AN: I invite you to read the next chapter of my story.
As for your questions and suggestions, thank you very much for them, they are amazing and allow me to enrich this fic. Therefore, I encourage you to share your thoughts, criticism and suggestions, because it gives me many interesting ideas that will make the story even better and more diverse in its content.
For example, the suggestion that the main character acquire NK-Necrosis robots. Although I have no intention of doing so, well... Let's say that just as Mitth'raw'nuruodo had his Noghri commandos, Lanz will get his own elite warriors, and maybe even a vassal race... Ops, spoiler.
And I will say this, Lanz will have his Dreadnoughts, but not the 'Malevolence' based ones. Ops, another spoiler.
As for potential romance, I had considered it many times before when I wrote the first chapter last year. Truth be told, there will be romance, but probably not the one you expected. I want it to be something natural and not like the fantasies of a teenager with excess hormones.
Nevertheless, I invite you to read it. I'm sure you'll love it.
Dorin System
ISD-II 'Hope of Empire'
The death of Moff Tardir did not mean the end of the turmoil in the Deadalis sector. Although a large portion of the Kel Dors insurgents laid down their weapons in exchange for lenient treatment while disarming and arresting the rebels. However, this was not enough to convince the hard-line rebels, who were even willing to use civilians and those on whose behalf they were supposedly fighting for freedom as human shields.
Lanz and Galak agreed that they had no intention of giving in to their demands, so the Lord Inquisitor left commodore solving this problem according to his own preferences.
Lanz himself went to his quarters, where he took a shower in the bathroom and went to sleep, which in total took him over 9 standard hours. When he returned to the bridge, refreshed and rested, he foundSour who reported to him that the uprisings had been suppressed. The planetary garrisons easily defeated most of the villages and towns that still resisted. While those located in difficult-to-reach places and which would take too much time to pacify were precisely bombarded from orbit, leaving only desolate ruins as a warning to all other rebels.
Lanz felt a knot in his stomach as he stood in front of the bridge's central porthole and remembered the moment he heard the one hand, everything on the planet was sorted out quickly and efficiently with the appointment of the Moff of this sector. However, all these people and civilians…
Under the helmet, the image of a man seemed to be sick and internally conflicted at the very thought that he was indirectly responsible for the death of so many innocent people.I can't bother with it now. Especially if this action was necessary for my survival. Ultimately, it was these local rebel leaders who sentenced these innocents to death when they decided to use them as human shields. There was no other way.
He was, but it would cost you too much time, wouldn't it? A strange, slightly distorted voice spoke, seeming to come from the deepest depths of his subconscious. This is understandable when you are fighting a war whose main reason is your survival and well-being. All at the expense of others who die at the hands of you or by hands of your people, and at the expense of those who fight for you.
They themselves chose this path, not me, as did those who thought they could bargain with us, using their brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, fathers and mothers as human shields. Lanz replied mentally as his right hand tightened and began to twitch slightly. We all made choices, me, Galak, to deal with the rebels one way or another, and the rebels themselves, who brought this on themselves.
Lanz shook his head slightly, snapping himself out of his internal battle and back to reality. Whatever happened there is in the past and I have to look to the future, which is uncertain at the moment. Very uncertain.
After a moment, he heard the sound of boots tapping against metal from behind, signaling Galak's approach.
"My Lord." He clicked his boots and saluted. "I personally supervised the defeat of the last groups of terrorists that tried to move between cities and villages. The planet is fully pacified."
"Excellent." Lanz nodded in confirmation. "Is a fleet with support for the sector just around the corner?"
Galak just looked at one of the portholes and pointed. "They are already here, my lord."
Lanz also turned around and sure enough, he saw that a total of 22 Star Destroyers of various types had emerged from hyperspace. More than half were Victory Star Destroyers, both I and II class. As for the larger units, 4 of them were Tector class, while the remaining 4 were Imperial II class.
After a few more moments, however, 4 Imperial-I Star Destroyers also emerged from hyperspace. This was part of the support for the Scarlet Fleet, which, however, was never intended to see combat. Lanz was perfectly aware of what this reinforcement was.
Ah, finally ships with personnel to staff at least some of the ships we have captured in Bilbringi Shipyards. Lanz looked at the ships that had caught his attention and were a very important part of this it may seem that our resources are seemingly enormous, the situation is not so rosy. Our resources, despite a large population, shipyards and natural resources necessary to build new ships, are quite limited. First of all, I only have all these ships at my disposal because my operation has priority. Without the diversion of resources from various sectors for this campaign, which will give us access to some of the most powerful and important shipyards in the entire galaxy, I could not afford to weaken any of the sectors under our control.
