. Don't let a single enemy fighter through. What's the estimated time until the CIS renforcments set out?"
"20 minutes sir."
"Alert me as soon as they have been intercepted. Have all cannons fire on the Recusants. Begin moving the Dominance into position to fire upon the middle Lucrehulk."
"Yes Sir."
Outside the bridge window was pure chaos. Unlike the Unity, the CIS had deployed all fighters in one massive swarm. Even after several wars the CIS Droid army mantained the same tactics and appearance; however, this was a deceptive observation. A keen eye could make out the subtle differences through the chaos of the battlefield. The AI had evolved over the years, and the CIS focused on making technology more compact without sacraficing efficency or increasing cost. These newer droids were more precise, reacted faster, were far more coordinated, and could be fielded in far greater numbers. Even with the Unity's shift to starfighter advancement and production, they couldn't match the CIS numbers. But these droids were still fragile and unshielded.
Unity Starfighters evaded enemy fire with ease and took out several droids within seconds, but there were only so many droids the fighters could keep at bay. With Tri-fighters and Vulture droids keeping the fighter screen occupied, a few Hyena Bombers slipped by accompanied by several droid gunships outfitted with more destructive equipment. The drop ships released several missiles that flew towards the Venators.
The point defense cannons of the Venators could barely take down a few of the bombers, and the missiles burst into several green orbs that continued flying towards the ship. Aboard one of the Venators red light flared to life.
"Buzz Droids Inbound! Send out all Rocket Troopers1"
The top hanger doors opened, and several clones armed with jetpacks flew out to meet the droid Intruders. As lazer fire crashed into the shields above them, the Clones fired upon the Buzz Droid swarm. Several droids were left floating in the vacuum of space, but many more survived the trip. A new battle raged on the hulls of the Venators, as Clones fought to keep the Buzz Droids away from the ship's turrets.
Elevated above the front lines, the Dominance's two lower cannons flared to life.
"Cannons Charged."
"Fire!"
Two orbs of crackling energy flew from the cannons. The first shot impacted the shield, disabling it. The second shot quickly followed, striking the central spear. The Lucrehulk was nearly split in two, and the control sphere was nothing but rubble.
Meanwhile, the CIS admiral stood on the bridge of the center Lucrehulk, while B1 pilots kept careful track of the battlefield and their forces through the screens. The admiral's rather bulky, navy blue body, thin limbs, and flat head identified him as a CIS Tactical Droid. Emblazoned on his navy blue chest was a grey image that looked like a top down view of a Lucrehulk.
"Where are our reinforcements?"
"Blockade reinforcements haven't responded. Planetary reinforcements have already set out, and will arrive in exactly 20 minutes."
A B1 pilot spoke up.
"Good. What is the current state of the battle?"
"Fighters have engaged, and allowed bombers and buzz droids to attack the Venators. Bombers have yet to breach the shields."
"The Venators can be taken out easily. The Dominance Dreadnaught is their capital ship. Command all Recusants to move forward and push against the Venators. Have half of our bombers move to attack the Dominance."
"Sir, it would take hours for their payloads to pierce the shields."
"The Dominant Class Ships have powerful ray shields and particle shields, but their concussion shields are based on speed. Have the Hyena Bombers ram the ship's Heavy Cannons."
"But sir-"
"You will give the order. The scrap will be collected when the battle is won."
The droid obeyed and a few seconds later a large portion of Hyenas changed course for the Dominance.
"Admiral, bombers are headed Straight for us!"
The ships began to shutter as the hyenas hit their mark.
"Cannons have taken critical damage!"
"Deploy Heavy Fighters!"
Once again the top hanger opened. From it rose several ships similar to the Arc 170 fighters, but they were larger. The ship had a rear gunner and 2 astromechs, but in addition there were 2 top gunners, a torpedo turret underneath, and the cockpit was moved forward. This was the Arc Heavy Fighter, a new starfighter focused on firepower rather than speed. Fighters rushed back to defend the capital ship, leaving only a few to protect the Venators.
The battlefield was lit up as one of Recusants was engulfed in fire, and explosions sprouted from some of the Venators. Shields were beginning to fail on both sides. Admiral Vigil rushed to contact all ships.
"Order all fighters to fall back. We must hold the line at all costs!"
On the enemies side, several shields were close to failing, and bombing runs exploded across the Recusants. The Admiral soon got a contact from the Recusant OOM commanders.
"Requesting permission to retreat. Our shields are barely holding."
The hologram of the droid admiral looked at the commander.
"No. Increase all forward fire power. The Venators have already taken heavy damage. They will fall quickly."
"But sir, we don't have the power to spare!"
