AN: Before anyone begins screaming for blood, this chapter's title concerns both factions. The GAR's Operation Star Hammer isn't as completely successful as envisioned because the CIS does get a vote. The Confederacy, on the other hand, will end kicked out of the Core without fighting and winning the decisive battle they hoped to win. More importantly, the events so far are paving the way for a Droid rebellion.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.

Phase 28: Ashes of victory

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Part 1

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CIC
Republic Cruiser Victory

After Nanth'ri, Operation Star Hammer proceeded according to plan. At least my portion of it, and more or less anyway. Even that early, it was painfully clear that we would face many logistical challenges. That was because no one quite appreciated the amount of distributed infrastructure responsible for long-range travel that was simply gone by this point. On top of that, too many ships in my "grand" fleet were of different designs never meant for long-range operations and deployments. A lot of them were quite old, and while most of their systems had been usually religiously upgrades, the same wasn't true for the hyper-drives. That wasn't something you could always replace with a newer and better version without a substantial internal and external rebuild.

To put it bluntly, my fleet consumed Hypermatter like nobody's business. While the primary offenders were the Super Capital ships, the bulk of the armada supplied by the SDFs in the Core turned out to be a major headache for all my logistics people. They burned too much fuel. On top of that, too many of those vessels needed to refuel frequently, because they lacked large fuel tanks. While the escorts were the worst, several home-built capital ship types were no better.

But yes, otherwise, my part of the operation was coming along splendidly. That was in no small part because after the fast one the CIS pulled off at Nanth'ri, going after my logistics vessels before we could drive them off with heavy casualties, no one offered resistance unless we actually went on the offensive.

Our first stop after Nanth'ri was a case in point. At Attarox, there was practically no military CIS presence when we got there. That made sense. The primary inhabited world in that system, called Attarox as well, was a literal scrap pile, run by crime syndicates. The same was true back in the time of my Sith Empire. It was very much the case these days too. The primary difference was that now there was one dominant syndicate trying to present itself as a legitimate enterprise and failing miserably.

Beyond scrap, and the occasional archeotech treasure you could find on an ancient ship buried under the endless trash heaps, the planet had one redeeming feature. The one claim to fame Attarox had was as a source for Phosovane Salts, a key ingredient in many painkillers. That would have turned the planet into a proper military target if the Confederacy wasn't using Droid legions against us. As things stood, we wasted little time in the system, and I dispatched light forces to go after what little spaceborne industry and mining operations there were. That led to several skirmishes with what passed for local forces - squadrons of old fighters and lightships, which probably played the role of pirates when they could get away with it.

After consolidating the fleet, minus a large Super Capital ship led detachment we left at Nanth'ri, we headed for Zaloriis. That place had only one claim to fame. It stood as a way-point on a hyperspace route. It was a colony of Fondor too, and even after thousands of years, it hadn't become fully independent, at least economically. The reason was simple. The bloody place was a barren wasteland, scarcely populated, and held no claim on any resources valuable to the rest of the galaxy. The bulk of the tariffs gathered by the locals went back to Fondor. They used those credits to buy themselves both protection and all the nice industrial goods they needed to live in relative comfort down there.

According to the briefing I got on the place, the local government had jumped into the Confederacy's lap when a fleet turned on their doorstep. They lacked sufficient security forces to even slow it down, much less credibly oppose it. Notably, Zaloriis lacked a proper planetary shield and SDF beyond a few light frigates. It had only an old theater shield covering the capital and the surrounding regions, making it open for invasion.

As soon as we arrived in the system, the locals began screaming their unconditional surrender for anyone caring to give them the time of day. I left my restless Admiral to deal with them as a distraction. This time around, there were no valuable targets in space to pursue. Nothing worth the fuel and munition expenditure. Just a few orbital farms and a handful of tiny mining operations that were of no consequence for the war at large. This place was the textbook example of a poor Rim world, even if we were technically in the Expansion Region now.

Mimban was a place of interest. The swamp planet, not to mention the rest of the system was mineral-rich. Mimban itself was the home of multiple indigenous intelligent species and the center of a long conflict between local and interstellar mining interests. Before the Separatists Grand Offensive, there were factions on the ground supporting the Republic, while others threw their lot with the Confederacy making for a nasty civil war. Notably, when Kenobi and company sent the orders for most of our forces to fall back to the Core, elements of the 224th Clone Division volunteered to remain behind. The swamp warfare specialist attached to the unit, the Mud Jumpers, led the volunteers. No one heard a thing from them ever since the Circarpous system fell under firm Confederate control.