"Excellent, that should be enough, especially since I don't think rebels or warlords will appear in this space." Lanz turned on his heel and looked straight into the eyes of the officer, and de facto his deputy. "If ammunition and fuel supplies have already been replenished, along with the lost interceptors and bombers, then order the entire Scarlet Fleet - excluding severely damaged ships - to begin preparing for a hyperspace jump. I intend to move to Bilbringi as soon as possible."
Lanz then moved to the nearest elevator. "We have wasted many hours in this system, almost 13 of them after the battle itself. I trust that we will reach our campaign goal as quickly as possible?"
"Yes, my lord." Galak was more than sure of his words and the accompanying declaration that this would happen. "My personal estimate is that we should get there in 2 hours tops."
Lanz raised his eyebrows under his helmet and stopped before entering the elevator that would take him to the lower floors. "Why this delay, Commodore?"
Galak almost licked his lips nervously. "Well, there's some sort of star storm going on between us and our destination, but it should clear up in about 1 hour. As for the storm, it is a repeating phenomenon on this route, occurring approximately every two weeks."
"Which means the trip there should take a total of 2 standard hours." Lanz clicked his tongue but showed no dissatisfaction. "Unfortunate, but within the margin of error. I just hope that we can intercept the gifts from the late emperor without any major complications."
The commodore couldn't help but smile at this choice of words, considering that the orders for the ships built there had been placed before the emperor's death and were currently in progress. "Someone once told me, my lord, that patience is a virtue that rewards patient people."
"I just hope that will be the case in this case." Lanz rolled his eyes under his black helmet. "Still, I don't want to waste your time, please call Captain Paul vi Obtain. Let him entrust the command of his ship to his deputy, and he himself will appear on board the Hope of Empire as soon as possible. As soon as we go FTL, please come to my office as soon as possible, I'll be there the whole time, I'm going to review some pretty important issues."
"Yes, my lord." Galak saluted. "With your permission, I will return to my duties."
Lanz just waved his hand and the elevator opened and a pair of officers stepped out. To the Lord Regent's surprise, these were the same two he had passed on his way to his TIE Phantom before the battle. They both saluted him awkwardly and with obvious surprise, and Lanz returned an equally casual salute before entering the elevator and selecting the floor where his office was located.
This office was a standard room of this type on Imperial I-class or Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, intended for high-ranking officials who would be on board. Since Lanz had won and received the title of Lord Regent for himself, he had taken over this office aboard the Hope of Empire, which had previously remained empty. Here he kept one of his three datapads, on which he was browsing reports sent to him.
Although it seemed like there would be a lot of paperwork or that the work would overwhelm him, nothing like that ever happened. Mainly because he was currently accepting and reading reports from only 11 different institutions: Alignment General Staff, Alignment Supreme Council, Alignment Security Bureau, Alignment Propaganda and Public Enlightenment Department, Arms and Ammunition Department, Trade Department, Finance Department, Alignment Department of Military Research, General Inspectorate of the Fleet, General Inspectorate of the Army and General Inspectorate of Planetary Garrisons. Additionally, he sometimes received reports from Grand Moff Tagge.
The content of the previously mentioned reports ranged from summaries of weekly operations, military performance of formations, conclusions and successes of the security bureau, financial liquidity of the Alignment of Powers, the state of trade between planets or sectors, or the increase in the production of ships, blasters, ground vehicles or ammunition. New technology, allowed to obtain a lot of extremely interesting information in a relatively short time.
Thanks to this work and the information obtained during it, Lanz was able to take his mind off the great sense of guilt and unpleasant sensations that tormented him mentally. Although it was clear from Second Brother's memories that he had done much worse, still long time ago Lanzo's personality from his previous life, his conscience, present despite the obvious moral-existential nihilism, made itself felt. Not to mention the memories of all those cut people, all the blood and viscera flowing out, which drove him to the verge of vomiting.
