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Phase 2: We make our own fate

=RK=

Part 1

=RK=

Patriot, Providence class Dreadnought
high orbit above Raxus Secundus, CIS capital world

The Sith's sudden and unexpected outburst took Dooku aback. He was honestly unsure what the issue was. Why would a Sith care about slaughtering one's enemies and disapprove?! That made no sense whatsoever!

"This is the same idiocy that multiple times nearly cost us the war against the Republic both during its frozen nature and when it finally went hot for good!" Vael grumbled in frustration. "Acts that disincentivize surrender mean the enemy has nothing to lose and would fight as hard as they could for as long as they could instead of surrendering. This leads to a simple and predictable outcome: taking out many enemy units takes more time and resources, slowing down offensives and making them more expensive. When it happens enough times, it throws off operational timetables. It gives the enemy more time to react and consolidate strategically while weakening your forces through needless attrition. It can mean the difference between a victory and defeat in the long term!"

Dooku stilled at that explanation. It was pragmatic and made sense after thinking it over for a few seconds.

"Jedi might not surrender to Sith. Their Clones might be incapable of surrendering unless ordered to. What about all other Republic forces? What proportion of the enemy are the Clones anyway?" Vael continued.

"The Clone Army is the core of the Grand Army of the Republic. However, its bulk is made of tens of thousands of nationalized system defense forces," Dooku admitted. "Hundreds of millions of Clones and billions of regular soldiers are fighting for the Republic."

"And my point is made. Driving a wedge between the regular soldiers, the Jedi, and their pet Clones would be useful, too. What proof do you have of the Jedi using false surrenders? We can use it as a pretext not to accept Jedi surrenders, perhaps Clone ones too when commanded by Jedi while offering good terms to regular soldiers. Divide and conquer," the Sith suggested.

"Our agents within the Republic gave us the information. Retrieved droid brains offered records of false surrender on Christophsis by Jedi Knight Kenobi," Those words tasted like ash on Dooku's tongue.

Even after all that happened, part of him saw Obi-Wan as a grandson. It was unfortunate that the boy refused to see the truth. Then again, Dooku had to admit he didn't approach him in the best possible way back on Geonosis. Letting his hatred towards the Jedi in general cloud his thinking in the end did him no favors.

Thinking about it, while what the Confederacy did was legally clear, the optics were not ideal. There should have been more emphasis on Amidala and the Jedi acting as uninvited spies and saboteurs, inflaming an already explosive situation.

Of course, Dooku let the presentation of those events be mishandled because of the nature of the war, which was similar. This was a real war they needed to win.

"That's prime propaganda material," Vael nodded slowly.

"We can use it and more now that this war is real," Dooku agreed. "But first, we need to figure out how to best introduce you to the Confederacy at large and its leadership in particular. We must also discuss how to subvert or remove Sidious' agents among them."

"How many Force Adepts fight for the Confederacy? How many of them work for you?" Vael's amused smile was chilling.

Dooku blinked at that. Until now, there was no need to even think about subverting the critical members of the Confederacy's leadership, for they were already on board with the war and its nature as a performance orchestrated by the Sith. Until Sidious came to deal with them in person, the only trained Force users to keep them safe from manipulation by other Force users were Dooku and his Acolytes.

No Jedi Order was safeguarding them from open manipulation compared to the Senate. Doing so wasn't as simple as using a Mind Trick on weak-willed creatures. Forcing your will on the strong-willed or species with natural resistance would make what happened obvious, especially if you did it fast through brute force. However, long-term manipulation was possible, mainly when focused on a handful of beings.

In the Confederacy, three factions controlled most of its military and industry. Their leaders, Dooku and his new ally, had to subvert; at the end of the day, that meant three key people. While doing so would take time, they already needed time to change the programming of droids in their factories and replace key droid crew across all fleets. Only then could they openly move against the Republic in a way that made it clear they were going for a victory.

"Only my Acolytes. They can be trusted within reason," Dooku quickly explained the reality of the power balance within the Confederacy, matching the Sith's smile. "I will begin working on them during our next meeting. As for you…" Dooku looked thoughtfully at the Sith, "How would you handle the medical space station Grievous was supposed to target next?"

"Was he supposed to fail?" Vael asked.

