[1 BBY]
[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 Shili, Shili System, Ehosiq Sector, Expansion Region, New Republic Northern Galactic Territories]
"Signal to fleet" I said, standing on my command bridge, watching images of burning buildings and dead enemies and civilians transmitted up from the surface of Shili "Start the Clock. Initiate Revenant contingencies"
Fifth Fleet was formed up in orbit of the world, after pounding anything that might resemble resistance into atomic dust. But I already couldn't linger here, and there was only a little that could be done to aid the native population as my fleet couldn't linger here. All that could be done was to send down some old LAATs and freighters filled with blaster rifles, explosives, and various other things like sensor-jammers that would help a resistance movement. That and the fact we were brutally killing the current occupation authority and giving likely several days, or a week, of freedom to flee into the wilds and establish themselves. It wasn't much, but it was all I could.
No, these were the first moves in Operation Vengeful Revenant, the first hours and days, and I'd spent a great deal of preparatory time and effort to minimise chances of rapid Republican reaction. The only thing I'd focused on here, beyond killing the defences hard and fast, was in getting access to the freighter manifests. Freighter manifests now before me, and transmitted to various other warships of Fifth Fleet as a series of timers activated on the tactical displays. Squadrons of starships began to break off from the main body of the fleet, along with transmission of activation codes to a number of vessels that hadn't translated into the Shili system with the rest of Fifth Fleet.
Many targets had been pre-selected, but some, like those about to get hit, were based upon updating data or mobile sensor probes now reporting in on schedule. My own task was also to retreat to the 'Sanctum' part of the M-series, behind the bridge, alongside my Apprentice, to the ritual room within. There was a reason I'd asked, and gotten, Jedi and other Force User support, and now was the time to make use of it, even if it meant hours to spend in preparation and then deployment. Surprise seemed to have been achieved, and that meant I had to make use of it and use the fleet….as a raiding fleet should be used. By inflicting as much as pain and terror on the enemy in the brief window before they even realised there was dangers here, beyond where they believed the battlelines were.
So I had to make use of all tools, as my Apprentice sat in a meditative stance across from me in a ritual circle some hours later, breathing in, breathing out…
Senses extending out in the Force with my own. Reaching out to system and sectors distant, to other pinpricks of light in the Force. Feeling, listening, guiding where needed. All while, above, the clock ticked down and down and down…
[1 BBY]
[Command Bridge, Command Deck, Imperial V-series, Victory-class, Star Destroyer Victory of the Dawn, Dawnstar Squadron, Imperial Fifth Fleet emerging from hyperspace Drearia system, Inner Rim, New Republic]
"Engage, Mark" Imperial Knight, and currently Imperial Naval Captain, Cal Kestis ordered as the clock hit it designated mark. They'd been watching via spy-droid what was waiting for them, and what lack of hyperspace interdiction defences existed near the logistics hub of the New Republic Navy. Or, rather, the New Republic Merchant Navy as it was, with various starships either 'purchased' or, more often, confiscated from their owners in the conquest of the Galactic North. They were gathered together around two orbital stations, being refit and crewed, ready to renew trade between systems…
Something they'd never do now as Cal felt the Victory of the Dawn lurch out into real-space, though his eyes were on the timer, counting down to recharge for the hyperspace engines. Ignoring the fact of the faint shudder as the turbolaser batteries of the gunboat style V-series erupted, then followed by the missile pods of the vessels and the three other similar vessels with them. He ignored it all, as they fired at distant targets, watching waiting, transmitting the data…
"Mark! Evac!" he called out, cutting the timer, and feeling the vessel lurch back into hyperspace, the timer reset, followed by another lurch as they re-emerged, in the same system, a short distance from where they'd been, the other vessels with them…
"Engage! Mark!" and restarted a new timer, this time more missiles launching, the old Lupus-class missile boats with them as 'escorts' unleashing their full loads in a single volley as the Star Destroyers spit out yet more turbolaser fire, burning into their stabilisers at the sheer volume deployed. Yet it was only for less than three minutes, the systems cutting off again as the squadron again jumped to hyperspace. This time for good, though a half-dozen squadrons of bombers and ARC fighters jumped in, closer than the Star Destroyers, just as the alerts were screaming aboard stations and starships.
