Entry 10: Commander CC-4242 (162 Days ABG)
Today has been very...eventful. Where should I begin?
It initially seemed as if we couldn't accomplish our goal. As Kali'sto and Gala excellently put it, the commander of the outpost took care to organize the ground defenses to repel both an ethical opponent and an efficient one. For an efficient opponent, they organized the cannons at the top of the hill, surrounding them with a vanguard of droid heavy platforms. Their position gave them an excellent vantage point to survey the clearing surrounding the front of the outpost, allowing them to mow down significant numbers of attacking troopers. For the ethical opponent, they made sure to place many of the workers at the bottom of the hill, only prevented from escaping by a handful of additional guards and a weak energy gate. If we followed typical GAR strategy, we would have charged right into the civilians and they would be caught in the crossfire. They've prepared excellently for not only a 'perfect' clone commander, but also for a Jedi.
They didn't account for the Burrowrats. Several of Gala's fighters worked at that refinery in the past, and they were able to provide a partial map of the mining tunnels, one of which was close enough to the tunnels that we could easily breach it with detonators, using it as both an entrance point and a means of retreat. The only problem was the risk of the tunnel collapsing, but all fears were abated when Kali'sto volunteered to lead the advancing party. Though there were some skeptics, I vouched for Kali'sto, recounting what happened with the escape pod when we landed, when he saved me. Gala, it turns out, had a similar encounter with another Jedi on Ando Prime.
So all was set, and our battle proceeded. Kali'sto and his three platoons of clones and Burrowrats snuck into the outer cordons of the outpost to deactivate the heavy cannons and divide the droid's attention, and Gala and I led one company to break down the energy fence and rescue the workers.
The worst part was the waiting. The tension, the ever-building anxiety before we got the signal. My mind kept analyzing the plan over and over, only for it to start calculating how it could all go wrong. I couldn't stop myself from continuously agonizing over every detail all over again...until the heavy cannons exploded. That was the signal.
From there, Gala and I divided our company into sixteen squads who each accomplished a limited set of goals, such as taking out droid sentries, destroying the energy fence, and freeing and directing the prisoners.
The battle lasted approximately forty minutes. We were able to mostly stick to the plan, things only deviated when the outpost deployed a platoon of new droids, forcing us to take cover. They were nothing like the droids we've fought before; they were fast, nimble, agile, yet with thicker armor. Almost two full squads of clones – my brothers – died before we were able to divide their numbers and take them down one by one. I decided to ask that one of them be brought back to camp for analysis, I'd like to know more about this model. One of the surviving members of the crew – Imbaari Fengwang Chelaal, a Kaleesh Engineer – is currently taking a look at this new model.
We managed to retreat by using the tunnels. We have rescued approximately one-thousand, six hundred and five workers from the work camp. The question now is, where do we hide them?
We have taken on a new logistics problem. While many of the refugees are volunteering to join our campaign fight, the majority of them want to see no further combat and are eager to return to their homes and families. However, we can't risk keeping them all out in the open, nor can we afford to send troops with them or give them armament.
While I was given training on how to handle situations such as this, I am thankful to have Kali'sto and Gala with me today. We decided to divide the refugees into two groups, moving one to Crevice and the rest to our camp. Crevice could be a nexus point, with smaller groups being individually sent to other towns nearby to take refuge. Slowly, but surely, we'd get the workers to safety.
Splinter was not eager to accept our second group, and enforcing discipline will be tricky. The refinery is still operational, and the fact that we chose to rescue the workers instead of outright destroying it means that we run the risk of the Separatists getting their hands on a shipment of neuranium. But, we might have also found our key to retaking this world. Recon units are reporting that multiple droid patrols have been ambushed, and one mine is dealing with a worker's revolt. I've sent Bonfire's platoon to aid those workers, I hope they're successful. I am starting to understand what Gala and her burrowrats view as the bigger picture. It'll be a more difficult struggle, but maybe it'll pay off in a more significant way down the line. I took a serious gamble, let's hope it pays off.