"Not necessarily. However, he was supposed to have his flagship crippled or destroyed. The Malevolence is a powerful tool that can break fleets if utilized properly. Not doing so in the long run would raise too many questions," Dooku explained.

"A medical station treating their soldiers is the kind of target the Jedi are bound to protect if given a warning. We make it a trap. It is clear your former Master would ensure the enemy receives critical intelligence and will be able to intercept the ship with enough forces and information to cripple it. Does it have any outstanding weak points?" The Sith kept proving he was more dangerous than expected in unexpected ways.

"Its massive Ion Cannons have an unavoidable design vulnerability. Their power conduits couldn't be armored sufficiently, making them vulnerable while charging the cannon. If struck at a long time by sufficient firepower, like proton torpedoes or concussion missiles, they would discharge explosively, destroying the weapon and crippling the ship," the weakness was known and deemed a reasonable trade-off for the options the weapon offered. A good commander who wasn't blinded by their anger, would think long and hard when to utilize it.

Grievous as he was still, he was anything but reasonable or cautious.

"I would use the situation as bait for Jedi and whatever forces they could bring to bear. Bring in the Malevolence with a proper escort fleet and use its regular weapons and durability to shatter the enemy forces. Then, I would take the station and turn it into a propaganda victory. It should be full of state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies better used by Confederate citizens," Vael outlined his plan as if it were the most natural thing to do.

The politician Dooku was could see the benefits of such actions. The Sith he was supposed to be, yet wasn't, was disappointed that the plan wasn't inherently bloodier. It was Dooku's turn to scoff at his own thoughts and emotions. He knew better! That was the Dark Side whispering in the back of his mind!

Dooku frowned. How long has it been since he simply accepted the Dark Side as a part of his new existence, not even noticing every time it influenced him? He had many ready excused for all his actions up to date. They made an insidious amount of sense, too. Yet, just like his unreasonable hatred for the Jedi, those were Sidious' excuses more than his.

It was still hard to accept he had been a pawn without even realizing it. The worst thing was that, for now, Dooku was uncertain about how much of what he did was himself and how much it was Sidious' influence. He needed more time to reflect on his current nature and what he wanted and needed to become. He also needed to see this Sith of old in action as a commander.

"I will allow you to put your plan into action and prove yourself, Darth Vael. There will be contingency orders just in case, you understand. You will nevertheless have operational control over the Malevolence and an escort fleet and do as you suggested."

=RK=

Part 2

=RK=

Chancellor's office, Senate Building

Coruscant

The veil of the Dark Side rippled in what Sidious could only describe as glee. That should have been excellent news. Instead, he felt profound unease. The arrival of the Old Republic Jedi put him on edge. Their very presence in the Force was different, sharper, and more dangerous than those of any Jedi he had met before. Their experiences had clearly forged them in weapons, making them dangerous in a way even an ancient being like Yoda wasn't.

The knowledge that these were the people who killed the Sith Emperor all those millennia ago was unsettling. While only scraps of knowledge remained that hinted at Vitale's true nature, one thing was clear. Whatever the last Sith Emperor had become, it had been unnatural even by Sith standards.

Sidious wasn't sure if the Jedi's arrival or something else stirred the Dark Side. He could passively sense the touch of the Dark Side upon those ancients who now plagued his future. That might offer him an angle of manipulation and subversion once he knew more about who they were as persons.

Either way, the Old Republic Jedi were stirring up the Jedi Order in unpredictable and unforeseen ways. Their presence was a threat and might derail vital plans if not handled right. After it became clear they couldn't divine his true nature, the most crucial part was focused on Anakin. These interlopers might lead Sidious' future Apprentice on a different path. The mere knowledge that their leader, the famous Jedi hero Perrion, was openly married to another Jedi no less could significantly help Anakin's mental stability in the long run. That was going to make Skywalker's secret marriage much less impactful.

That simply wouldn't do, Sidious decided. He would have to exploit Anakin's connection with that chit Amidala while he could cause the most emotional damage. Her death might just do. Grievous was supposed to attack that medical station near Naboo soon, and thanks to Grievous' predictable mistakes, the Republic now knew of the Malevolence.

Ensuring the correct information reaches the right people would require precise timing. However, baiting Amidala to visit a hospital treating tens of thousands of wounded? That would be easy and perfectly in character for her if given the right push. Maneuvering the situation so he could achieve multiple objectives would be trickier, Sidious decided, but still doable.

