[3 BBY]
[Command Bridge, Combat and Control Systems Deck, Refitted Providence-class Dreadnaught Ghost, True Republican Guard Private Military Company, near the moons of Mindor, Taspan System, Inner Rim, former Galactic Republic Territories]

"Energy plumes Captain" Hera Syndulla heard her senior sensor operator, a young human, say to her as her warship glided silently through the void of space "Flash signals from deployed probes. Readings are; estimate two New Republic Liberty II-class Star Destroyers, possible two, possibly three, Corellian corvettes in close escort along with a number of starfighters, likely X-wings"

"Thank you, Lieutenant, continue monitoring and update if any further arrivals"

"That is one more than expected Captain" her Executive Officer, a grey-haired human veteran from the Succession Wars, named Gairn murmured "Intel off as usual"

"This unit concurs Captain" her Second Officer, a refitted Tactical Droid, named Solidad, agreed "Successful engagement; estimate reduction by twenty-four-point seven three percent upon prior calculations"

Hera nodded, but it was covered within her orders unfortunately, even if the presence of a second Star Destroyer was less than desirable. The reason they were here was predicable after all; the system was receiving fortification through mines, both real and hyper capable, along with an interdiction system and pre-deployed missile pods. Something the New Republic should know as they'd scouted the system mere days ago, and intercepts indicated they were intent upon preventing, or at least delaying and/or minimising that defensive effort.

Hence why she'd been sent here, along with two modified Dreadnaught-class 'assault cruisers', a lightly armed Quazar-class auxiliary combat carrier, and a mix-and-match of nine, largely droid crewed, frigates of differing classes. Against one Liberty-II that should have been sufficient to achieve victory, but now a second presented a more dangerous engagement as her first, true, battle in command of this vessel. Yet…this was what had to be done as she watched the display, listening to advice, as the two capital starship enemy force made for the construction/salvage vessel currently engaging in deploying those defences alongside a local squadron of starfighters and about five assorted 'gunships'…though that was a diverse thing considering their differing firepower ranges.

"Have the seen us?"

"Negative Captain" came back from her XO who moved up a few steps to check that fact, the plot updating before her eyes "Tybalt is powering up to hyper…if we are engaging we should concentrate fire on the nearer of the two Liberties"

"Interdiction pulses Captain" Solidad stated in his mechanical, ever sure, tone "Hyperspace fluctuations…hyper-beacon knocked into realspace. The Tybalt will not be able to escape. As projected"

'Well, there's the decision taken out of my hands' Hera thought, watching both Star Destroyers fire the disruptive weapon to galactic travel. Not that she could complain about it, as it had been the Imperial Fleet, then GAR-South, that had been amongst to start using such ancient weapons again, let along in redeveloping and expanding their scope of use. Her father had said such things would have been inconceivable in his days, but Hera couldn't imagine a galaxy without such things as if she didn't act then the bait starship, which itself was no aware of that fact, would likely be destroyed even as it now started to burn hard to get away.

"Deploy all droid and bomber squadrons" she ordered as stoically as she could manage "Signal the squadron: We are engaging the enemy. Designate Enemy-One as our primary target for now, move in per Plan Alpha-Two"

The Ghost as a Providence was more of a battle-carrier than the original model, stripping out anything ground forces related and replacing such with starfighter bays and then increased power supply for shields. Even removing the 'spike' of the bridge to a closer in armoured one where she now was, and two sets of X shaped 'towers' with extra guns at the front and rear. Combined with the extensive modernisations the warship should be capable of engaging the enemy alongside the 'assault cruisers' as the entire squadron's suddenly flared to life in unison as Hera sighed "Engage the Enemy"

"They've seen us Captain"

"Looks like XO" she agreed as she watched the enemy force start to shift vector, sending starfighters after the combat salvager Tybalt, but adjusting away as more icons started to appear on the holo-displays "What are we looking at?"

The sensor officer stood up "Their ECCM just spiked Captain making Ident difficult, but visuals indicate Z-95s, possibly some Y-wings"

"The X-wings?"

"Vectoring towards Tybalt Captain"

Hera nodded "Send out our own Z-95s, and order intercept of those X-wings"

Her own Z-95s were nothing like what Intel, reliable intel for once, stated the New Republic were using; which were mass produced, barely changed from the Fall of the Republic clone design Z-95s. Largely because that was what the New Republic manufactures wanted to sell the New Republic Navy at vastly overpriced ratios. Because that was how the Core's industrial complex had worked for ever so long. But, unlike those, the Z-95s her fleet used were as modified, upgraded, and refitted as much as to make them different starfighters entirely;- it was something done because they didn't have powerful, heavily shielded, TIE fighters, and such was already a commonly done thing in the galactic north.

