Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.
So, this one will feature the next big battle. After a number of special ops missions chapters, I figured it was time to have another battle chapter.
Let's begin.
MR11: May feature that during one of the larger space battles.
RandomFanAuthor: To some degree, they'll create super soldiers and super exoskeletons, but they won't be really widespread. Numbering more in the hundreds rather than hundreds of thousands or millions. And yes, there will be a Battle of Hoth. And as this chapter shows, we're getting back into the big battles.
CT7567Rules: Coronavirus likely won't be weaponized, given it propbably wouldn't be considered lethal enough, but other diseases might be weaponized. I'll probably still have Trump be elected, but after the war. Obama will remain President just to ensure there's not a change of leadership in the middle of the war. And try not to get too political in reviews. I don't want any of my stories or decisions to start political debates.
pervy sage: The Terran Alliance has already started gas mining operations on gas giants. And no, they won't ever do a base delta zero, unless there is no fear of collateral damage (for example, on a planet that has no inhabitants other than Imperials). And yes, if they did it on unapproved targets, that would probably be considered a war crime. They'll extensively use orbital bombardment in support of invasions, but be careful to avoid collateral damage.
Shadow Trooper: No kidding.
Guest DCDGojira: I unfortunately have no plans to include Doctor Aphra or Vader Down. There's just so much material to choose from, and I can't include it all.
Goldmember: Depends on how they use it. And collateral damage would be a major motivator to be extremely careful about how to use it.
Chapter 32- Retaking Saleucami
From the bridge of the battleship TAS Yamato, Admiral Tomohisa Takei goes over the intelligence gathered by a recent SR-71D recon run over Saleucami to gather information on Imperial positions. The fleet will be coming out of hyperspace soon, and Takei is taking time to take one more look at the details before the battle.
About two months earlier, the Terran Alliance had invaded and captured the planet Saleucami with little trouble. The small Imperial garrison had put up a little fight. Given that the planet did not seem to hold much importance to the Empire, the Alliance left a garrison of just 55,000 troops and nine warships to defend it.
Unfortunately, the Empire had decided it was time to begin retaking territory. Just two and a half weeks ago, the Empire had attacked Saleucami, destroying seven of the nine warships protecting it, and recaptured the planet. Estimates from a transmission sent by Alliance forces in hiding suggested that at least half of the Terran garrison was dead and almost all of the rest had been taken prisoner.
The Joint Terran Command had immediately ordered that Saleucami be retaken. They had soon after received some highly important intelligence. A few months earlier, Mossad agents that had secretly arrived on Coruscant a year prior had scored a major victory when they successfully recruited two of the maintenance crew at the Imperial Palace. The converted agents had, after several weeks of waiting for the right opportunity, successfully bugged a crucial room in the Imperial Palace that was used for meetings on military matters. Many within the Joint Command were still stunned that the Mossad and their converted agents had been able to pull this off, knowing the scrutiny that anyone working at the Palace was constantly subjected to.
The bugs had allowed them to listen into an Imperial war council in which a general went into detail about the forces now holding Saleucami. After reviewing that information and consulting with Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Terran Joint Command had developed a plan for the operation.
An advance task force was sent ahead of the main fleet. This task force was comprised of six Interceptor class interdiction cruisers, two London class Star destroyers, and two Jutland class heavy cruisers. The two Star Destroyers and the two heavy cruisers would cover the interdiction cruisers and engage the Imperial warships. The interdiction cruisers would generate their gravity wells, and the main fleet would then make their hyperspace jumps into the system, targeted on the gravity wells generated from the interdiction cruisers, allowing them to make a more precise jump. The fleet would be coming in from three different directions, forcing the Imperial fleet to divide their fire.
The fleet is large. Two battleships, two battlecruisers, two starfighter carriers, twenty three Star Destroyers, 6 heavy cruisers, and 5 light cruisers. There are also fifteen transport ships coming with them, carrying a total of 220,000 troops and hundreds of walkers and tanks.
Once the Imperial fleet was destroyed, the landings would begin across the planet. 100,000 troops would be landed to capture the capitol of Saleucami, Taleucema. The remaining 120,000 would be landed at five different locations across the planet to capture different areas where Imperial forces are stationed.
"Time to end of hyperspace jump?" Takei asks one of his officers.