The Chancellor thought about his schedule and the best opportunities it offered to make the necessary arrangements.

=RK=

GAR High Command
Coruscant

The war, while important, was a distraction from what mattered most, Yoda thought. He knew it when he allowed the Jedi to take charge of the conflict, though he hardly saw a better option. Anyone else would have mishandled the Clone Army in a worse way. The war would end one day, and the Republic would have to heal. If the Jedi left the conflict to hard-hearted soldiers, doing so would be much more complicated.

Sadly, to preserve the future, too many had to sacrifice in the present, Jedi, Clones, and regular soldiers alike. Anything else would make a 'victory' that much more hollow.

Yoda slowly shuffled into the heart of the Republic's war effort. Admirals and Generals were present, already arguing about the best way to mitigate the newest ongoing disaster. The Confederacy's new flagship was an unpleasant surprise made worse by the being who wielded it. Under the command of anyone else but Grievous, the aptly named Malevolence might be more militarily dangerous yet less prone to much less atrocities.

"They're just Clones!" A General argued. "They can be replaced! We can't replace the ships we will lose trying and failing to protect that damned station! Obscurity was always its best defense!"

"We can't just let sixty thousand of our wounded be murdered!" Admiral Yularen snapped back.

What was right and what was military expedient clashed as they usually did. This was precisely what made any war perilous for the Jedi. Even those who could best detach themselves from their emotions would be tainted by making such choices. Compared to all the death and suffering on any battlefield, having to make such choices and living with the consequences was the less obvious, yet no less potent danger.

It was also why the Jedi had to be part of this conflict. The Clones were still people. It was one thing to have soldiers die in combat to achieve victory or to even do it in such a way as to ensure peace would be easier to accomplish in the long run, even if the immediate price for a victory was higher. But to let tens of thousands die because they were 'mere' Clones?

That simply wouldn't do.

"Protect the wounded, we must!" Yoda commanded in a way he usually avoided. "Stop the Malevolence now we should. Pay higher price later we otherwise will," the Jedi explained in a way the soldiers would understand and care about.

"We believe that up until now, the Malevolence was on a shake-down cruise. It has briefly returned to Confederate space after hunting down a few of our small fleets," Admiral Coburn noted. "It is possible a strike at the medical facility is a diversion. Going for it has marginal military utility compared to many more critical targets the enemy could use their new ship against."

"Military sound your thoughts are," Yoda agreed. "Sith, the enemy leader is. At the hospital strike, they will. To spread fear, terror, and hatred, their goal is."

"Damn monsters," one of the Generals grumbled, though Yoda's sensitive ears had no trouble hearing him. There was nothing to disagree with in that statement. No matter what they were before, the Dark Side ensured the Sith would become monsters after they fell.

"This changes nothing! Our forces are out of position to deal with such a beast!" An Admiral pointed at a blurry sensor image of the Malevolence. "Dedicating enough ships to stop it will critically weaken other sectors!"

"We have a preliminary analysis of the sensor records General Skywalker brought us," Admiral Yularen pointed out. "Our engineers agree the Malevolence might be vulnerable when preparing to use those big Ion Cannons at its broadsides. A successful concussion missile or torpedo strike at the connecting pylons containing power lines can cripple the dreadnought."

"We will need a whole fleet to do so and act as bait!" Coburn reminded them. "We don't even know its real target for sure!"

"Abandon the medical station we will not!" Yoda decreed. "Our best pilots we will send. Opportunity to stop Grievous this is."

=RK=

Senate Chamber, Senate Building
Coruscant

Fear and anger swirled around the Senate, making for a delicious brew. It was too bad Sidious had to keep a low profile due to all the Jedi present instead of indulging himself in the sweet emotions permeating the chamber.

"Grievous is a monster! We must stop him once and for all!" A notable member of the Core faction proclaimed. "It doesn't matter if you consider the Clones people, my fellow Senators! They still fight for us! We can't afford to lose a medical station that can treat tens of thousands of beings simultaneously! Our manpower situation is perilous enough! More importantly, we know where and when that monster will strike! Anyone else might have considered a different target for such a mighty ship!" He pointed at the image of the Malevolence hanging in the center of the chamber. "We have an opportunity we must seize! We can destroy this thing before it is above one of our worlds! We have the opportunity to destroy Grievous, for we know where he will strike!"