So her squadrons launched, and Hera stood, waiting, calm on the outside, nervous inside as her two assault cruisers took the van, while droid-fighters continued to 'roll' out of her vessel and the quasar. Missiles too, launching with shipkillers at range as the droid-fighters began to vector towards the two enemy heavies – trying to shift so they weren't covering each other. Unlike Imperial Star Destroyers Republican ones tended to have a heavily armoured, but armament light, underbelly…

But these two moved competently, belly against belly as she watched one vessel flip into that position as it moved, starfighters moving with them. That served to minimise that vulnerability, but Hera did her best to deal with it as she ordered a slowing of her vessels approach speed, then again as they neared, the enemy increasing speed to match. Her XO nodded "Maintain range?"

"I'm hoping our guns have the range advantage" she agreed watched as her fleet slowed even the enemy pair came towards them at full blast "We'll reverse thrust when they come into range"

"Good idea Captain, it'll make them chase us" Gairn murmured "May I suggest pressing with flanking attacks, led by the older droid-fighters"

"The scarabs, not the tri-fighters?" she asked in surprise, and he nodded.

"More acceptable losses, and we'll have to take such to lure them into committing Captain"

Hera considered…then nodded "Do that then, draw away their screen. Missile fire on those corvettes. Let us try and kill them as well"

That would serve to damage the Republican anti-fighter defences, especially if they could pull away the starfighters as well. But it was nerve-racking to watch as several engagements began to take place. One as the clearly experienced X-wing squadron clashed with the Tybalt and its defensive squadron, as well as her own racing Z-95s. Secondly was the evolving back and forth between her droid-fighters squadrons and the enemy Z-95s as her units darted in, as if to allow bomber penetration soon after, before being 'chased' away from the Star Destroyers…

"Those units are very green" Gairn said as they watched the engagement, motioning "You can see how they are chasing, and from the loss-kill ratios Captain…here, look. We've killed more Z-95s than lost Scarabs"

Hera saw that it was true, but voiced her other concerns "These aren't clone pilots either, or we have upgraded those droids sufficiently…."

Not massively, but compared to the Clone Wars phase of the Fall these Scarabs were definitely superior in programming and minor performance tweaks. Hera hoped such was true, but didn't want to rely upon it as both squadrons made contact, hers now reversing thrust, also spreading out to form an V while firing at the enemy as they formed the bottom of the V. Republic vessels fired best head on, just like in the Fall by all accounts, lacking the gun layouts of Imperial designs. It was standard late-Fall Confederate tactics to try for spread of firepower, or 'crossing the T' or 'invert the V' then to deal with such;- something she was trying to do now, even as she watched an enemy corvette die.

"Possibly Captain, but I'm inclined towards training deficiency, or they are using converted industrial or protocol droids as we've heard rumours. This is a good chance to confirm that information. Once the starfighters are pulled clear. I recommend we press aggressively"

Her Tactical droid concurred "This would be advisable Captain. It would supply further data to analyse"

"If those Z-95s commit, then we'll press" she said after considering. That's why they'd assigned older, formerly retired, officers to the expeditionary force after all. Something that did occur as time ticked by, her droid squadrons pulling free the enemy star-figher cover even as the last enemy corvette died, and the enemy fire was starting to hammer down her vessels shields. Started too, but not sufficiently to bring down the refitted heavy vessel, and now Hera committed to fighting.

Both of her refitted dreadnaught-class vessels, with two escorts each, flanked around the enemy, her flagship's shields trying to stay 'up-angle' so only one Star Destroyer could maintain fire on them. That served to minimise the enemy firepower advantage, taking advantage of the greater defence nature of their of their 'belly-belly' formation. Munitions use was very heavy though, but bombers were now committed with Ion torpedoes, backed by one last, this time massed, missile barrage. Sufficient to pull back the enemy starfighters, but merely increased their losses…

"Artemis is out of action" but there was bad news too, one of her escorting frigates engines dying as the turbolaser pounded their shields down, impacting the rear. Hera winced, but nodded, gesturing.

"Shift formation and attempt to cover them with our positioning" she commanded, as her eyes were on the prize so to speak "But maintain fire on the primary! We have to be near knocking down those shields!"

They weren't, clearly, from direct fire at least, but her bomber run's torpedo impacts knocked down the shields, and damaging the 'top' Star Destroyer heavily. Yet not enough, and she'd failed to track the timeline…

"Their exiting to hyper" she muttered as the pair of enemy vessels abandoned their star-fighter contingents, engines igniting as the hyperspace disruption ended "Keep fire on them till they do!"

In strict terms, this was a success. But also merely a sign of what was to come she knew…