"Then redirect all power to the cannons."
"We'll be defenseless!"
"That is of no concern. I have received word planetary reinforcements have arrived. You will destroy the Venators at all costs."
The Commander gave an almost dejected,
"Roger, roger…"
The hologram cut out, and the OOM droid turned to the crew.
"You heard the admiral. Redirect all power to the cannons. For the CIS."
A course of robotic "rogers" rang out, as the droid commander inwardly cursed whoever thought it was a good idea to program him with a self preservation protocol. The shields dropped and the firepower increased. A wall of laser fire sped towards the front most Venators. Fire engulfed the bridge, and another Recusant fell soon after. CIS renforcments arived from the planet consisting of another Lucrehulk and 3 Munificent class frigates. A hologram of another Tactical droid appeared in front of the Blockade Admiral.
"Status report on the current battle."
The reinforcement admiral demanded.
"We have lost two Recusants on the right flank and one of our Lucrehulks, fighter numbers are dropping on all sides, the enemy currently controls five Venators, and the Dominance Star Destroyer cannons have been heavily damaged."
"What are your orders?"
"Deploy all fighters. Your 3 Munificents will move to support the line. Meanwhile you and the remaining Lucrehulk will move up to confront the Dominance Star Destroyer. The lower cannons are unable to fire."
The ships moved into position, as more droid fighters flooded the battlefield. The Munificents and Lucrehulks flew above the Venators, but below the Dominance. A hail of green light fell upon the Venator line, while the Lucrehulks redirected power to their turbo lasers. The shield of the Dominance began to spark and shimmer as each shot impacted the hull.
"Where are our reinforcements!"
"Sir the Interceptor fleets are still fighthing off CIS blockade fleets."
Vigil looked at the state of the battle with scrutinizing eyes.
"Have the all ships fall back and feign retreat. Draw them away from the planet."
Without another word the order was sent, and the Ships fell back. If the droid admiral could smile he would. He was currently on the holopad with the reinforcement admiral.
"The enemy ships are retreating. Don't let them escape."
"Admiral,"
The reinforcement captain interrupted.
"Why haven't the other blockade fleets arrived?"
"That is unknown. They were unneeded for this battle. Now continue the advance"
"Admiral, the battle has been won. It would be logical to—"
"The clone forces will not escape. You will advance."
The hologram cut, and an OOM commander approached the reinforcement captain.
"Your orders sir?"
"Order 40% of our fighters to return to their designated Frigate or lucrehulk. Route 30% of cannon power to the thrusters and shields. Prepare for possible retreat."
"But sir, we're winning."
"The enemy most likely is trying to draw us out. Remain behind the other Lucrehulk."
"Roger, roger."
On the Dominance bridge the shaking grew. Officers were tossed around and screens flickered on and off as laser fire and bombers assaulted the Star Destroyers. Ties kept close trying to ward off the Vultures, and cannons continued to fire at the CIS Command ships.
"Admiral Vigil, the shields are failing!"
"Direct all possible power to them!"
"We can't hold, we must-"
"Sir, we've detected ships coming in from hyperspace! The reinforcements have arrived!"
Vigil turned his attention to the battlefield. On each flank were two fleets consisting of one Interceptor and 3-4 Venators. Immediately the reinforcements established contact.
"Apologizes for the delay admiral-"
"Now is not the time! What is the status of the fleets."
"We have lost 35% of our fighters, but the capital ships have taken minimal damage. More fleets are continuing to defend against incoming blockade fleets."
"Good. Deploy all remaining fighters and push the line. I want the CIS forces surrounded!"
"Yes sir!"
The message cut, and the tides turned. Screens of tie fighters were deployed against the CIS forces, and cannons fired upon all sides. Now the droids were panicking, more for the possibility of losing the battle, rather than their destruction. The CIS Admirals were debating on this new development.
"Increase all firepower, send in more fighters, request more reinforcements-"
"Admiral we cannot win the battle. We must retreat to the planet, and prepare for a siege."
"You will remain here and fight till all ships are destroyed."
"To do so would only serve in losing more fighters. Your calculations are faulty."
"I am your superior! You will not retreat!"
"You are my superior for as long as you still function. By my calculations you will be destroyed before you can even send a request for my reprogramming."
The call was cut abruptly by the reinforcement admiral.
"Command all ships to retreat back to the planet. The battle is lost."
Back on the Dominance bridge they watched with interest, and hope.
"Sir, the CIS ships are retreating and their numbers are falling!"
Vigil let out a relieved sigh, and smiled. The taking of Rusalor marked the end of the CIS blockade, and he would be the one to orchestrate its fall.