"Hear, hear!" Many cheered, though even they were obviously angry at the situation.

"I propose we end this debate and vote now! Let us authorize the GAR to do its utmost to end this threat! That is the job of the Jedi too, is it not? If not them, then who will face such monsters!?"

"I second this motion!" A member of the Rim Faction exlaimed.

"Me too! We must vote now!" This cry came from a representative of the Core Faction.

Watching the Senate dance upon his wishes without uttering a word was highly satisfying. Sidious watched Pestage move forward and do his job as the Speaker of the Senate. He calmed things enough for a vote to take place. Sure enough, a clear majority voted to order the GAR and the Jedi to deal with Grievous and his new ship before they could cause too much damage.

Now, all that was left to ensure was for Amidala to end at the right time and place and for Skywalker to be there and preferably watch her die. Grievous' ship could be sacrificed in the process. However, it would be best if the cyborg survived to continue taking the blame for all the butchery the Confederacy would need to do in the future.

=RK=

Part 3

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Resolute, Venator-class Star Destroyer,

General Skywalker's flagship, Bith system

Anger burned deep within Anakin's heart. Like always, it was like the dragons from Tatooine's children's stories, which were said to live in the hearts of the stars themselves. This time, the reason for it was the latest Separatist butchery he witnessed mere days ago. Murdering people in escape pods was low, even for those bastards. The cheerful droids doing the actual murders somehow made it all worse.

Little did Skywalker know then that what he saw and experienced when saving Master Plo-Koon and the survivors of his fleet was a mere taste of things to come.

"Grievous is going after a medical station," Skywalker stated flatly, hoping he somehow misheard.

The holographic image of Admiral Yularen, who was currently back on Coruscant, grimaced in response.

"We have as good a confirmation as we are going to get, General Skywalker. In the past two days, Separatist forces destroyed three medical convoys heading to the station that we know of. A fourth has been out of contact for too long, as well. Grievous has yet to be seen since General Plo-Koon encountered him. Intelligence suggests the medical station in question will be his target."

"I will bring my fleet to intercept him. Do you have an idea what route Grievous will take?"

"Not at this time. You aren't authorized to move your fleet away from Bith, General Skywalker," Yularen raised a hand in a forestaling gesture. "However, you must gather all bombers you have with hyperspace capability and bring them to a staging area near the medical station. We can't release enough ships to take on Grievous' flagship in a slugging match. Instead, we will use bombers to cripple it, allowing for a Venator task force to finish it off. You are to lead the strike craft."

Anakin perked up and smiled at that news.

"I will make sure that thing becomes space dust!" Skywalker promised. "We will leave immediately."

"I am sending you the staging grounds coordinates. Good luck, General Skywalker."

"Captain, Commander Tano will take command of the fleet after I leave. I'll inform her of it myself," Anakin decided as he left the bridge with a skip in his step.

The dragon chained within his heart calmed down at the prospect of combat and getting even. If Skywalker was more familiar with the Dark Side, he might have realized and sensed the anticipation hungering deep within him.

=RK=

Negotiator, Venator-class Star Destroyer
General Kenobi's flagship, Ryndellia system

Unease prickled around the edge of Obi-Wan's awareness. The Force had felt odd these past few days, and there was no mistaking the cold, tainted veil of the Dark Side clinging over everything, shaking with what could only be amusement. That was the darkest portent Kenobi had ever sensed, and it was the last thing he needed on the eve of a battle with so many lives at stake.

The Separatists moved slower than anticipated, allowing more ships to assemble near the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center. That should have been a good thing. Perhaps even a boon sent by the Force itself.

A day ago, Obi-Wan had half the ships to face Grievous with, and a third of the fighters and bombers were now packed into their hangars. However, this was all the Navy could spare until new construction came online or damaged ships were repaired and returned to service.