It looks like some of my designs will go into mass production a little sooner than expected. The first copy of Victory III should be ready in a maximum of 2 months despite design differences, including not 4 but 7 large turbolaser gun-batteries on each side, and located not one next to the other, but in a position parallel to the edge of the hull. In such a way that you can also conduct effective fire straight ahead. Not to mention the fact that these batteries are slightly larger and have 4 guns. In addition, the latest models of hyperdrive and shields available on the market. So I already have a relatively cheap structure, which in the newly created doctrines will be the main battlefield unit and cover for the Alignment Star Destroyers, which will be the core of each task force. Lanz looked through all the reports on this subject with a smile and passion, because reading the technical details of the machines - especially when he was co-responsible for their creation - put him in a really good mood. As soon as the new TIEs, ships, Star Destroyers and ground force weapons are put into mass production. When all this replaces the old types, all that will remain is to train the crews hard so that they become familiar with their fighting tools and are familiar with them. As the example of .171 near Kursk shows, if soldiers and commanders do not understand what combat tools they actually have, it may end disastrously.
After reading the reports from the Armaments and Ammunition Department and the Alignment Department of Military Research, he focused on the reports from the ASB andAPPED, which concerned primarily the mood of the population on individual planets. Well, it looks like the massive propaganda and anti-terrorism campaign is working. Although my regime is moderately popular among alien species, among the human race we are supported by - at least by estimates - at least over 50% of the population. This is quite a success, considering that convincing the majority is often a risky and difficult task, and if these reports are not very optimistic.
He continued working for several dozen more standard minutes before the Hope of Empire and the rest of the Scarlet Fleet jumped to the hyperspace, along with 4 Star Destroyers sent as necessary reinforcements to complete the operation properly. However, the Scarlet Fleet was depleted for this operation, as it was deprived of its 4 Star Destroyers, which had been seriously damaged during the Battle of Dorin. They were:'Executrix Second', 'Northern Knight', 'Imperial Star' i 'Shield of Conquest'. So the fleet is basically reduced to 10 ISD-II, 1 TSD and 12 VSD-II. Although all losses in interceptors and bombers have been replaced, it is still quite a significant loss of strength. Waiting for repairs or additions may mean wasting valuable time that we don't have much of.
Lanz then rose from where he was sitting and approached the wall to the right of his desk, where, by his order, a large screen had been installed whose main purpose was to display the galactic map. Or at least maps of that part of the galaxy whose exploration is widely known and to which access was generally not hampered by various anomalies and other stellar phenomena that make travel much more difficult.
Lanz crossed his arms behind his back as, after removing his helmet and leaving it on the oval desk, the screen displayed a galaxy and after a while he headed towards the Scarlet Fleet's current target, Bilbringi. The place where Grand Admiral Thrawn died, at least in legend. I don't know what's happening to him, whether he's in the Unknown Regions or somewhere else. It doesn't matter at this point as long as it doesn't interfere with my plans. If everything goes more or less as planned, this will be a problem I'll start worrying about later, much later.
Lancehe typed commands on the buttons of the console controlling the screen, which after a while displayed Bilbringi tactical map. Specifically, the target was the Bilbringi Shipyards, which were very well fortified and secured. Yes, I had to learn how to use this equipment, and although it seemed almost magical at first, thanks to memories and diligent study combined with need, I managed to relatively master the use of this galaxy's technology. However, I am still far from having even a fraction of knowledge about hacking, among other things.
The Bilbringi Shipyards themselves were placed in the center and marked by a light yellow color, which is commonly associated with something neutral. Although the Bilbringi sector does not have any large units according to ASB reports, it still has powerful fortifications and protection. Each of the two sides of the large shipyard was surrounded by 4 Golans III and 2 Golans II. Massive firepower, supported by hundreds of fighters aboard defensive platforms, but impossible to defeat.
Lanz placed his hand on his chin and felt a certain impulse in the Force, which, however, was significantly difficult for him to sense and , it seems that the Force is trying to suggest that I go to this place. This leaves more questions than answers. Especially since…
His thoughts were interrupted when the door to his office was opened and a pair of men entered. Commodore Galak Stahl and Captain Paul vi Obtain. They both saluted, and Lanz turned to them with the unreadable and slightly haughty look he practiced to maintain professionalism in meetings. Another of many things he has never done before, but which are now necessary to gain the respect of his subordinates. I have already changed this universe in significant ways, and it seems it has changed me, too, more than I could have first imagined.
"Has everything been prepared properly?" Lanz asked, raising an eyebrow slightly but clearly enough.
"Yes, my lord." Galak calmly confirmed. "We will be there as scheduled, in just over one hour."