When we arrived, we again found no trace of the Separatist navy. Instead, there were a lot of trade vessels making a run for it and a light SDF detachment in orbit of Mimban. When they saw us, the transports scattered, running either for the planet or hyperspace. Their actions provided a prime opportunity for our small craft to shine. Bomber strikes managed to account for a couple of dozen heavy loaded transports spilling their cargo all over the place. All that happened, while I merely observed the unfolding events. Truly, beyond the usual paperwork, being a fleet commander could be rather boring when the enemy refused battle. It wasn't like we could afford to chase the CIS all over the place. That wasn't the goal of this particular exercise.

A point of particular interest finally arose when the SDF fled too, and a Venator detachment entered orbit. After blasting the whole planet with high-powered transmission calling all surviving Republic forces on the ground, we got an answer which my advance force transmitted to my Flagship.

"This is Major Rin, RN-211-TK." I heard a weary voice. A few seconds later a distorted hologram appeared in front of me. "You're a sign for sore eyes, sir! The Separatist bastards have been screaming for anyone willing to hear the Republic was gone and demanding our surrender."

"They came close to knocking us out of the war. However, they failed. Major, at this time we lack sufficient ground forces to properly reinforce you. However, we can provide either a lift off-world or resupply and volunteers for reinforcements. Right now, I can't guarantee we will retain control of this sector for the foreseeable future. My mission is to primary raid and strike at critical targets, not to take and hold territory."

I told him the truth. Operation Star Hammer's primary goals were twofold. First, it was a raid to burn as much enemy industry as we can as fast as we can. Second, to force Trenc to pull back or find himself trapped between two large fleets. Holding this whole area for good might be a waste of naval assets better used elsewhere.

"I see, General. We've held so far. We'll continue to do so. There are some good people down here we need to keep safe. If it isn't too much to ask, do you know the status of the 224th Clone Division, sir?" The Major didn't sound particularly pleased by the situation. However, he kept it to himself.

At the end of this operation, most of the surviving SDF units would be heading home. Besides, I would need as many assets as I could get my hands on for the liberation of Mandalore. If the enemy continued to refuse battle, they might just have enough forces left in this region to retake it after our heavy combat elements left. Or perhaps not. My Kuati counterpart leading the other prong of the assault was facing stiff resistance. She had to assault multiple systems where both the local SDF units and substantial CIS detachments held their ground backed by fixed defenses. On one hand, the fighting was a drain on logistics, not to mention the casualties suffered in crews and material. On the other hand, by the time, she was done with a system, Admiral Sanchez left utter desolation in her wake as far as any war-fighting and industrial infrastructure was concerned. As long as it wasn't protected by planetary shields anyway. Due to the heavy fighting, she was behind the original, perhaps overly optimistic schedule for Star Hammer, however, the impact her actions would have on the war, in the long run, would be undeniable. By the time we were done here and might have to pull back, this whole region would be of little use for the Separatists without a substantial investment of resources. That, in turn, would make a future operation to take and hold it much easier. The obvious downside would be the need for substantial investment to secure the area if taken for good, but that was a problem for the future.

"The 224th is as well as it could be. They're slatted to participate in the liberation of the Corellian system."

Major Rin swore at that. "They didn't lie about that?" He exclaimed before catching himself. "Sorry, sir. It has been hard being cut off and constantly bombarded with propaganda."

"It's all right, Major. I'll get the ball rolling on my side. You should be receiving a lot of supplies. While we have a task force in orbit, feel free to call down limited orbital strikes." I suggested.

That was the most notable development in the system. We delivered enough supplies and weapons to the Clones and our local allies so they could fight a high-intensity conflict for months. Orbital strikes wiped out several Separatist aligned bases on the ground even as we prepared to leave. Mimban might just become the focal point for our future operations in the area, the Major claimed. A proper review of the reports he transmitted would be a better indication to figure out if he was right. That said, a notable point was that currently, Mimban lacked an operational Planetary Shield generator. It had been heavily damaged before the 224th pulled back, and so far no one had repaired it yet. Thus our unrestricted ability to target enemy bases from orbit.

Our next stop was Fabrin, the last point on the hyperlane before hitting Gyndine. A report by Admiral Sanchez indicated she would need at a minimum another forty-eight hours before she could hit Reytha. Chanosant was a major Separatist aligned world, and the Confederacy had scrapped a large fleet to back up substantial SDF forces and many fixed defenses. Sanchez had to attack right in the teeth of those defenses and suffered significant losses reducing the enemy naval presence. Chanosant itself was intact, though now ringed by hundreds of wrecked ships. Once again, the Kuati Super Capital ships proved themselves invaluable in that kind of pitched battle, however even they didn't come out intact.