By some accounts, Obi-Wan was now in charge of a mighty fleet, yet by others, his force was insufficient for the task. Compared to the full might of the Open Circle Fleet, Kenobi was notably the commander of. He had a fraction of his command available. Like every Sector Fleet, the Republic had, the Open Circle one was spread throughout dozens of sectors, holding hundreds of systems. Even for a thousand ships' strong fleet, that kind of commitment stretched it thin. If it wasn't for local system defense forces, the GAR cruisers and Clone Legions would have broken already when facing overwhelming Separatist forces.

Until just a year ago, the ships gathered here were a significant commitment for anyone but a handful of powerful systems and entities across the galaxy as a whole. Obi-Wan had ten Venators with just over thirty escorts, hundreds of bombers, and over a thousand fighters… and those were the small craft available to depleted air groups after a few months of combat. Reinforcements brought their bomber contingent up to strength. Since early today, they have given Anakin over four hundred bombers to work with. That was the kind of force no ship in the galaxy could survive.

Yet, all Obi-Wan could feel through the Force was unease.

"Contacts!" A Clone sensor operator reported.

Obi-Wan tensed. This was a possibility GAR High Command foresaw. It was too much to hope that Grievous would come overconfident in his new monstrous ship and deploy it alone now that it was no longer a secret. That was why the Navy did its best to gather as many bomber squadrons as possible, given the constraints of the war.

"Launch fighters and bombers. Keep the fleet in a defensive position between the station and the enemy. We are bait," Obi-Wan ordered.

He didn't like this part of the plan.

In theory, Anakin had enough firepower to cripple the enemy Star Dreadnought no matter if it utilized its broadside Ion Cannons or not. In practice, that wasn't something Obi-Wan wanted to test at the best of times, much less with tens of thousands of lives at stake.

"We have clear read on the enemy squadron… One Star Dreadnought, identified as the Malevolence. Four Lucrehulk variants and twelve Munificent frigates," the Tactical Officer reported. "The enemy is moving straight at us."

The main holotank was updated, showing a detailed breakdown of the battlefield.

Swarms of green dots left the fleet's hangars, forming into two formations. Plo was leading the one above, and Anakin the one below. The idea was simple – that way, they would ensure at least one bomber group with their escorts couldn't be targeted by the enemy's Ion Cannons. Ideally, they both could avoid it.

"We are going in! All Red Elements, this is Red Leader; follow me in!" At least Anakin was happy.

Of course, he was, Obi-Wan mentally sighed. His former Padawan was in the cockpit of a fighter bomber, facing impossible odds once again, which was Anakin's specialty.

"This is Blue Leader," Plo-Koon's gruff voice came over the comms. "Remember, our target is the Star Dreadnought. Ignore its escorts. Our fighters will keep the Vultures off our backs."

Obi-Wan stared at the tactical plot, then looked at the distant stars outside the bridge. At this distance, the enemy wasn't visible to the naked eye. There was a tremor in the Force. The sense of unease turned into foreboding.

"That doesn't make sense…" The Sensor Operator muttered. "Sir, our sensors might be malfunctioning or jammed. It appears that the hull of the enemy ships is rippling."

Obi-Wan inhaled sharply at that news. "Do we have visuals yet?"

"The enemy ships are still too far to get more than a blur…" the Clone trailed off.

On the holographic display, it briefly appeared that the enemy ships blew up. Obi-Wan knew they weren't that lucky. Within seconds, the display cleared, displaying swarms of Droid Fighters forming into squadrons after launching from the hulls of the enemy warships. More Vultures joined them, streaming out from cavernous hangars.

The fleet's communications channels exploded with exclamations and curses. Crippling Grievous' flagship just became much harder.

Two massive Vulture swarms separated from the enemy fleet and headed for the Republic bombers and their escorts. At the same time, hundreds more Droid Fighters launched to assemble into a defensive formation above their motherships.

"The fleet will advance towards the enemy at maximum acceleration," Obi-Wan decided. If they were to cripple the Malevolence, the bombers would need distraction during their final attack runs.

That was the only option Obi-Wan could see to achieve his objective. Otherwise, sixty thousand helpless wounded would die. If necessary, he would ram a Star Destroyer through the Vulture swarms, using it to shield bombers on their final approach.

"Contact GAR High Command and the Open Circle HQ and apprise them of our situation. Impress upon them that in the best-case scenario, we will need reinforcements to destroy the enemy ship for good," Obi-Wan ordered. He was reasonably confident they might be able to cripple that monster. However, destroying it would be almost certainly impossible with the ships he had available now that he had to engage the enemy while still intact.