It was a bit longer than he was initially assured, but he decided not to make a fuss over such trivial reasons. "The sooner the better, but I'm not going to bother myself with such a trivial matter now. Let's get to the point: what do you actually think about it?
He then pointed to the screen showing the defense of Bilbringi and the shipyards themselves. Galak started, his eyes darting from one point to the next. Meanwhile, Paul - as Lanz himself could tell - was extremely focused on what was in front of his eyes. He analyzed the situation carefully and seemed to consider potential scenarios.
"My Lord." It was Galak who started it, still not taking his eyes off the screen. "Personally, I think that the fight for this large shipyard may be - despite the lack of large linear units among the defenders - quite expensive. We should approach the defenders as quickly as possible, under any pretext, and without warning make a rapid landing on the defense platforms and shipyards. As planned, although I still consider it too bold and reckless."
"That's the plan." Lanz nodded. "But you don't have to worry, Commodore. At least if my guesses are true, and I have no reason at all to distrust my guesses."
Galak sighed, aware that the Lord Regent had already made his decisions, and despite his previous enthusiasm, which had visibly faded with further thought and taking into account more and more variables. "Still, it would be safer to consolidate resources first and wait for our opponents to move and then make decisions based on that."
"You make a mistake, Commodore, in assuming that the safest options will be the best." Paul joined the conversation, then turned stiffly to Galak. "While you are right that this is one of the riskier moves, it is a great and calculated risk with great reward. Especially now, when the Emperor's empire is crumbling to its foundations before our eyes. In fact, the first two months at least are our best option to get as much out of it as possible, given the incompetence of the authorities on Coruscant and the absolute chaos throughout the empire."
"Exactly my thoughts, Captain." Lanz looked at him with a slightly cold but professional smile on his lips. "No one knows what to do, and the old and predetermined order is disappearing. To be honest, listening to the chaos and panic on the communication channels, both military and civilian, was a pleasant distraction for me during breaks at work."
Galak sneered, and it was clear that he, too, did the same in his free time. "Indeed, it was somewhat amusing to hear these pleading requests for instructions and accusations of corruption or treason thrown around left and right. Especially since we, the Alignment of Powers, are the best organized and have the best chance against the other warlords and the Rebel Alliance."
"We'll see." Lanz stroked his beard. "It's still too early to know all this, or to assume any far-fetched scenario."
"Substantially." The captain nodded and returned to the original issue the trio had been discussing throughout the conversation. "As for the landing, we might not even have to do that."
"What do you mean, Captain?" Asked a surprised Galak, who apparently did not pay attention to several quite important issues and events that took place during the fight.
"What he means is that maybe the local governor is on our side." Lanz was the one who answered the commodore's question. "You see, our communications blocking was, in itself, only partially effective. It was an outsider who had to block communications to prevent Moff Tardir from communicating with Grand Moff Frax Fritzener."
"Moff Aleza Grik?" Asked the surprised commodore, who seemed not to have taken such a scenario into account at all. "I personally think it's quite far-fetched and there simply has to be another explanation. Why would she do this now, at this crucial moment?"
"And why not?" Lanz asked in response and Captain vi Obtain nodded showing that he thought so too. "In fact, it may be as you say, which is why I have prepared this bold plan to capture the shipyards and defense platforms as quickly as possible. Still, there were too many coincidences to ignore this possibility."
"Very sensible of you, my lord." Paul nodded politely. "This is also my point of view. Nevertheless, if everything goes according to the planned scenario, our victory in this operation should already be assured and the takeover of the shipyard,docked ships or units still under construction there, should be just a formality."
Galak, however, licked his lips nervously and made it clear that he himself had slightly different thoughts on the matter. "What if this is all a trap?"
Interesting and I probably didn't consider it until now. Lanz abruptly stopped stroking his beard, but otherwise remained calm. "Explain your point of view carefully, Commodore."
"Well, what if all this was prepared with the intention of lowering our guard and saving us where we would be trapped by the place interdictors?" Galak continued, word by word becoming more and more bold in his views. "Although such a thing seems absurd, especially considering the loss of valuable ships in these uncertain times, Grand Moff Frax Fritzener is a man cunning enough and ready for this type of gambit. Anything to deal us a serious blow, keep all the territories for ourselves and perhaps even launch a counterattack if circumstances favor it."