"Three minutes, sir," the officer replies.
Takei nods simply before he walks over to the viewport, waiting for the ship to come out of hyperspace.
Finally, after three minutes, the blue streaks of hyperspace lengthen out, and the ship, along with the rest of the fleet, comes out of hyperspace. Takei as he sees the Imperial fleet appear in front of him at very close range.
"Open fire," Takei orders.
In CIC, the ship's gunners aim the ship's bombardment cannons at two Imperial class Star Destroyers and fire. The blasts cause extensive damage and destroy almost half of the ships' weapons. On the other side of the Imperial fleet, the battleship Arizona fires its bombardment cannons at two more Star Destroyers, causing equally heavy damage. Across the three sections of the Terran fleet, ships open fire with their turbolasers as starfighters begin to launch.
Takei watches as thousands of turbolaser bolts begin striking the Imperial ships. Beside the Yamato, the Star Destroyer Granite Mountain moves forward to engage a pair of Star Destroyers trying to close the distance with the Yamato. The Granite Mountain fires her turbolasers at their bridges, then aims and fires her 4 railguns at the bridge of one of them. With the shields already weakened by heavy turbolaser fire, the projectiles from the railguns tear right through the bridge with ease, destroying it without a problem. An attack run from several SF-15s on the remains of the bridge then sets off a chain reaction that destroys the ship. Only a minute later, the Granite Mountain repeats the attack on the other Star Destroyer, destroying it as well.
Takei shifts his attention to one of the Imperial class Star Destroyers. This particular ship is at the rear of the fleet, protected by several other ships.
Takei points to it. "There. That's the flagship. Take it out," he orders.
Communications officers communicate the orders to the pilots of the Yamato's air wing, as well as the Granite Mountain. As the Yamato and Granite Mountain begin moving in the direction of the specified Star Destroyer and her escorts, several squadrons of starfighters converge on the ships.
TIE fighters scramble to meet the incoming Terran fighters. A squadron of Su-36s surges ahead of the rest of the Terran fighters to meet the TIEs, laser cannons blazing. A number of TIE fighters are blown apart before the two sides merge. The Su-36s begin turning to re-engage the TIEs as the remaining starfighters press on to their targets.
The Star Destroyers open fire with their turbolasers as the terran starfighters get within range. The Terran pilots weave from side to side to avoid the incoming turbolaser fire, with many of them trying to descent below them to get out of the firing arc of most of the Star Destroyers' weapons.
As they finally get within close range, the Terran fighters pull back up and make their attack runs. Many of them target the turbolasers on the Star Destroyers, firing missiles and proton torpedoes. As turbolasers begin to explode and chunks are blown out of the ship's hull, the remaining starfighters target the shield generators, firing their weapons until the generators are destroyed.
As the starfighters begin to pull away from the Star Destroyers, the Yamato and Granite Mountain open fire. The Yamato fires her bombardment cannons at the two escorting Star Destroyers in their way before she and the Granite Mountain open fire with their turbolasers.
The two damaged Star Destroyers quickly begin to succumb to turbolaser fire. Then, several SB-1s launched from the Arizona make attack runs on the two Star Destroyers, dropping their full load of bombs. The series of massive explosions tear the damaged Star Destroyers apart, giving the Yamato and Granite Mountain a clear shot to the flagship.
The two Terran ships open fire. The Yamato tries to concentrate her fire on the main hul of the ship, while the Granite Mountain concentrates her fire on the bridge.
On board the Star Destroyer, the Imperial admiral in command of the fleet orders they try and move the ship so that the Terran ships won't be able to target it. But, right at that moment, a squadron of SF-15s launched by the starfighter carrier Argus attack the Star Destroyer's engines with missiles and proton torpedoes. The attack by the Space Eagles successfully destroys two of the ship's three main engines, leaving the ship unable to escape.
Turbolaser bolts continue to hammer the flagship. As Takei watches craters begin to be blasted in the Star Destroyer's hull, one of the bridge officers calls out, "Admiral, bombardment cannons hot!"
"Fire," Takei orders. Only moments later, the Yamato's four bombardment cannons fire, and the massive blasts tear the ship apart.
