[2 BBY]
[Admiral's Ready Room, Command Bridge, Command Deck, Imperial Navy M-series Heavy Battlecruiser (formerly Mandator II-class Star Dreadnought Indominable) Lightbringer, Imperial Navy Fifth Fleet (the Army of Light) in orbit Vandelhelm, Vandelhelm System, Epsi Sector, Rimma Trade Route, United Federal Empire]

I sighed as I read the orders I'd just opened after receiving the codes. Direct written orders at that, sealed and stamped weeks ago as a contingency. My Apprentice sat across from, Tionne giving a glance at the papers in my hand, and at the alert from my screen "Bad news?"

"As you've likely guessed, we're now at war with the New Republic" I answered sitting back in my chair, arms on the armrests, emitting another, weary feeling, sigh "Fondor has been attacked, and that attack has been repelled…we are ordered to deploy per sealed orders"

"To Fondor?"

I shook my head, holding up the papers and wax seal direct from the emperor's desk "We are ordered, along with Third Fleet, to find, engage, and destroy the Confederate Fourth Fleet with utmost aggression and expediency"

Tionne frowned, considering "Not Fondor, but…they want to press into the CIS? Why?"

"No, they want us to destroy the offensive capabilities of the southern Confederacy so we, the Empire as a whole not just Fifth Fleet, can secure our border defences. We are going to be stretched in our operational needs between here and supporting the Trade Federation forces"

I could grasp why High Command would want to do this, and why they were keeping this so quiet in terms of direct orders. The Far Outsider threat was a concern now, and our lack ability to find them, so we couldn't allow the Confederates and Republicans to dictate the pace of this conflict we found ourselves in. The whole timing….angered me, for the Vong were coming, though we had time, and we had to fight and win now since peace was no longer an option clearly enough. For the last few weeks we'd been falling back from the border, and the Confederates had started to grow bold now we were *clearly* marked to reinforce Fondor with our extending our stay at Vandelhelm.

'Till now' went through my mind as I laid the papers down on the table "Fondor's Second Fleet's problem for now. Ours is going to be a short, sharp, and bloody offensive it seems. Full measures it says"

"Your battle meditation master?"

I nodded at her question "And increased Imperial Knight support, as well as other special forces. Our orders are simple and straightforward in many ways; - destroy the Confederate Fourth Fleet by any and all means at our disposal"

"That's…aggressive" she murmured, frowning in thought "What happened at Fondor master?"

"The NRN was turned back with heavy casualties, on both sides, but more on theirs than ours or our new allies it looks like" I answered, bringing up the after-action reports sent to my terminal and give a screen turn for her to read through "That would give us a narrow operational window to carry out our orders. Analysts predict Fondor will recover its losses quicker than the NRN…assuming they Republic doesn't deploy another fleet to replace them of course. But that seems doubtful with other operations underway against our allies…the Feddies"

Being allied with the Trade Federation, or, well, them being part of the Empire was…odd in feeling to say the least, as I'd grown up to be at war with them since leaving the Jedi Order. Executive Security Solutions had been a proxy for Eriadu against the Trade Federation and its proxies even before the Clone Wars began, and now we were on the same side, decades later. Something I had to make myself remember when considering the battles about to break out in the Colonies Region, and even more of a reason to try neutralising the offensive potential of the Denon-Druckenwell Confederate forces. While unlikely there was always the possibility of a combined Confederate-Republican offensive down the hyperlane towards Mon Gazza and then Rodia and Christophsis as during the Clone-Droid War period.

Tionne read away, a pause, nodding as she read "That's…within expected results, is it not?"

"Aye, it is apprentice. Heavier than expected fighter losses on the Republican side thanks to the droids unexpected trick, and then a focus on it clearly enough afterwards. I suspect that's why High Command are so intent on pushing the aggression now. The NRN is going to be wary of high intensity operations being carried out near Fondor territory while they have to solve this vulnerability of their penal legions. Temporary vulnerability of course, but they'll have to run checks and other things to be sure they've solved it before having another attempt"

I tapped at the galaxy map on the holo-display "The Confederates are overstretched, or we're reasonably certain that they think they are at the least. I expected something to this effect, if not the ambition shown in this operation"

'And we'd been doing so well before everything fell apart thanks to imposter Padmé' he thought unhappily, tapping the documents "So, Operation Thunderclap is a go. Your opinions apprentice?"