Ion torpedoes were spat out in waves from the fast-moving bombers and ARC heavy starfighters, exploding in an arc to momentarily disable dozens of active starships that might escape, as well as scrambling sensor systems on the stations. Then they led the defensive starfighter squadron a short, rage-filled, chase before fleeing back to hyperspace second before explosions began to erupt over the stations and underdefended and impounded logistics vessels. Some freighter models simply imploded from impact of such heavy turbolaser systems, though it was the destruction of two vessels, both hyperfuel hauliers, that caused the massive detonations that took out dozens of their fellow starships as missiles struck them, one half full, the other merely a third. Explosions ripped and tore along the lines of vessels…
[1 BBY]
[Command Bridge, Command Deck, Imperial V-series, upgraded Venerable-class, Star Destroyer Radiant Song, Radiant Squadron, Imperial Fifth Fleet emerging from hyperspace Ehosiq Sector]
Luminara Unduli watched, felt, as sentient beings died as the merchant convoy was forced out of hyperspace by the combination of interdiction cruiser and hyperspace disruption mines. It was a harsh thing, a cruel thing, but also a needed thing as, like a pack of beasts drawn to blood her squadron of older, but fast and well-armed, vessels fell upon the disrupted Republican convoy. No warning was given, and unlike pirates there were no attempts at boards. No this was the harsh and undesired violence of war again for the Jedi Master, but she was calm, if unhappy, doing her duty.
The Venerable was an old class…relative to modern V-series, dating back to the last days she had commanded vessels in war, then under the banner of a now dead Galactic Republic. But it had been upgraded as best as possible, and its heavy turbolaser batteries were now beating at tempo of death and destruction alongside other such vessels, ARC starfighters and various Y-wing bombers adding to it. Heavy freighters, carrying heavy ores and other war materials for the Core, were butchered with merciless and methodical precision…
All save those few vessels proclaiming IFFs of Corellia and Kuat, who were allowed to flee unmolested while every other vessel was hunted down and destroyed, regardless of cries for mercy. Escape pods and craft were left alone, but the hauliers…no, they were destroyed as she watched, looking away and focusing upon the timer even as the deaths shivered in the Force. Much as she would wish to criticise Admiral Stormcrow, this was not a matter where she would disagree, unfortunate as it was. These vessels were crewed from those loyal to the enemy, and would have been accomplices to the horrors taking place on so many Gal-North worlds now, and there simply was not time to take capturing prices.
No, the cold, harsh, truth was they must destroy this flotilla as swiftly and mercilessly as possible, and then burn their sub-lights to the max to get back to hyper-capable space as quickly as possible. Hit hard, hit fast, them move upon the next target – for those fleeing vessels would spread word of these even. Word of it, but also whispers of betrayal in the ranks of the so-called New Republic, even as they did not mean too.
Luminara had no tolerance for the servants of the Sith that clung to Kuat under the former servants of Palpatine, but…even if it hurt Obi-wan Kenobi's sects' reputation upon Corellia, she had no such qualms about ensuring suspicion fell upon the Kuati too. This was something that had to be done, before the taint of the Dark Side, and whatever madness had consumed the Jedi of Coruscant, could be allowed to force its dominance over the rest of the galaxy. So she did her duty, the timer ticking down "Mark! Evacuate!"
[1 BBY]
[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 Shili, Shili System, Ehosiq Sector, Expansion Region, New Republic Northern Galactic Territories]
Across dozens of systems I felt it play out, immersed in the Force, yet projections showing times and locations as hyper-comms confirmed what was occurring in transmitted confirmations. Death and destruction raced across the stars on the most vulnerable systems and exposed systems of the New Republic, sowing terror and confusion amongst their ranks. Their own comms systems were compromised, delayed, interrupted by my machinations, and the hours passed as my song of war reached out amongst the stars, feeding the chaos, strengthening the order of my ranks. Like clockwork strikes occurred in unison across entire sectors, surging up the hyperlane towards the most distant Core systems, followed in their wakes by minelayers and retreats…
From Shili to Datar, all the way through Drearia and Champala towards Uviuy Exen my fleet danced to our war-song, the stars aligning to our will, Master and Apprentice. Twas nought on the level of what Sheev Palpatine would manage in another time, another place, but together, dozens of Force Users, under our guidance and with planned targets Fifth Fleet was unleashed. The Army of Light's Warcry echoed softly at first, then a growing roar, through the Force and void of Stars. Death and destruction followed in its wake, dividing and reforming around me as the Stormcrow took flight once more. Echoing through the stars to our foes, loud and clear, though it be days or more before they could truly hear it by comms or through the Force.
FEEL AN EMPEROR'S WRATH!