[17 BBY]

[Command Bridge, Eriadu Authority Capital-class Warship Stormcrow, Taskforce Hospitaller, Republic 5th Fleet, Mokivj System, edge of Outer Rim Territories-Wildspace Border Systems]

"…within next three cycles" Gardan finished his report on the fortification of our, formerly Confederate, droid-factory/base/mining-facility. I nodded as I studied the details on the datapad he'd handed me. We'd sent the time ripping out control boxes and hard installing replacements rather than trying to reprogramme the local production. Yes, it lost us units, and time, but it did mean there wouldn't be programming issues that could result in sudden side-switching in combat conditions. Experience with captured droids had taught us that, along with everyone else on our side, the hard way…

"Well, Chancelor Tarkin will be glad to get the most expensive droid army ever created sent to him in time to throw into battle" I replied shaking my head. The future units being produced would be normal droids, in that they wouldn't have cortosis armour in B2s that would be the same price as a frigate let alone droid squads. Same with the great bulk of Clone Trooper armour that was the exact same, being super wonderful, and worth so much more as not being used as insanely expensive, albeit effective, body armour "The galaxy will think we are swimming in credits when this gets thrown into action"

…unfortunately the Droid Army here was needed on the battlefield now rather than in the many months it would take to strip off that insanely valuable armour, so off it went in freighters. Just like the clone trooper body armour was being shipped off back to Eriadu to be hurriedly adjusted so that fresh legions could be all blinged out like they were nobility in the Middle Ages on Earth. Blaster resistant yes, very blaster resistant actually, but the sheer inefficiency of the creations was just insane. Now it was going to be chucked into battle against gods-damned droids rather than the Jedi Temple assault it had probably been intended for.

'And yet another reminder of all these things you just don't know about Daron my boy' I reminded myself thumping the orders to confirm them. Gardan gave a nod of thanks, taking back the datapad, bringing his hands, and the pad, behind his back as he stood at attention, giving me a questioning look "So soon?"

"Well…by the time freighters reach Eriadu, and then the front after they've been organised…not all that soon relatively" I mused, then shook my head "But, yes, they'll be thrown into battle almost immediately I expect, or held back a moment…and then flung into battle. The Confederacy have launched a major offensive, and it looks like they've learned from past mistakes"

Or, at the very least, that was what appeared to be happening from what reports we'd been sent by High Command on our less-than-ideal communication buoy system back to 'civilization'. This time around the Confederate Navy wasn't doing any grand gesture, long range, offensive and bypassing systems. Instead driving forward a number of systems after a swift, massed, assault, before bringing up logistics and then repeating the process once they'd secured the planets in-system. The Mimban, Gyndine, and Antar systems had already been I confirmed as fallen, and I suspected, reading between the lines, that the Quellor and Nahth'ri systems would be next on the chopping block. If they hadn't fallen already.

I gave a helpless shrug "They also have their own clone army now apparently, seemingly that being due to Saleucami been freed of its blockade. They are using them as shock infantry according to High Command, both ours and on Coruscant. Analysts expect the blow will hardest on us…once they break through the other frontlines I imagine"

Moff Zsinj and her Third Fleet had been sent forward to try slow down and bleed that offensive…while I sat out here for several weeks now, getting increasingly concerned, with reinforcements going the wrong way from my point of view. Of course, from the overall strategic situation, it made perfect sense, and I agreed with that, as Fifth Fleet wasn't facing a massive Confederate Fleet offensive seeking to recapture systems that we controlled that been CIS members at the start of the Great War. Instead, though we had a developing problem out here, the extent of which I wasn't full sure of…beyond it was problematic.

This Grysk Hegemony were, clearly, moving forces into this region, as well as being gods-damned mind-benders by nature. Medical reports on the Separatists we'd taken prisoner, as well as from several pirates captured, showed that, as we as my own Force inspection. Celeste, Asajj, and now Secura had all confirmed the same on their ranging to Batuu and other nearby systems here in Wildspace. Along these Darshi who seemed to be front men for the Grysk, as we had not encountered any actual Grysk as yet. Even the captured CIS records, which had been thoroughly combed through now, didn't have any images or security footage for me to work with.

"We can but hope they fail to do that then Moff" Gardan replied, but his tone indicated he agreed with me in my analysis. I'd trained him, like the rest of my bridge crew, as well as I could to understand such things "But if not, there are plans in place one imagines"

'Yes, one of which is noted as 'To the Bitter End' Contingency for several captured worlds. This facility included' I thought as orders were to deny the enemy recovery of the mines and factories at all costs should we be unable to hold them. In this case with the simple situation of storage of hyperfuel in a very secure, very carefully tended, storage bunker…that would make the whole facility go BIG BOOM if the self-destruct to those secure bunkers got pressed. High Command…well, I'd helped with those recommendations, so I had no right to complain now, did I?