[2 BBY]
[Command Bridge, Command Deck, Confederate Navy Dominator-class Star Destroyer Avenging Sword, Taskforce Avenger, Confederate Navy Northern Galactic Command, 'Belt' of Sernpidal, Julevian System, Dalonbian Sector, Tingel Arm, Outer Rim Territories, Confederacy of Independent Systems]

Admiral Kleeve looked out from the centre of his flagship at the ruins of what had once been an inhabited planet, now turned into a vast, and dangerous asteroid belt. Asteroid belt and danger zone of still molten magma in parts, along with active energy signatures. It was horrifying to see, and he dreaded to think what it had looked like to be created….and in what means created this disaster area. Even the words of the young Force User not-jedi hadn't really revealed much, despite being here, as the Imperial mercenaries he'd been with had evacuated barely in time to escape…

"Such a terrible thing to see" came the feminine voice of the togruta female, of the 'advisory' and 'allied' body that called itself the Dark Council, as she came to stand beside him. Once a bitter enemy Jedi, now just another confused being within the Confederacy's struggles to exist in these dark times "We had felt it, and being told…another to see this horror"

"Yet, you have heard nothing on what has occurred here?"

"No" Shaak Ti answered him in a serious tone "We have not. Not even with a witness to the events…all it confirms is the Imperials were ambushed, engaged in battle, and then fled in a rush just before moon and planet collided by, hmm, means yet unknown"

'And your spies know nothing?' he wished to ask but found that unwise. The relationship between the various branches of the Confederate government were…fraying for lack of a better term in his opinion. Madness had seemingly consumed the civilian government, who would not listen and continued to demand ever more absurd things from the military. Yet Kleeve was unsure and wary of the growing power of the Mon Calamari and their allied Dark Council within the opposition to the government as well. There was far too much politics again within the Confederacy, yet there was nothing he could do about it right now as more important matters, such as this system for one, were on his plate.

"Scans are underway, but the sheer level of destruction makes that task lengthy and difficult" he instead said to the female he towered over "Which is without the fact the Navy is expected to secure the northern Rim at the same time as fighting a galactic war with the Imperials"

"I, and the Council, are aware of that situation Admiral" came the polite reply "We have our own difficulties with the refugee crisis and growing piracy including wayward Force Users. But I do hope my presence here, and other support offered, shows the benefits of working together in these trying times"

"And the Navy thanks the Council for such support" Kleeve then sighed, a rumble in his chest as he folded his arms across it, resisting a glare at the destruction before them as the warship carefully navigated its way around what had been a continent or perhaps it was part of the planet's former moon "Unfortunately our combined efforts prove insufficient for policing the regions of the northern rim as it stands"

Sernpidal was a long way from 'Core' CIS territories and was only secure now because they desperately needed to know what had occurred here. The Imperials had clearly not blown up their own kriffing fleet, and it was equally clear they, the Confederacy, had not done it, nor the New Republic. All of which served to make a confusing situation more concerning as the surrounding sectors feel in near anarchy despite being now officially back under Confederate rule. Something official but not true in practicality as the Navy struggled to allocate sufficient patrols with so much locked down to protecting the 'core' systems from any would-be raiding fleet of their enemies.

The togruta female gave a tight nod "It is not the desired outcome, nor is it comforting to be aware some unknown foe lurks out here, yet not be aware of them beyond such destruction as this. The pirates merely mask the problem beneath, as well as the true source of their growing problem"

"There is little we can do in regard to the New Republic's actions Councillor" he replied, though he would prefer there were actions that could be taken. But unfortunately, what resources had been supplied to help 'rebels' was now consumed entirely by the Confederacy's own needs to bribe allied systems, and to equip forces deemed loyal enough to hold control of others "This fleet can hold down this OverSector largely because investigating *this* is vital, and it secondarily allows us to bring order to the nearby sectors as we do so. Far too many nearby sectors and systems are under-garrisoned"

'Or lacking any presence at all' he didn't say as he returned to focusing upon the task at hand "Though, perhaps we should discuss sensor readings with the good doctor and hope something is yet revealed…"