He is not as limited or lacking in judgment of his opponent as I once assumed. Perhaps he is actually a diamond in the mused before giving his answer. "While this is quite likely, I sincerely doubt that our intelligence would not have detected any larger ships in that system in such a case."
"Then it is as our plan assumes, that it is Moff Grik, who is willing to come to our side and therefore has made it impossible, or at worst significantly delayed, message and transmission to Grand Moff Fritzener." Captain vi Obtain interjected. "Moreover, the lack of battleships there undoubtedly fits the grand moff's personality pattern as a paranoid bureaucrat with no solid military knowledge. A man who prefers to keep the best and most ships close to him because he trusts no one and is concerned above all with his own safety."
This was enough to completely convince the Captain again and to once again become somewhat enthusiastic about the plan to carry out the operation. Even though his attitude couldn't do much at that particular moment, considering the fact that a plan had been prepared. While the captains of individual Star Destroyers and their deputies were more or less aware of how this final part of the operation would proceed and what its main goal actually was.
The conversation continued and they discussed new doctrines, weapons and ships that are currently being developed for the Alignment of Powers army. It was quite a long and informative conversation. Instructive, especially for Lanz himself, who was able to expand his knowledge of military-related topics. In this field, his knowledge was still not particularly impressive, despite all these memories and his own knowledge.
It seems like I still have a lot to learn and a lot of different perspectives to explore. At one point and for a short moment, Lanz became lost in thought, mentally disconnecting himself from the two talking. After all, life is not as simple as I once thought. Yes, everything was simpler back then. When I didn't have to ask difficult questions and when I implicitly trusted what those older than me said. However, when I understood how relative and subjective reality and the interpretation of events are, nothing was so obvious anymore.
He snapped out of his thoughts, thanks to his own discipline, and returned to the discussion, the new topic of which was the issue of Star Dreadnoughts. Something Lanz himself wasn't particularly concerned about, considering he had no plans to build more at this point due to limited access to resources, at least at this point. Although planets such as Yaga Minor and Bilbringi have powerful shipyards, I will prefer to focus all our industrial shipbuilding potential on the issue of new Star Destroyers and TIEs. The Star Dreadnoughts can wait, especially since at least 1 should currently be assembled at the Bilbringi Shipyards. However, it is possible that someone took this ship for themselves.
A few more minutes passed before a message came through the Commodore's communicator from Senior Captain Megas, informing them that they would be popping out of hyperspace soon. With that said, Lanz turned off his datapad, put on his helmet, and then the trio headed towards the bridge, where they were expected. Paul was personally ordered by the Lord Regent to stand by his side and advise him during the battle. He himself had nothing against it and only coldly followed orders.
In total, this trip actually took almost 3 hours, because the storm unexpectedly extended, but Lanz had no desire or time to make a fuss about it, because it would not change anything at this particular moment. When what's supposed to happen has happened, you just have to take it and move on.
Lanz stood before the main porthole just as the fleet emerged from hyperspace and the main goal of this campaign came into view. Bilbringi system, composed entirely of barren asteroids, of which the most important and largest was Bilbringi VII. Around it, there were large shipyards, sometimes stretching for dozens of kilometers. Moreover, the largest and most important was the shipyard proper, resembling a ring around Bilbringa VII itself. A ring around the planet that was all too associated with Kuat and its great shipyard.
The thought of Kuat made Lanz reflect. Should I try to capture this planet if I ever reach the Imperial Core worlds? I have plans for the coming weeks and months, not to mention the production of new types of weapons, replacing old ones and redirecting obsolete types to second and finally third category units. Nevertheless, I should consult with members of the general staff at some point and develop, or propose to them if I can develop, a plan for how to proceed. Should I pursue conquering the Core worlds with all the ramifications that come with it, such as drawing the attention of the Rebel Alliance and other warlords? Can I first strengthen myself, gather bigger and better forces, wait until fighting breaks out between my enemies? Should I attack the enemy now, when there is still chaos and uncertainty, and only my faction is relatively stable internally?
"My Lord?" He was pulled out of his thoughts by Galak, specifically his slightly raised voice. "All ships have exited hyperspace and are ready."
"Excellent." Lanz returned to reality without difficulty, once again focusing on the huge shipyards and the defensive structures guarding them, and on the small ships. "Everyone go ahead, I will scan all these ships first, and then I will select the ones that should be captured by us as soon as possible."