So, I gave an amused, albeit tired, snort "Aye, that there are, that there always are. For now, we need to the get those ion canons installed, along with the shielding systems. I expect we will be needing to move very soon"

--

[17 BBY]

[Command Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic, {formerly Academy of the Judicial Forces} Galactic City, Coruscant, The Core]

Gentis rested his hands on the edges of the tactical displays, the great galactic map stretched out before him and his fellow generals and admirals. Sadly, the information it highlighted was not ideal "The Quellor Sector cannot be held, with all that implies"

General Durant nodded in agreement with him "Yes, that means Denon falls and everything down the Hydian way to GAR-South. Seems Fird gets his wish then"

Alara Tagge, from Tepasi, frowned, shaking her head "If Duro hadn't stabbed us in the back, or the troubles on Fedalle…"

He held up his right hand "There is no benefit to recriminations on that matter, we needed to withdraw the units there, and now it is chaos. But it's putting our forward fleet units in an impossible position now, and maintain the hyperlanes to Tarkin's forces…"

"Is no longer viable, yes" she agreed "So, what happens?"

Gentis nodded gesturing and drawing a line of the holo-display "We pull back to Rendilli, Bellassa, and Humbarine, with a rapid reaction fleet at Ixtlar. Yes, Corellia has pressed us at Duro, and Kuat and Palpatine are clearly attempting to incite further riots against us. Attempting to further engage the Separatist offensive with them stabbing us in the back…it will ensure the destruction of our forces. We are acting as their shield at this moment in time, but once Quellor falls it is best we ensure that is no longer the case. Our best option is to consolidate…"

He highlighted the draft defence plans after inserting the data key "As you see here, we consolidate the Core, and we deal with the Caamasi-Alderanni pocket. I'm also suggesting we push Fird and his cohorts more into signing an actual treaty with the Mandalorians, even to supply those madmen"

Alara nodded unhappily "I hate the idea, but, yes, that would be for the best. I'm fairly sure Organa is helping to drum up the riots against the government in the surrounding systems. Well…his flunkies as he is on Corellia according to intelligence reports"

Durant glowered "We're allowing the Seppies to take a third of the galaxy!"

"It's less that than we can't prevent them taking those sectors, and it's hardly anywhere near a third" Alara pointed out "And its simple logistics, if we lose Quellor we'll lose Exodeen after…"

She motioned at a pocket "We order anything beyond Exodeen to consolidate around the Hosnian system to maintain a fleet in being there, and anything beyond Denon to link up GAR-South and help delay the advance"

Gentis nodded. They'd gotten solid intercepts on the Separatist overall plan from what remained of Military Intelligence, and, overall, the outline was less than ideal. The Seppies seemed intend on using their recent build runs and remaining reserve to reunite all the scattered pockets of Seppies across the Mid and Outer Rim, as well as pushing into the Core to relieve the Neimodians. In a past life months ago that would have been disastrous, and it still was, but they could mitigate that damage somewhat by implementing a phased withdrawal and allowing the traitors on Kuat and Corellia to absorb the blows in that direction.

GAR-South too seemed set to take the brunt of it; - Geonosis, Christophsis, Rodia, and Sullust were all primary goals for the CIS. Gentis suspected Eriadu itself and the likes of Enarc and Naboo would be secondary goals, which would break the back of GAR-South by all analysis. Bothawui was also on the primary target list, but he couldn't give a kriff about those Chancellorist traitors beyond hoping they inflicted heavy damage on the Seppies before they went down. All-in-all it would be a disastrous blow to GAR, but in its currently diminished state, there was point wasting young soldiers lives for pointless battles that couldn't be won. No, they needed to marshal their strength, ensure their own fleet numbers were replenished, and then strike when they were ready and the Seppies and traitors had worn each other down.

He nodded again "It is a setback, a massive one I'll admit, we can't deny that, but we need time to mobilise our strength. Recruitment, since we've opened the restrictions, has skyrocketed on loyal worlds and we are, finally, getting production functional again now that we have taken military control of war necessary industries. Time, we need to stall for time, and then strike as hard as we can"

The Core was overly humano-centric, and while Supreme Chancellor Fird, and Alsakan in general, were very much guilty of that, the new, true, Grand Army of the Republic was openly recruiting from all the loyal species of the Republic now, despite the trouble it was causing on other worlds. The truth be told that trouble had been an issue from the very start, and Gentis and his colleagues agreed they needed to stamp down hard on that protest as best they could. While many of those new recruits wouldn't be useful on the frontlines for quite some time, with some basic training and weapons they could be used to suppress treasonous groups…like several here on Coruscant itself. Those non-human recruits would have no problem at all bashing in the heads of supporters of traitorous 'human supremist' groups. Who would be any traitorous group needing suppression.

That would free up veteran Legions for the frontlines…

He motioned at the plans laid out "Are we agreed?"

--