The thought of retreating and abandoning the wounded never crossed Kenobi's mind.

=RK=

Part 4

=RK=

Red Leader, BTL-B Y-wing fighter-bomber,

Ryndellia system

Exhilaration was all Anakin could feel as he raced towards the enemy. The dragon within his heart was content at the prospect of combat, leaving him to concentrate on the incoming Vultures.

Wings of Torrent fighters formed up into defensive formation, screening the fighter-bombers. In less than a minute, the droids would be in range. Suddenly, the comms hissed with static. A warning managed to cut its way through the veil of the Dark Side, telling Anakin what he already knew – trouble was afoot.

New contacts suddenly decelerated from hyperspace, appearing along the edges of the incoming droid swarm. The Vultures decelerated for all they were worth, increasing the time until interception and effective weapon range by a few seconds.

The B-Wing's targeting computer chirped in warning, identifying the newcomers. Lupus frigates – small, obsolete warships that had no place in a modern fleet battle.

They only had light laser cannons for taking out fighters and threatening small freighters. The only thing that made them dangerous to a warship was their concussion missile launchers, which made them highly vulnerable to direct damage after their shields went down. Bombers could also make short work of them due to their torpedoes ignoring deflectors.

Those small, old frigates were extremely dangerous to a packed fighter-bomber formation, and their escorts arrayed to face against a swarm of Vultures. Anakin had a moment to decide which was the more significant threat. The concussion missiles had a large blast radius, useless against an even lightly armored freighter, much less a proper warship. They could only threaten armored targets with direct hits. However, they would be deadly against tight formations of small craft. Yet, breaking formation meant that the bombers would become easy prey to the incoming Vultures.

Over a hundred missiles streaked their way. At a glance, their pattern made no sense. It was area denial, Anakin realized a thunderous heartbeat later. The Torrent fighter wings had to break formation and evade, or the missiles would gut them. Doing so was going to wreak havoc anyway.

"Break formation by squadrons!" Anakin barked, using his flight leader credentials to override command channels and speak to everyone under his command. "Lead Y-Wings, make attack runs on those frigates; we need them out of the way! Torrent Wing leaders, designate an escort squadron for each attack group and focus the rest of your fighters on those Vultures. All remaining bomber units, we go for the target!"

The carefully arranged defensive formations fell apart, racing to avoid the incoming missiles. Bomber squadrons broke from their approach vector and headed towards the frigates. It was going to be a bloody improvisation, Anakin knew. However, the alternatives were worse. Aborting the mission was out of the question. Allowing those frigates to bombard them with missiles on the way to the Star Dreadnought would kill too many of his people for no gain whatsoever.

How did the bastards manage to exit hyperspace precisely when and where they had to anyway? Doing so was brilliant and deadly. Anakin itched to return the favor!

It was a small mercy that the missile salvo didn't change course. They exploded in a rippling pattern that would have gutter the Republic starfighter formation if it didn't break ranks and go evasive. The frigates launched a second, then a third, wave of missiles aimed at area denial. They wouldn't directly kill anyone. However, the explosions combined with the acceleration of everyone involved meant that Anakin and his pilots had fewer and fewer options with every passing moment.

The Vultures came in formation, with squadrons covering each other. Precious few Torrents found themselves in a position to launch missiles at them. The mechanic in Anakin watched with surprise how the leading enemy fighters physically intercepted incoming missiles, allowing the following squadrons to move in undisrupted for the kill.

The Lupus frigates were advancing now as well, if slowly. They were maneuvering so that any survivors from the bombers' attack run could accelerate back toward the enemy fleet so they could chase Anakin's bombers.

There was no more time for observations or thinking. Anakin let the Force and his experience as a pilot guide him through the onslaught. Vulture squadrons disrupted the defensive efforts of any Torrent fighters in sight. In contrast, others ignored all incoming fire and focused on the fighter-bombers.

If not for their deflectors, Y-Wings would die at a catastrophic rate. They still winked out on Anakin's display at an alarming rate. Yet, all Skywalker could do was fly and fight for his life. He weaved around bursts of laser fire and shot at any Vulture that crossed his crosshairs. Anakin became an Ace once again within mere seconds. Meanwhile, despite his best efforts, his fighter bomber shook from the incoming fire he couldn't avoid.