Galak saluted and with his orders, all Star Destroyers in the Scarlet Fleet moved forward. From moment to moment, they were getting closer and closer to the shipyards, unforgettable in terms of view, which could only be compared with such stellar structures as the Death Star.
Minutes passed until the fleet finally entered the optimal range of the enemy defense platforms, but no fire was opened on them, and the smaller ships concentrated around them began to part.
The fleet passed without a single shot being fired, although everyone was on guard. The TIEs crews went to their machines, ready to join the action and start space combat if necessary. Meanwhile, technicians - especially those responsible for the artillery on Star Destroyers - were waiting on alert for the order to open fire. To put it bluntly, the tension was palpable and the Lord Regent didn't have to try too hard to feel it in the Force. In fact, his senses were bombarded with it, although he received no warnings from the Force that it was a trap.
Still, despite all the tension, Lanza's attention was suddenly drawn to one of the smaller ships they were passing. This unit was a type of escort carrier, with a rather streamlined shape and whose technical data the Lord Regent recalled with -Falk-class escort carrier, designed by Kuat Drive Yards and capable of carrying approximately 72 TIEs on board. An interesting and quite cheap design that was quickly forgotten and with quite weak armor. But what if it was supposed to be an escort structure for transporting small ships?
Lanz placed his hand on the spot on his helmet that prevented him from stroking his eyebrows, and then the hand quickly returned to its loose position, falling to the durasteel floor. The design is undoubtedly interesting and has quite a large transport capacity for small ships. In fact, it is so inconspicuous that I never planned to implement it. But why, if it can be quite useful, cheap and... Well, now that I think about it, it would fit perfectly into Lightning Task Forces, raiding forces behind enemy lines and cutting off them from supply deliveries.
He pushed away this thought about the future and the possible implementation of these machines, focusing on the here and now, because it had priority over the uncertain and fluid future that is not and most likely never was predetermined.
The fleet was now so close that a thorough scan of the shipyard was a purely formal matter. In fact, it ended after a few standard seconds and Lanz was informed of the results by Senior Captain Megas.
"My Lord! We have just completed a scan of the shipyard, the results... are more than satisfactory. In addition to dozens of completed Star Destroyers of various types, and twice as many still under construction, we have 3... No, 4 Star Dreadnoughts here. Only one, it's still unfinished."
What!? Lanzo's eyes practically popped out of his sockets when he heard this, and only his ability, acquired over the past weeks, greatly aided by the Force, to suppress and silence his inner emotions, helped him calm down very quickly. So much? What types, that's the most important thing at this point.
"Do you know at this point what types these actually are?" After another moment of inner silence, he managed to put his thoughts into words.
"Well… According to our readings, the dreadnoughts we're dealing with here are…" Senior Captain Megas didn't have the opportunity to finish because she was interrupted by one of the officers responsible for communications.
"Sorry to disturb you, but we have a transmission from Bilbringa VII, straight from the sector governor's palace."
"Get it here right now." The Lord Regent's response was almost immediate and the crew were fully aware of what this meant.
Almost immediately, a mostly black R5 droid was brought here, and a hologram of the Sector Governor, Moff Aleza Grik, was displayed. A woman of about 36, quite young for such a position, but she received it thanks to two factors - at least from what Lanz himself read in the ASB report - family connections and competence as an exemplary administrator. Moreover, she was so competent that the death of her brother at the hands of Lord Vader, on charges of incompetence, did not end her career. As for herself, she was quite slim and tall, with long and prematurely gray hair.
"Governor." Lanz greeted her rather stiffly, but without any sign of hostility, while she responded with a polite smile and bow.
"Lord Inquisitor, or perhaps Lord Regent Lanz, depending on how you prefer to be addressed." She greeted him in a calm and somewhat musical voice, and Lanz raised an eyebrow behind his helmet at her declaration. "Surprised, Lord?"
"I'm more wondering how you know this then I'm surprised, Governor." He didn't even have the slightest desire to let her gain even the slightest advantage over him. "I admit I didn't expect this."
"Well, I have my methods for obtaining valuable information, Lord Regent." Moff Grik replied somewhat impertinently, but then decided to expand on the topic, seeing that her little taunt did not bring much effect. "Actually, I found out by accident when I intercepted your fleet's communications, specifically your personal communications with the Great OneMoffem Tagge. Don't bother finding the leak, honestly, it's in the systemI deployed a modified Gozanti cruiser, upgraded with specialized spy scanners and with a crew experienced in deciphering communications and breaking codes."
