[20 BBY]
[Centares System, Maldrood Sector, Mid Rim]
Centares was oft called the 'Jewel of the Mid Rim' in the decades preceding the outbreak of the war between the Galactic Republic and the nascent Confederacy of Independent Systems. It drew tourists and traders, those wishing the discrimination and oppression of the Core, or simply those who wished to enjoy its magnificent rolling prairies or glowing magma beds. This though had long brought the distrust, concern, and eventually wrath of the Mighty Worlds of Core that grew angry at the success of their 'lessers' within the glorious framework that they created after Ruusan; the Reformed Galactic Republic.
Tick...
Threats turned into Sanctions, Sanctions into 'Unknown' Pirates, and then a shadow war over the decades as Centares continued to develop its strength. So, when the Call of Freedom came in the wake of the Victory at Naboo Centares had been one of the first worlds, amongst the first Sectors, to throw their support behind the Separatist Cause. Militias were raised, the tyranny of the Galactic Republic thrown off, and then their horrific abominations of armies of brainwashed Clones thrown back in the first days of the conflict.
Tock...
Starships were assembled, shipyards turned from pleasure yachts to small warships, and Centares became a Sector Depot for the advancing armies and fleets of the Confederacy. Jedi with their dark powers, legions of clone horrors, the warships of the Core like a dagger at their hearts;- all were pushed back, driven into retreat by the righteous cause of Freedom and the leadership of the Great Liberator himself. Now the inital fears had faded as the enemy was driven away from various hyperlanes into the Sector, as the shipyards of great bullies such as Kuat were hammered and victory, freedom at last, seemed so very near...
Tick...
It was oft forgotten by many in the Mid Rim that their oppression at the hands of the Core and the Colonies was matched by their own oppression and exploitation of the Outer Rim and Wild Space. The cruel cycle of hatred and despair created by the thousand year Pax Republicana, hidden deep down as those nails that stood up to oppose it were hammered down mercilessly. So it was this day that Centares felt secure in itself, its foes in the Core and Colonies humbled for now, the tyrant's hand temporarily unable to strike at them...forgetting that others with a possible grudge were in range.
Tock...
That the shadow tracks and rogue lanes were the true danger; that the pickets at Dennogra, Jabiim, and Sy Myrth had been silenced and old nightmares lived once more. Sliding between the void between stars a hammer of wrath, cold, serene, but merciless approached with no warning as those within the very system send words of warning of prepared defences. They were on the clock, a countdown to destruction that none of the defenders knew of as they went about the end of long shifts and approached the next shift change, weary beings relaxing their guards just a little.
Tick...
Flashes in the darkness, ripples on the spectrum of energies being monitored that led to confused calls. Song answered song, code to code, speaking of friends and shared allegiance. Belief...confusion, defences were not raised, numbers were wrong...
Tock...
Time was up. The Wrath of the Outer Rim fell upon stunned defenders as the darkness of space was filled with streams of blinding light. Chaos reigned, then silence and fear, as shouts of alarms were momentarily blocked, false songs and words filling secure lines. Centares reeled...the Army of Light had arrived, and destruction rained down upon them. Freedom and resisting Tyranny had a cost after all...
--
[20 BBY]
[Executive Security Solutions Modified Lucrehulk-class Battleship Shield-maiden of Chandrilla, Battle-group Army of Light, GAR-South, Centares System, Maldrood Sector, Mid Rim]
Shesagora Shadowsails watched as the nearest of the Centaren patrol vessels disintegrated as her Shield-maiden rammed them, improved shields flaring and shrugging off the wreckage, as her formation pile-drivered into the defenders ranks. Getting in amongst them suited her; her former Lucrehulk, like the other under Captain Mandron Thels a fellow Karkite, were best suited for broad range firing arcs unlike the largely forward firing vessels the enemy had right now. Turbolasers and the rarer railguns were brought to bear as the ships targeting systems hammered at six separate targets as the remaining star-fighters and droid-fighters surged out of lauch-bays.
They and the bombers from the other ships would be better suited for dealing with number of Invincible-class dreadnoughts that formed the centre of the Centaren Defence Fleet. Powerful ships yes, but very, very, vulnerable to small fast attackers like the Army of Light's strike-craft; and the CDF's own interceptors and fighters were only now starting to scramble in small clusters while her own were already deployed in force on the battlefield. Currently the enemy capitols were charging towards the engagement at full burn, but not fast enough in her mind as the lighter squadron of defense forces starships crumbed swiftly before them.
'Ah, back to being a pirate performing a smash and grab...even if we don't call it that anymore' she thought to herself as her sensor officer, a young half-breed human/twi'lek called out that Daron leading a ground assault on the planetary spaceport. It was strange somehow managing to become a General of the Republic...almost laughable, but she wasn't going to complain as she called out orders and redirected a droid-swarm down ahead of Daron's assault force. Planetary defences were coming online, slowly yes, but surely, and once the shields were up they'd be unable to provide orbital fire-support in the wake of the planetary defence batteries.
