Chapter 5: The Dominion of the Sword
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[19 BBY]
[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Task-force Cavalier, entering orbit Jiroch-Reslia, Jiroch System, Yushan Sector, Mid-Rim]
"Not much to look at Captain-General, now is it?"
"No, not really Yulen..." I agreed as I came unto the bridge along with my longest serving crewmember other than perhaps Shmi Skywalker who was back on Solem. Ahead of us was the homeworld of the Tunroth species, and their two colonised worlds "...but the trio of Tunroth worlds, primitive though they are, are in an area of our operations that needs monitoring, and gives us a potential source of income from the Dalisor Merchant Fleet if we can reassure their customers. Something that, here and now, starts with the Tunroth worlds"
Crew saluted as we passed, Asajj standing in uniform and approaching as I saw Gardan commanding the ship as the shimmering globe of the life filled world came into view. Another system that the Republic had caused to fall into a strange stasis since it joined it...oh, eight or nine millennia ago at this stage; it has hard to know for sure as all the wars had wrecked records and hyperlanes from time to time. Yet there was little to no orbital infrastructure, less than Solem, and the worlds of the 'Triumvirate' appeared to jumped to around what I'd have called twentieth-century space tech, with a few modern boosts, and then stayed there.
Asajj glanced at me "Is that the only reason?"
I shrugged, resting my hands on the tactical display as I came over to it "That's enough reason in of itself, though it leads into the cause; sudden collapse of Republic authority and within a few weeks of realising it...pirates, or in this case expansionist religious fanatics start issuing demands. So, here we are to reassure the locals and warn off the Lortha. The unfortunate requirements of establishing our authority on our area of operations when Republic legitimacy is at an all time low right now, so we're entering into the time of the dominion of the sword, and so need to convince everyone we've the monopoly of force and can defend them"
She nodded, looking at the star-map holograms "And punish them if they rebel?"
I nodded "That too, though in this case there's nothing much to rebel with here. Its raw materials, and the influence it buys with the regional merchant clans needing protection, that interest me right now. Credits and supplies keep an army and fleet in the field, and we no longer have a steady supply of either from Core, only what we can raise ourselves or from Eriadu"
It was the simple truth of why I, and Hannah, and Shesagora, and dozens of our proxies, were running about system to system seeking to ensure Republic control was maintained firstly, but also we could afford to maintain the war-machine we'd been building. We had the TIE production designs for one, and manufacture was starting up on Solem and a few other locations, but it was re-establishing an infrastructure that was proving as dangerous to overall strategy as the enemy. It was certainly costing ship to assign to patrols, along with training up fresh crews from 'allied' local powers, or just simple recruitment which we'd be undertaking from amongst these three worlds.
"Not going to get much from here Captain-General" Yulen answered and I could only nod and sigh. It was true after all, but beggars couldn't be choosers and while in the short run we were secure, I needed to see beyond that to next year, and then the year after that if we were to persist. I certainly didn't want to have to depend on the humano-centric Eriadu and Tarkin family; usefulness led to something resembling equal terms in negotiations between parties. If we were self-sufficient our legitimacy and strength, and therefore our authority, would be much harder to undermine.
"True Captain, but hundreds or thousands of such worlds with even small contributions will certainly help the cause. Look at those asteroid fields for one...thousands of years and barely touched. So, squadrons out, and I want hunting-dog groups out up the hyperlane and into nearby systems to see what we can see. General Ironhill might have word from Bomis Kooori, and I want to see what kind of forces might be lurking around in our backyard..."
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[19 BBY]
[Republic Naval Vessel Heart of the Core, Mandator II-class Super Dreadnought, Kuati Home Fleet, Kuat System, Kuat Sector, The Core]
Admiral Jan Dodonna watched as the Corellian Fleet emerged out of hyperspace along with its allies, spearheaded by four Corellian super-dreadnoughts and a dozen Jedi star-fighters. Yet he was...unafraid?...unbothered?...by the situation due to whatever strange Force ability the Supreme Chancellor was doing. Instead his mind was almost hyper focused, aware of what the enemy would do next as the full weight of his heavies was unleashed upon that sprearhead. Overkill some would argue, but those were sentients who had not fought with Jedi or knew of their abilities.
Even now several of those star-fighters, impossibly, avoided the vast barrage generated by his combined fleet as his old friend Adar Tallon ordered the missile frigates to sync their fire-control and launch. They'd received enough warning to ensure the fleet was fully deployed for an assault, and it seemed the Interdiction Screens built on the hulls of damaged cruisers without hyperdrives, and inside asteroids, had forced the enemy out of hyperspace well before their intended arrival point. Not all only that but the Supreme Chancellor also appeared to understand that the KDY shipyards needed to be preserved at all costs; even now the enemy were surging towards the flagship instead of Kuat proper.
"Send in the Clone squadrons and droid patrol ship reserve here..." he ordered directing the loyal clone starfighter squadrons against the smaller number of those in the employ of the enemy along with the other Jedi starfighters. They were some of the few fighter forces he had that might be able to survive and engage those Jedi with an actual chance of eliminating them "...bombers are to concentrate on enemy heavy fleet elements here, here, and here. I want the House starfighters to escort them in while the Royals and Security squadrons provide support for the Fleet"
Counter-battery fire from the Corellians started to hit home as he issued orders, but the Mandator-II's had been built to survive just this sort for fire, and unlike the Corellians should be fully modernised. A large part of his defensive plans involved pinning the enemy here till the second phase could be implemented, and watching as the Mandalorians and their criminal allies dropped out of hyperspace he could only hope it worked. The reserves threw themselves against those cruisers and small battlecruisers, but it seemed, again, they were attempting to breakthrough his lines for the Heart of the Core.