"I see…" Lanz made a mental note to improve the communication channels used by him, the army and the administration in the future. "Nevertheless, why are you communicating with us if you are subordinate to the Grand Moff…?"
"Son of Bantha, not an imperial official whom I could obey." Her voice took on a venomous tone and it was clear she had no respect for this man. "If it weren't for his advisors from military affairs and the initiative of individual commanders, this oversector would have plunged into complete chaos a long time ago. Not to mention sending the best units to forces directly subordinated to him, and not where it is most necessary."
Lanz was still unconvinced and didn't answer right away, and Moff Grik understood almost immediately.
"If that's not enough, my forces wouldn't be able to repel your fleet and I simply have no intention of dying. For this reason, I, my staff of officers, and all staff declare our unconditional loyalty to Alignment of Powers. Furthermore, our ships and resources in Bilbringi are at your disposal, my lord."
"I have no choice but to accept your oath of loyalty, Governor." Lanz nodded. "Now, tell me a little about the 4 Star Dreadnoughts that the shipyard currently has at its disposal."
"I knew it would be the first thing I asked you to ask, my Lord." Moff Grik smiled haughtily and proudly when the matter was raised. "All four dreadnoughts, as well as the Star Destroyers, are being built here under licenses purchased by Bilbringi Shipyards from Kuat Drive Yards. Not to brag, but thanks to me and my brilliant management methods, everything is built here a bit faster and more efficiently than in Kuat. But to the point: 3 of the 4 are one and the same type, which have been built here for several months. All three are Bellator-class Star Dreadnoughts: 'Durasteel Fury', 'Imperial Lance' and 'Imperial Fist'. However, the hull of the 'Durasteel Fury' is only half complete, while the 'Imperial Fist' has no weapons still fitted. Besides, none of the 3 have a crew."
"Where does all this come from, Governor?"
"Well, I think it will not be even the slightest secret that the project to build the second and even larger mobile battle station DS-2 consumed huge amounts of construction materials and personnel. I guess the rest is easy to guess."
"Substantially." Lanz nodded in understanding, a bit irritated by the fact that only 1 of 3 very good ships would be able to be crewed and used in combat. "What about the 4th?"
Moff's face lit up even more. "I personally supervised the construction of the 4th, the largest and most powerful. Thanks to my determination, it is fully ready and operational, although unfortunately without a crew."
At least she is very, very committed and proud of her couldn't help but smile under his , enjoying your work is one of the conditions for achieving happiness in life.
"This is much better than all the pathetic excuses of starships that are Executor-class Star Dreadnoughts, devoid of any point defense, against starfighters. The Assertor-class Star Dreadnought, only the third to be created, the 'Iron Fist', is at your disposal, my lord."
Wasn't that the name of Warlord Zsinj's flagship?Lanz shook his head slightly and imperceptibly, shaking himself from unnecessary thoughts once again in the last hour. "How big of a crew does this ship require to function at least minimally?"
Moff Grik scratched her chin thoughtfully before answering the question. "Well, I guess to support all the combat systems, like 320 different types of batteries and missile launchers, communications, engines, hyperdrives and shields. I think 30,000 personnel, 40,000 maximum, would be more than adequate as a skeleton crew."
"Excellent, there are a total of over 60,000 personnel on board the four Scarlet Fleet ISDs-Is, not including the crews of these ships." Lanz announced. "Do you think 20,000 will be enough to fill 'Imperial Lance' as well?"
Moff thought for several long moments before giving any answer. "I think 10,000 should be enough. You're going to use those dreadnoughts, isn't it?"
"Not yet, Moff." Lanz vehemently denied it. "I don't have any fighters here that could be diverted there. Moreover, until these ships receive a full complement of personnel and stormtrooper contingents, with sufficiently large supplies of fuel, ammunition and spare parts, I cannot move these ships from this sector or perhaps even the system. Not to mention the fact that I did not anticipate such a gift left to us by the late Emperor, so I have no idea yet how to properly use these large ships? What doctrines would be most effective for them? I have no intention of improvising, as has happened many times and perhaps will happen again. I also have no intention of using these ships only as the core of the most powerful fleets."
"You think about it a lot and you don't treat these technological wonders as a guarantee of victory that is impossible to destroy." Moff Grik smiled, satisfied with the answers she received. "I'm already starting to be more than happy to come under your command, my lord. You are someone I can work with and want to work with, it's an honor."