"Send reserve squadrons here, here, and here...focus jamming there too..." she ordered standing at the holographic display showing their formation amidst the shattered ranks of the Centarens "...don't let them get their fighters out and organised"
"Damn those shipyards are a tempting target..." her aide, and long time crewmember, the rogue red skinned Elomin Nurg'e'jai Twenta'wouna, or Nurg for short "...surprised we are not targeting them"
Shesagora shook her head "This isn't the Core or Colonies Nurg, too confident to expect an attack like Kuat, look at them ray-shields and deflector grids over'em. Nah, they think like any Outer Rim shipyard, defend it to'de death, is just they've the credits to put damn top'o'de'line defences on the kriffing things. No, focus on what we can do rather than what we'd like to do Nurg. Now...divert firepower unto that Dreadnought-class her, have Warrior Queen do the same. That heavy cruiser won't stand up long to two Lucrehulks firepower...wait, shields?"
"Holding at optimal levels, enemy fire remains uncoordinated"
She nodded "A good investment looks like, along with the extra generators"
"Aye-Aye Cap'n, I mean General...Enemy-cluster Two approaching their firing range, our fighters and bombers have engaged"
"Divert power to that section of the shields, we're going to be priority target for'em..." Shesagora called out, studying the cluster of Venators around Daron's Stormcrow as they engaged their limited assault on the planet, and the others, former Munificents, formed around their own Invincible-class capital the Eye of the Storm. Their agents had been spot on with the Centarens defensive strength, much of their Fleet being away at the front, and Sector Supply Depots were vulnerable unlike the Shipyards they so zealously guarded "...signal the Eye of the Storm, lets link up and catch the Centarens between jaws of the rancor"
"Copy that General..." Nurg started to say she grinned as one of the enemy Invincible-class went down under barrage of Ion torpedoes launched by her bombers. If they could just keep the CDF star-fighters suppressed a little longer...
--
[20 BBY]
[Near Rubyflame Spaceport, Ground-side, Centares System, Maldrood Sector, Mid Rim]
Assaj Ventress had been getting a shower when the alert came on the 'watch' on her wrist, merely a minute before the ground shook causing her to stumble and flop unto the tiled floor as the sirens began to shriek outside. She growled, at no-one in particular, as she pushed herself back up as it seemed that green-skinned kriffer had decided now was the ideal time to attack...and give her warning mere seconds before said attack.
Perhaps understandable, but right before she had decided to go to bed was not the ideal time, as she heard her two fellow Nightsisters swearing outside in the living room after been woken by the explosions.Throwing on a bathrobe and a pair of bantha-face slippers, she summoned her lightsabers and their belt before striding out into living room where Karis and Naa'leth were shrugging off the effects of whatever they'd been drinking till now. Returning to Dathomir, and then again a few days ago to Centares with its luxuries had immediately led to both 'enjoying' them in 'moderation' as they put it.
Thank the Force they were not drunk despite the bottle of wine, and both moved about grabbing their gear and throwing Asajj her own bag as she put on her harness over the bathrobe. The Force said there was no time to tarry here, only swift movement would ensure success. Neither of her Sisters raised a word of complaint, not ideally prepared or dressed for a battle either, but they were out the window in a few strides like her into the chaotic night streets.
Few took notice of them, caught between fleeing in panic, or a few pointing at the sudden eruptions of light in the night sky as the Force rippled with Fear and Exultation. It wasn't good to have depend on others, or follow the directions given two smugglers/spies serving the Republic, but Mother Talzin wished certain things, and Asajj herself had...questions to ask, and help in killing a certain Sith Lord. So she and the two others raced through the crowd, following the Will of the Force, to easily dodge and slide around the panicked crowds over the din of shrieking alarms and roar of explosion.
In some ways it was easy; the crowd was running away from the spaceport, the flare of landing craft in the distance as her 'watch' guided her forward, and they themselves running towards it. A squad of soldiers attempted to stop them as they approached the fighting ahead; swift punches, kicks, and a force-slam was enough to silence them. As much as she wished to draw her lightsabers the fact was that would send many, many, soldiers after them – as well as reveal their location in the night dark streets as the power flickered off on the streets around them.
Moments later the first 'allied' Troopers came in to sight; the black armour clad, with silver trim, soldiers of the Aegis Guard of the Republic. Ducking behind a building with her two fellow Nightsisters, bringing up her 'watch' and touching the button "Ally. Extraction Requested. Code-Six-Alpha-Two"
The nearby troopers paused, weapons moving their direction for a moment before they pointed them in other directions and adopted a defensive position as her 'watch' crackled "Copy that. Squad Red-Delta have been notified. Link up now"
Calmly, confidently, she strode out cover as her slippers moved over the roadway amidst the dark streets now empty, as distant crowds felt and sounded of increased panic. The soldiers looked at them, one bringing his hand up to helmet, his words barely audible "Ugh...Sir...I've a bald human looking female in a bathrobe and two, what look like, strippers approaching my position? Ya sure this be the Special VIPs?"
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