Hundreds of lives were extinguished in second as a flurry of explosions filled the space filled the void and fighters and corvettes died in the blaze of heavy turbolaser fire between fleets. This was perhaps the greatest battle of the Galactic War Jan felt watching, feeling, the swirling mass of destruction as the Supreme Chancellor and his aides stood almost serenely further back on the bridge as chaos and death erupted all around the Heart of the Core. Retreating his lines in the centre, reversing the Heart of the Core at the centre of the Fleet, he saw the enemy pout forward into the gap eager to pursue. Eager to board it seemed to his eyes, watching the light ships mixed in amongst the attackers.
"Have them lost their minds?" he murmured, to nobody in particular, as he rubbed his chin as a force of Venators and Acclamators charged forward into the kill-box without hesitation to chase his flagship. Charged in, and then died as they were caught from all directions save the rear as his fleet's unnaturally accurate fire and maintenance of formation tore them apart "The losses..."
"Ah, they Jedi my good Admiral, slaying the Sith is all they can see...and it infects their fleet"
Jan bowed his head to the Supreme Chancellor "Of course Sir, but the Mandalorians"
The aged chancellor smiled looking out at over the bridge and out the viewscreens to the field of destruction and death beyond "Now there is a story there, but rest assured their leader's eyes are focused on me at this moment in time. Now, I do believe you should prepare for boarders my good Admiral. Unwelcome guests I do believe I shall greet..."
"Supreme Chancellor we cannot put you in such danger!"
The Chancellor actually chuckled "Ah, such honest concern for my well being, your loyalty is very much appreciated. But I can assure you my bodyguards are no easy target, and it is safer to face the Jedi...and the failed Apprentice...head on as we all know. Prepare to vent or release gas on sections on my orders, all Troopers to prepare for anti-Force user combat. Once they are committed implement Phase Two of the Defence Plans Admiral. I'm sure the enemy will be most enlightened to discovered that the Victory-class Star Destroyers are quite operational unlike what they believe"
Jan saluted as the robed man turned and gestured at his advisors and bodyguards. Even with the Victory Fleet defeating the enemy would not be assured, nor without terrible costs. Despite that confidence in their victory and anger at the enemy's assault filled his soul "As you command Supreme Chancellor"
"Now, Malorum, Sy, it is time we test out certain individual's usefulness..."
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[19 BBY]
[Republic Naval Vessel Heart of the Core, Mandator II-class Super Dreadnought, Kuati Home Fleet, Kuat System, Kuat Sector, The Core]
The Dark Side rejoiced around him Darth Sidious felt as he strode towards the burning pulse of hate and rage that was once his Apprentice. Soon to be very much dead former Apprentice Sidious thought as he felt another Jedi die nearby, under a hail of blaster fire or too poison gas he wasn't sure of, but the Force was alive as his enemies came to him. Oh, timing could have been better, and young Anakin was not here either unfortunately, but now was a chance to kill as many enemies as he could while the Dark Jedi under the former Jedi Master Jerec attacked the Separatists leadership.
His Battle Meditation rippled out, each dead of the enemy a joyous pinprick in the void, and he could feel every emotion, every life, that roared and danced in the great song of the Dark Side. No longer did he have to hold back, to hide his power, and so he reached out as he drew upon his Adept and Inquisitor to sow chaos amongst his foes. One foolish Jedi actually falling to the Dark Side aboard the bridge of a Corellian starship and lashing out blindly at friend and foe alike; so unable to control themselves when their emotions were up and the Dark sang its lovely song for a time.
Blaster fire filled the halls of him, death, and rage, and screams filling the world as he glided forward towards the heart of darkness. Clone Troopers and Kuati Stormtroopers fought to hold back a number of Mandalorians, but failing as crimson lightsabers cut through their defences and durasteel security doors. Maul had uses, and this had been one of them, but Sheev Palpatine's blood was up as Darth Sidious no longer had to pretend to be weak; no, he was a War Hero to-be now. Sneering his own lightsaber flew to his hand and ignited moments before the blaster bolt arrived...
...and back into the helmeted head of the Mandalorian that had tried to kill him. Maul and another of his worthless minions noticed him now, charging forward, one by jetpack in the wide hallway and the other with Force. Darth Sidious grinned wide and hungry and happy as his had came up and the Force flowed through him, fuelled by decades of repressed and carefully nurtured hatred and rage. Electricity surged from his free hand, careful not to kill any of his soldiers and spoil the heroic image he'd need from this, and the armoured Mandalorian went down screaming. Maul, showing some little competence for once, managed to block with his lightsaber.
Darth Sidious continued to grin widely as his second lightsaber flew into his other hand and he went on the attack as another Zabrak male, Maul's worthless brother he assumed, came charging up the hallway distant to aide his brother. Weakness there, to care for someone like that, but Sheev didn't care as this was one of the best days of his life, win or lose, live or die, as the Dark Side filled him and he jumped forward with a savage slash of his crimson blades...
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