[17 BBY]

[Command Bridge, Eriadu Authority Procurator-class Star Battlecruiser, The Terror, Republic 1st Fleet, Combined Republic Battle Fleet, Naboo System, Chommell Sector, Mid Rim]

The system stretched out before Wilhuff Tarkin suddenly, everything just…in focus, a clarity that had not had in a battle before as he stood upon the bridge of the most powerful vessel in what had been Eriadu's Self Defence Fleet. But, also, the system and planet stretched out with…

Almost like spiderwebs stretching out from ship to ship, or mayhap synapses firing in a brain part of his mind wondered as he felt/saw the flow of orders firing from command to command. From him, where he stood at the ready on his command deck, hands behind his back, all the way down to a starfighter pilot manoeuvring with Moff Kota's remaining fleet elements. It was all there, laid out before him, as if he was directly interfaced with his command as if it was an extension of his body, or how some droids functioned within the greater scope of a tactical droid net. Just as the Stormcrow had reported, and the relevant historical sources he had consulted had indicated.

He nodded, arm raising up, gesturing "Third Fleet to engage Hostile-03 and Hostile-04. Fifth Fleet to engage Hostile-02 and Hostile-01, wedging between their formations. First Fleet will engage Hostile-01 alongside Fourth Fleet. Assault shuttles and suicide sleds to be prepped"

"As you command Sir" was said by the young officer, a female twi'lek who'd worked her way up from pilot after garnering an injury. Wilhuff now could see the potential within the young officer, the injuries, minor as they were, that would make her a poor pilot now. Watched as the orders were already moving down the chain of command even before she repeated his words. Saw the fleets moving into formations required even as the vast first strike waves of droid-fighters converged on each other. Felt the fleets shifted subtly to his tactical thinking as Invincible-class heavy cruisers shifted into the van to absorb the firepower directed from those Mandators and Mandator IIs.

Beyond his own…he could see the webs and weaves beyond, the connections between his enemies, four fleets merging into one. Something he needed to prevent as that way led to serious problems. His own combined fleet was more numerous yes, but it was distinctly inferior in terms of ships of the line, especially those vessels that would be ranked as capital-class starships. Which was why he brought all the droid-fighters that had been stored up, all the older ships that would be reduced to scrap swiftly should they clash in small engagements with the Separatists. It would be one of trump cards in this deadly game of sabacc as he watched/felt the Separatist panic and launch their second wave of droid-fighters to seek parity.

Maarisa's fleet was turning, manoeuvring into position to face two superior fleets alongside the vast wall of droid-fighters. Losses would be heavy, but that was to be as it must as he turned his own fleet and the Stormcrow's to destruction of the enemy Fleet under Toth. Third Fleet was pressing into the gap between the two Separatist fleets, pinning Admiral Ningo's Bulwark Fleet, and moving to ensure Toth's Fleet was flanked by both Third and Fourth Fleets. All while Wilhuff brough his First Fleet, the Eriadu Home Fleet, forward in a solid 'Wall' of battle unseen since before the Ruusan Reformation, pinning that heavy assault fleet up against the besieged planet.

Wilhuff was not truly sure he spoke the words, but his orders passed down the line as he ordered the bombers to launch. Y-wings and ARC-170s, along with a multitude of ancient designs, began to launch now, targets within that enemy web/weave being targeted. Also amongst them were the 'suicide sleds' that the Stormcrow had utilised against the Grysk outsiders, as well as more modern Republic assault LAATs, as Ion canons and heavy turbolasers began to slam into shields. Casualties were going to be heavy, but Wilhuff Tarkin could already see the Path to Victory, but first, he needed to collapse that web/weave he could see before his eyes….

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[17 BBY]

[Confederacy of Independent Systems Warship Invulnerable, Providence-class Dreadnaught, Confederate 2nd Fleet, Combined Fleets, Naboo System, Chommell Sector, Mid Rim]

"…and shift frigates into defensive posture Echo-09" Trench heard the Tactical Droid saying as he, himself, focused on bringing his fleet into formation with Kleeve's Reserve Fleet. There was a positively ridiculous number of droid-fighters out there, and simply controlling all of them was now proving a serious problem as Kleeve ordered the secondary reserve out immediately. And that was just to match the enormous wave of enemy droid-fighters now engaging their own in something they hadn't every planned to face.

Worse there was…something wrong, and Trench yet again ordered a search for Jedi boarders as he adjusted his cybernetics to compensate. What, exactly, was wrong he could not describe, but there was something out of place, let alone the panicky reactions from several crews, even the from certain of the superior model droid commanders. Jedi seemed the most logical conclusion, something the tactical droids and Kleeve agreed with, but there was no exact pinpointing of the source as systems were almost overloaded with droid-fighter battle taking place. Somehow….somehow, they had blundered in the largest battle of the entire war.

'Say what you will about that kriffin human bitch, but she clearly trains her crews hard' the Harch thought darkly as Maarisa's Zsinj's once again faced him, him and Kleeve's combined forces. Outnumbered, outgunned, and the enemy fleet came forward like it was parade in space, formation immaculately disciplined, tactical droids noting almost perfect overlapping shield and fire position. Admiral Trench was well and truly sick of dealing with Maarisa Zsinj by now, but this truly took the dessert. His own fleet, with droid precision and unthinking fearlessness, hadn't been able to pull that off even!