After replenishing losses and leaving behind garrisons, Sanchez would be down to two hundred combat effective vessels ready to deploy in offensive operations. That was a far cry from the six hundred her Echelon contained at the start of Star Hammer. This wasn't the first time she had to replenish losses by cannibalizing the supporting elements of the Fourth Echelon either. Still, she was doing a great job so far, but I digress.

Our next stop was of particular interest.

For all intents and purposes, Fabrin was a corporate world closely aligned with the Trade Federation and Techno Union. In fact, for most intents and purposes, the Fabritech Corporation was attached to the hip with those entities. However, there was something else that made this place very interesting. One of Fabritech's directors, Kvarn Mandel, wasn't happy with his corporation's alignment. He was currently on Coruscant, and I did meet him while we were all busy crafting the foundations of our new order based on Palpy's plans. Mandel was a fan of the general idea and would have been one of Palpy's allies in the region. He was now one of ours.

I arrived with a large fleet and an offer for Fabritech's board of directors. Their location helped for what I had in mind – it was very close to Gyndine, and that was one system we intended to hold come hell or high water. It was one of the gateways to the Core and would provide us some defense in depth if nothing else. Its proximity would allow Republic forces to quickly reinforce Fabrin if needed.

That was why, as soon as we arrived in the system, I sent two pre-recorded messages to the locals. One was from Kvarn Mandel. The other was my promise not to repeat Bothawui if they saw the light so to speak. It was in proper diplomatic speak approved by both Satine and Padme, thus recording it back on Coruscant.

It helped that the Confederacy didn't have a fleet here. As expected, they were consolidating their forces for a stand at Gyndine, or so we believed.

Speaking about the locals, they did have a large SDF, with ships bought both from various major Republic and Confederate yards. They had a few distinct local designs serving prominently in the fleet – primary escort vessels. No less than six Golan Battle stations ringed the planet backed by hundreds of weapon platforms. To top it all, Fabrin had a modern Planetary Shield network too.

The place was a tough nut to crack, one I would preferably avoid cracking and thus preserve as much of my fleet for future actions as possible.

While the locals were deliberating, I had my fleet deploy in a defensive formation. That allowed my logistics vessels to refuel everyone in anticipation of battle either here or at Gyndine.

Three hours later, we finally received a call agreeing to negotiate Fabrin's return into the fold. If this panned out, it might be one of the best things Operation Star Hammer would achieve. Fabrin becoming a secure base of operations in the region would be a boon. Then there was all the industry in the system, which would work to our benefit if we reached a peaceful accord.

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Part 2

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Lounge

Republic Cruiser Victory

Fabrin

When the locals finally gathered for the negotiations, I had retired to the lounge where I could do my part without any distractions. A crisp blue hologram came to life above the table I sat at. It displayed a number of men and women, most humans, sitting around a long table. A young man, late twenties at best, sat at it's far end, looking at me with what was supposed to be unreadable expression. While his face was indeed blank, his tense shoulders and the thick tension surrounding everyone in front of me told me what I needed to know. Fabritech's directors and CEO were terrified and it was obvious on more than a few faces.

"It took you long enough." I spoke with a hint of displeasure, instead of following proper protocol and politely introducing myself. I was the stick in these negotiations. The messages from Coruscant I already sent when we arrived were the carrot. "You have the Chancellor's terms and the assurances of one of your own that they will be upheld. If you don't accept them, then Fabrin will be coming back into the fold on my terms." Now I smiled pleasantly. "I have no use of people who gleefully supported the Separatists since before this war began."

At that point, I let my mask slide down a bit and stared at the assorted corporate worthies with glowing malevolent eyes. The Dark Side gleefully stirred around me, hungering for action. My smile grew a bit wider as I raised a hand and concentrated, using the hologram and the connection making it possible as a shortcut. It sounded easy, however this had been one of the hardest things to learn back in the day. Doing something like this required immense concentration, power and most importantly, a degree of mastery over the Force that came with decades of experience.

The table in front of the locals was a made of thick strong wood and it was reinforced in places to better support built in heavy secure terminals. I clenched my first for a show, the Force flowed through me and the heavy furniture shook under my telekinetic touch. For a moment everyone over there stood still, then they jumped around in fright when their nice massive table splintered.