With the flagship destroyed, the cohesion of the Imperial fleet disintegrates in moments. The few remaining Star Destroyers are left to do their best, but are being rapidly overcome by the Terran fleet. Within a matter of minutes, the few remaining Star Destroyers are destroyed.
Takei watches the last Star Destroyer explode. After a few moments, he says, "Order all ships to take up positions for orbital bombardment. Contact the Eagle. I want all transport ships to prepare for landing operations."
(Some time later, TAS Eagle)
In the hangar bay of the TAS Eagle, Jedi Master Miriam Walker straps on her utility belt and straps her lightsaber to it. At last, she's ready for battle.
This isn't Miriam's first mission so far in the war. She led for special forces recon mission to Saleucami prior to the first invasion of the planet, and an airstrike on an Imperial weapons factory in the Mid Rim. But, this is her first full scale battle.
Miriam will be taking part in the assault on Taleucema, where she'll be leading a South African division. The plan for the assault on Taleucema is relatively simple. Two Iranian divisions will make a direct charge at the city from the south. After the Iranians have begun their attack, the South African division Miriam is leading, as well as a Peruvian division, will swing around to make an attack on the city from the north-west, while an Indian division will make a similar attack on the city from the north east.
"Master."
Miriam smiles as she turns around to see her apprentice, Cameron Boyce, walking up to her, wearing his military camouflage and his lightsaber swinging from his belt.
"Yes, Cameron?"
"I just heard from the captain. We're descending into the atmosphere. They'll be landing us soon," Cameron says.
"Alright. Let's get to the transport," Miriam says, and the two head over to their landing transport.
The two wait in the transport with a number of South African troops as the Eagle descends into low orbit over Saleucami. Then, the alarms begin to blare throughout the ship, signaling its time to begin the landings.
The transport powers up and takes off, flying out of the ship's hangar and heading down towards the surface. Terran starfighters are flying patrols over Taleucema to keep TIE fighters away from the landers.
As the transport descends towards the landing site, Miriam checks again that she has everything, then calls out to the men, "Get ready to land!"
The South African troops grab their weapons and check them over again before they begin to gather near the door. Finally, the transport sets down, and the back ramp lowers as the door opens.
Miriam leads the troops down the ramp into a massive clearing amidst some trees. All around her, more troops of the South African division are merging from their transports as heavy equipment transports begin to deposit tanks, walkers, artillery, and other equipment.
Miriam makes her way to where some South African officers are already setting up a mobile headquarters and begins working with them to coordinate the advance into Taleucema, which is due to begin in 40 minutes. Given she will be leading the troops, her opinions weigh heavily on the minute details of how to proceed with the attack on the city.
Finally, 40 minutes after the landings outside Taleucema began, Miriam makes her way over to a Uh-60 Black Hawk and climbs aboard, with Cameron following close behind. Once aboard, Miriam declares, "Alright, let's move!"
The helicopter begins to warm up, and a minute later lifts off, with a dozen other Black Hawks also taking off as the ground forces begin to advance. Leading the charge are almost a hundred Trailblazer walkers, a Terran version of the AT-RT walker used by the Republic that has slightly better protection for the pilot and slightly better armament. Following behind them are 50 MK1 tanks and 50 Patria AMV personnel carriers, with the rest of the troops following behind them in trucks, Humvees, or on foot. The Black Hawks are meant to scout ahead and warn of Imperial ground forces in the path of the South African and Peruvian forces, and to deposit small teams of troops behind Imperial lines.
Miriam scans the ground as the Black Hawk flies ahead of the main lines. For several minutes, she sees nothing but the landscape and native fauna. Then, a clearing comes into view, along with hundreds of stormtroopers. At almost the same moment, blaster fire begins streaking all around the Black Hawk.
"There. Return fire!" Miriam shouts, pointing towards the stormtroopers. The machine gunner in the open door of the Black Hawk swivels his M134 minigun in the direction of the stormtroopers and pulls the trigger. The minigun springs to life, hurling 50 rounds a second at the stormtroopers at a distance of 800 yards. The glowing tracer rounds tear through the stormtroopers' ranks, shredding stormtroopers into scraps of flesh and plastoid composite. As the helicopter gets closer, the South African soldiers inside add fire from their assault rifles and blasters. The remaining stormtroopers scramble to find cover.