"Tighten…kksshh…the formationshhh!" he growled out as the positively insane numbers of droid-fighters duelled, but large numbers were vectoring towards his own screening force "Right for anti-starfighter action!"

"Roger, Roger" came back in compliance as the droids performed their tasks while Trench again fought that ominous feeling bearing down on him, the whole bridge seeming to darken since the battle started "Hey, they have lots of fighters now!"

"We'll struggle to contain this many" Kleeve's avatar stated the blatantly obvious as his frigates and other escorts shifted to screen the Lucrehulks forming into a Battle Wall to take on Zsinj's smaller, but clearly determined one. Unlike them though her anti-fighter and anti-bomber screens were showing the years of investment in said anti-fighter and anti-bomber tactics and basic systems "Link our Battlelines, and we'll focus on pounding that formation into space debris. Interlocked and Tight"

"Yessh!" Trench hissed back, mandibles snapping as he gripped armrests, metal hand digging in as the sheer size of the battlefield highly on his tactical displays threatened to overwhelm him "Must break through to…hzzzz…to Ningo and…hzzzToth! Soon!"

They had the real numbers advantage – they had far more battleships, and superior battleships at that!

Such firepower needed to be brought to bear, but that first meant linking them up "Launcchhhh the….shhhh…elite wings! Breakthrough!"

Kleeve hesitated, not wanting to throw in the better starfighter formations like the Wroonians and Emberlanes into the battle so soon…

"Confirm. Launch. Launch. Launch" Trench heard his superior say, then icons and alerts flashing up to fill the already overfull tactical displays in regards dozens of the best Confederate starfighter squadrons, those normally reserved for…well, madness like this.

"Confirm hssss!" he replied sending the orders down the line as a wall of older model enemy cruisers began to slug it out with his Lucrehulks and Kleeve's. Those old Invincibles were kriffin' useless against starfighers, but, right now, they weren't in danger of such and were tough and decently armed warships now. Certainly enough to endure a slugging match his forces could ill-afford…

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[17 BBY]

[Assault Shuttle Deira-Zeta-Nine, Republic 5th Fleet, manoeuvring in orbit Nabbo/Mandator II-class Star Dreadnaught, Naboo System, Chommell Sector, Mid Rim]

Celeste Morne held the controls of one of that the crews of the Fleet liked to call 'suicide sleds' despite the shuttles being built out of gutted assault gunships. This, more than anything, felt disturbingly normal for the Jedi Shadow, even down to the bloodthirsty Mandalorians, and bloodthirsty Mandalorian trained Not-Mandalorians, with her in this moment. It was a relief though to have Mandalorians on her side though, even if they still made her uncomfortable.

'And why don't they have Basilisks!' popped into her mind as she turned the shuttle as rapidly as it could turn to avoid turboblaster fire as they charged madly into a fleet engagement. Again, it felt just like home. Except no Basilisks. Which was annoying, because the Mandos were on her side right now, and those ugly monster droids would come in very handy right now 'Mandalorians! Ugh! Did they get rid of them for the challenge?'

Thruster roared, and the assault shuttles own weapons blasted about as their assault formation was protected by the escorting TIE fighters under one of the current time Jedi. Assaulting a Battleship was usually a bad idea, but bad idea or not she was doing it, as were the two young still-should-be-padawans and the two darksiders that pranced about with Daron. In different assault shuttles to spread out the Force users, two to each, save with Celeste who knew she did not need another here and now to survive. Or have the capacity to survive at least as the Battle Mediation filled her mind, her senses, the very Force of the star system around her.

Now that felt good. This was what she was supposed to do. To be. One hand reached up from the controls, reaching out and grabbing an enemy 'droid-fighter' and smashing its engines, feeling it continue its course and crash into one of the enemy ship's turbolaser batteries. The battle with the…one of the…holder of the Order's title of Grandmaster's fleet had damaged these ships a little, and now bombers and starfighters were making the battle a nightmare for the enemy fleet getting most of the attention in the fight. Celeste could feel why, could feel the bindings of loyalty, and standards of fearful control before her on this ship. No, assaulting these great ships in battle was madness, like a planetary assault…

But breaking this ship and eliminating this enemy commander and his command crew, even if failing to capture it, would break this sub-fleet. So, like a planetary assault they charged in relentlessly, their own droid-fighters, and even star-fighters serving as ablative armour if needed, but mostly for ensuring a 'safer' approach. Through the Force the enemy crew, overworked, stressed, panicked, had not yet noticed that they had noticed the coming assault a dozen bombers blasted open flight bays. Not destroying them, but weaking them as several of those bombers died before their missiles hit home and destroyed point defences. But it was enough as Celeste reached out with the Force.

The two padawan-knights reached out. The two nightsisters reached out. The beating heart of the Battle Meditation reached out…

She could imagine the sound as the flight bays on the underside of the massive battleship were depressurised as she ripped the bay doors out out and flung it at another enemy ship. Air was sucked out, crew inside too, at the sudden change in pressure before shielding and interial dampeners could compensate. By then, mere seconds, it was too late as Celeste led the first of dozens of assault shuttles into the breach, blasters blazing as dozens of other 'suicide sleds' slammed into the hull of the massive ship exactly where the hull was weakest. Her breather mask was on as she switched controls with the co-pilot, lightsaber coming into hand as the doors opened into the already depressurised shuttle. Then she jumped with the Force, droids, Mandalorians, and Not-Mandalorians erupting from inside at the same time as Celeste, jetpacks firing, and blasters and grenade launchers at the ready…

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