"Please don't be so happy, both Star Dreadnoughts need some changes." Lanz smiled at her surprised expression and decided to explain. "First of all, enlargement of the hangars in such a way as to be able to accommodate at least twice as many starfighters on board."
"That will be about 240 ships in one Star Dreadnought." Moff Grik became lost in thought. "It may be feasible, but the cost will be to reduce other parameters, such as the number of passengers or other types of machines that can be taken."
"Unfortunate, but acceptable if this is to make the ship capable of transporting more starfighters and thus increasing the dreadnought's space combat potential. I'm finally starting to speak like a professional and analyst, de facto leader of the state entity. There is less and less of that lost kid in me who was thrown into the deep end and had to largely improvise.
After these words, Lazn ended the conversation and gave an order toSour. "Commander Stahl, give orders to Commander Wilhuff that he may order the transported technicians and officers on his Star Destroyers to begin seizing the Star Dreadnoughts, identified as 'Iron Fist' and 'Imperial Lance'."
Galak merely confirmed that he had accepted the order and passed it on quickly, while Lanz and Captain Paul vi Obtain, standing next to him, looked once again into the central porthole. After five standard minutes, they could see the 4 ships approaching the shipyards, specifically those were the previously mentioned ships were stored or built.
Galak then ordered the entire Scarlet Fleet to take up battle positions behind the defense lines of the defense platforms that were located opposite the hyperspace lane that led to the Fakir Sector. A place where a possible enemy star armada could come from, which was unlikely at this point. Even if they were, it is doubtful that they would be any significant forces.
Captain Paul vi Obtain reported to the Lord Regent that while in administering the Grand Moff of the Northern Dependencies Oversector, he is quite competent, methodical but prone to micromanaging many key aspects, the situation is different in the military field. In combat, the Governor of the Ovesector of the Northern Dependencies was to be alternately hot-tempered and reactive to the enemy's taunts, as well as reluctant to admit defeat or directly command the forces under his direct control, despite his lack of military talent. However, this man was also supposed to be quite careful.
This clearly indicates that it will not use its strength here and will rather fortify itself in key sectors for this couldn't help but smile at the thought that he had just won his first , Scarlet Dawn is 100% complete, I have acquired shipyards and powerful ships. Now I just need to get the crews in, organize fuel and ammunition supplies, and then I can undoubtedly...
However, he was interrupted by a loudly spoken report from the commander of the 'Hope of Empire' and Lanz turned to look at her. "My lord, sensors indicate that 22… No, 23 contacts that we are currently identifying are emerging from hyperspace. It's… oh my."
Seeing that Senior Captain Ericlia Megas had turned visibly pale and might have looked no different from a corpse at that moment, Lanz demanded an answer. "Who will we be dealing with, Captain?"
His unapologetic and calm demeanor and tone of voice emboldened Ericlie to give a full, unpleasant response. "My lord, 22 Star Destroyers are emerging from hyperspace and the periphery of the system. The last one, the 23rd, is… Ehh… Executor Star Dreadnought, if our scanners and sensors are accurate, we are dealing with the 'Imperial Pride'."
"Grand Moff Frax Fritzener's flagship, here?!" For the first time since Lanz had talked to Captain Paul, he saw the shocked look on his face.
Meanwhile, the Lord Regent could only turn towards the porthole and watch in horror as one Star Destroyer after another emerged from hyperspace, far from the defense lines. Until finally, as if in the very center of this widely scattered formation, a command ship appeared, large and dagger-likedurastalowy a giant whose class name, Executor, fit just too well.
From this point it looked as if 23 powerful blades had been aimed at Bilbringi with one goal, to wipe out all resistance and capture the treasure. Just like in those children's stories where brave knights come to defeat a dragon or the forces of evil, some evil sorcerer and get the treasure.
Lanz could only utter one word with resignation. "Sithspit."
I don't know if I can survive this...
AN: That will be it and yes, another interesting battle begins. Tell me, did you expect the appearance of the first full-fledged antagonist that Lanz will have to face, given his inferior position... Or maybe not?
How will the battle go? Who will win? Who will lose? Who will die? Is there a relationship between the position of the moon and sea tides? Most of these questions will be answered... NEXT TIME!
(Truthfully, I'm just waiting for someone to write in reviews or private messages that I should write the script or scenario for the next Star Wars films or even books. XD)
Have a good day and I wish you all the best. See you in the future.