The Black Hawk continues ahead until it reaches the designated landing spot. However, they quickly see that the landing spot is occupied by stormtroopers.
The pilot of the helicopter slows the helicopter down, slowly rotating it as the gunners in the doorways open up with their miniguns, killing dozens of stormtroopers. As the gunners kill many of the stormtroopers, the pilot recognizes the spot is now safe enough, and he sets the Black Hawk down.
Miriam waits as the helicopter lowers to the ground. As soon as she feels the helicopter touch down, she leaps out of the door of the helicopter, igniting her lightsaber and blocking an incoming blaster bolt. She charges towards the stormtroopers, lightsaber at the ready. Cameron leaps out after her, igniting his own lightsaber, and follows his master along with a pair of South African troops as the other soldiers move to engage other stormtroopers around the clearing as the helicopter takes back off.
Miriam reaches the stormtroopers and attacks them, cutting them down one by one with her lightsaber. As Cameron and the two South African troops reach her and begin attacking the stormtroopers, the remaining troopers break and run for it, disappearing into the trees.
Miriam pauses for a moment to listen into the radio chatter between the five divisions attacking Taleucema. She hears chatter from the commanders of the two Iranian divisions to the south confirming that they have broken Imperial lines and the first Iranian platoons have entered the city.
"Let's move, men!" Miriam orders. The ten South African soldiers move towards her position. Once the men have gathered around her, she turns and leads them into the trees.
(TAS Yamato)
In the CIC of the Yamato, Admiral Takei watches the various displays around him intently. Reports from officers on the ground and from reconnaissance aircraft are providing in depth information on the progress of the invasion, charting the position of the Terran divisions as well as Imperial lines, and the movements of both sides.
At the six secondary landing sites across the planet, Imperial lines are crumbling under relentless Terran assaults. Most of the Imperial forces on the planet are in Taleucema, leaving the other Imperial holdouts on the planet ill equipped to handle such an assault, especially with orbital bombardment support and supporting air strikes.
As Takei continues to examine the displays, a Torfan communications officer comes up to him and says, "Admiral, we are receiving a transmission from the Imperial general in Taleucema."
"Patch him through," Admiral Takei orders.
Moments later, the face of the Imperial general, General Talozar, comes onto one of the screens.
"I am General Talozar. To whom am I speaking?" he asks.
"Admiral Tomohisa Takei of the Terran Alliance. Why have you contacted me, General?" Takei asks.
"Admiral, I am here to declare my intention to surrender," Talozar responds.
Takei nods simply. "Very well. Order your forces to stand down, General, and I will then order my men to stop engaging your forces. You and your men will be treated with all due courtesy," Takei says.
"Very well, Admiral," Talozar says.
(Taleucema)
Miriam whirls her lightsaber, blocking several blaster bolts fired at her. She deflects one back at the stormtrooper firing at her, killing him.
"Forward!" she yells. The South African and Peruvian forces have reached the outskirts of the city and are fighting to break the weakened Imperial lines.
As Miriam charges forward, she sees something odd. Many of the stormtroopers are freezing, looking like they're trying to listen to something. Then, one by one, the stormtroopers begin to drop their blasters and hold up their hands.
Then, she hears the South African Major General in command of the division she's leading coming from her commlink, "All Terran forces, cease hostilities against Imperial forces. General Tolozar of the Empire has surrendered. You are to take custody of all stormtroopers and their weapons."
Miriam lowers her lightsaber, sighing with relief. She looks around, and sees that other soldiers have heard the same thing.
"Alright, men. Let's move," she says.
Miriam leads the men as they begin taking the stormtroopers into custody. As she oversees this to ensure the stormtroopers to see that they are treated well, she feels grateful that the battle ended sooner than expected, knowing how many lives have been saved by Tolozar's willingness to surrender. And maybe, who knows, some of these men might be willing to turn their backs on the Empire and fight for the cause of freedom.
And, I'll end there. Hope you liked this one.
I hope you all remember Miriam. She was mentioned several times in the first story as one of the first younglings of the Terran Jedi Order. I also hope that you like that I decided to have Cameron Boyce be a Jedi.
Now, it's almost time to get into Empire Strikes Back. I have one more chapter planned before the events of that film, but I hope you're excited for the Empire Strikes Back chapters.
Alright, next chapter will be up within a week or so. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!