As suddenly as it began, the furball was mostly over. Anakin was through, followed by two bombers of his command squadron. The other survivors were in no better shape. Tattered squadrons formed up as best as they could… Only one hundred and one remained from the two hundred and fifteen bombers under his command. More than a few trailed smoke, though the damage appeared to be mostly superficial.

Only two squadrons worth of Torrents were with them. The rest were too busy fighting for their lives behind them and doing their best to keep the Vultures from pursuing them.

The Lupus frigates proved they were obsolete, if still dangerous. Anakin's Y-Wing could detect only eight of them that were still around. Nevertheless, the price for taking them out was extremely high. The few bombers that survived their attack runs were running for their lives, chased by whole Vulture squadrons. Even if they evaded the enemy, those Y-Wings would not be available for the attack on the Malevolence.

Even worse, the remaining Lupus frigates were accelerating to give chase and still launching concussion missiles. Those were going to limit Anakin's attack options.

For the first time since the attack began, doubt about the operation's success crawled within Skywalker's heart.

=RK=

bridge, Malevolence, Subjugator-class heavy cruiser,
Ryndellia system

Whole fleets worth of fighters and bombers died in just a few minutes. It was odd watching what mere days ago I would consider light capital ships die en mass to fighters and bombers within seconds of being attacked. On the other hand, watching Jedi-led squadrons break through was utterly unsurprising. Those bombers were something else, boasting firepower comparable to my favorite Fury-class ship I spent a few decades using to fly around the galaxy in, at a fraction of the weight and size.

About a hundred and sixty of those things were still coming at us. Against such numbers, the Vulture Droid Fighters I kept back should have been enough. They outnumbered the enemy five to one. With Jedi in the equation, such odds were realistically much less favorable than they sounded. The capital ships escorting the behemoth I was on board of would tilt the odds further in my favor.

Still, better be safe than sorry. It was a very good thing that the Confederacy no longer considered the Lupus frigates front-line combatants, and many system defense forces were eager to give up theirs in exchange for a handful of Munificents. Dooku was exceptionally accommodating in that regard, keen to see if I could make my ideas work.

"Signal the remaining Lupus ships," I told the Tactical Droid in command of the Malevolence.

While I had operational control over the battle, each ship had at least one Tactical Droid on board, with explicit orders on what to do and command codes for the droid crews across the CIS fleet in case I proved treacherous.

"Your tactic appears to be working, Commander," The Tactical Droid turned its bulbous head my way. Its optics focused on me. "Carrying modern hyperspace beacons is not something anyone has done in a long time. Their utility was deemed obsolete more than a thousand years ago due to advancement in navigational computers and theories."

The hardest part was integrating a few of those on Vultures so they could allow the Lupus frigates to arrive at the right time and place. Suppose the old frigates and the fighters had much better communication and navigation systems. In that case, hyperspace beacons might not have been needed in the first place. Modern technology made using hyperspace insertions and maneuvering much easier. That, in turn, made it only more baffling when Dooku and the CIS tactical droids I discussed my plan with were utterly surprised by my ideas.

I had to remind myself that military tactics and strategies were skills that could be lost… and it has been a thousand years of relative peace for the galaxy as a whole. Reinventing such skills would have required large militaries with an extensive budget for training to fight fleet battles against a peer opponent.

No one had envisioned doing so for this war, and more importantly, the Republic had been without a peer for a very long time now.

What was that ancient saying? In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is a king... I was in precisely that position.

Thirty more Lupus frigates, nearly all that the CIS had operational across its various system defense forces, left hyperspace between my fleet and the incoming bombers. They immediately launched concussion missiles, using them to deny approach vectors to the enemy and breaking their attack runs. Half of our Vulture escorts raced to meet the Republic bombers, while the rest remained to disrupt the attack of any bomber that made it through.

"The enemy fleet is now in range," The Tactical Droid informed me.

"Execute Fire Plan Arubesh," I ordered. It was always lovely to see a plan come to fruition.

Squadrons of warships built around a Lucrkehulk battleship opened fire, focusing on a single enemy Star Destroyer. The Malevolence did the same, while its laser cannons patiently waited for any bomber that dared attack her.