I allowed myself a moment to bask in the shock and pure, primal fear radiating from the beings in the hologram, before I took a stronger grip on myself. The Dark Side slid around me quivering with hungry anticipation and disappointment. Serves the bitch right.

"Master, isn't this a bit excessive?" Aria pipped up in my head.

"Under different circumstances, it would be, Apprentice. You know very well what we learned when we returned to Coruscant."

"You know that not being prosecuted about your actions against the Confederacy as a war criminal was actually a victory, right?"

"I've heard such claims. I've also heard crowds both approving my actions and calling for my head." That much I conceded. "We both know the truth, Apprentice. You should know by now why I deliberately placed as many SDF units in positions where they would face Confederate forces without the benefit of my Battle Meditation."

While we held our mental conversation, the assorted Fabritech directors came out of their stupor shouting. A few decided that discretion was the better part of valor and fled. Others, well they stared at the table mumbling to themselves.

The CEO? His mask was shattered, showing exactly how young and terrified he was. To his credit, he looked at the table then at my holographic form projected by a device on the ceiling. Beyond the terror, I could see understanding dawning on him. He was beginning to comprehend where we stood.

"Are you sure you aren't merely digging up your, or should I say, our graves, because you're a stubborn old bastard?" Aria continued.

"Many of our nominal allies would gleefully see us fight this war for them in order to keep them safe. However, when it comes to liberating Mandalore, or giving us all the tools and support necessary to actually win the war, well you saw what happened. There are too many conflicting interests in the Core, Apprentice."

In the safety of my own mind, I didn't bother hide my vexation and frustration.

"Even at the best of times, they're only roughly shuffling in the same direction. Now, when they believe themselves reasonably safe from the Confederacy? Many of our allies see each other as the greater threat in the long run. And we are even greater danger that needs to be 'handled'. I felt Aria wince at my vitriol. "If they can help it, there would be no fleet flying to liberate Mandalore itself and the whole sector for that matter. Many among our allies would love to see my people slaughtered and scattered, while my new home becomes a poisoned desert. Make no mistake, Aria, I'm not one of them. My power and my willingness to use it make me a threat."

"Was that why the Jedi chose to isolate themselves?" My Apprentice wondered.

"If I was feeling charitable, I might say that a thousand years ago they saw what the Republic truly was. They and the Chancellor of the time tried their best to break the power of the Core Worlds. They failed."

"And if you weren't feeling charitable? Because I can clearly feel you most certainly aren't?"

I chuckled in my head. "Then I would say that the Jedi of old foresaw that if they wanted to uphold their ideals, without the Sith around to distract them, they had a choice. Either become something like the inefficient Order we beheld, or walk a part that would inevitably place them on a collision course with the most powerful governments in the Core."

"You're talking about a civil war with the Jedi being one side."

"Just like the one we're fighting right now. It was just that, it was a group of Dark Jedi that sparked it. The parallels are there. The roots of this war run deep. If the Republic didn't radically restructure, it was only a matter of time…" I trailed off.

The remaining Fabritech directors finally gathered their wits and guts.

"I'm still waiting for an answer and I'm growing impatient." I spoke lightly, almost cheerfully. My eyes still glowed with the power of the Dark Side when I stared into the CEO.

"Ahem. We're ready to provisionally accept the generous terms sent by Chancellor Kenobi." The CEO didn't quite stammer.

"Good." I slowly pushed the Dark Side away and firmly put my mask back on. In practice that meant that my eyes ceased glowing and my face tuned a much healthier color. The smile I showed them next was almost genuine. "Lets discuss the details."

"I can't believe that this worked…" Aria spluttered in my head.

"Geonosis. Sullust. Bothawui. Every other Separatist world subjected to orbital bombardment by forces under my command or influenced by my inimitable style. People know that I'm capable and willing to burn down whole worlds. While that does earn me many enemies, do not underestimate the power of existential threat, Apprentice. Further, now everyone knows that officially, the 'Republic' isn't willing or capable to rein me in. Or, they believe it anyway. No one wants to fight me anywhere near their home and for a good reason."

"That only means that they would fight even harder to keep you away. To ensure that their homes and their loved ones won't fall into your hands."

"I know. That's why it's entirely possible the Confederacy won't face us in strength at our next stop." Gyndine was a loyal Separatist world and the locals might not risk my wrath. Or they would fight that much harder to keep me away from the planet and their infrastructure.

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