[2 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 Vandelhelm, Vandelhelm System, Epsi Sector, Rimma Trade Route, United Federal Empire]
Warships filled the viewscreens as far as the eye could see it felt like to myself as I stood at the tactical display of my flagship. Fifth Fleet's 'Heavy' or 'Battle Fleet' elements were mustered in force here, as per orders of the Emperor and the rest of High Command, as the galaxy went crazy it felt like to my mind. Or, perhaps, it was just acting normally in response to the 'game board' being changed so drastically by the New Republic's and our own actions over the last two years. Action generating Reaction. In this case…one war ending, causing another, larger one, to begin it appeared to all analysts. One we'd hoped would occur in other ways. Mostly in that the New Republic decided to move on the badly overstretched Confederacy….
Sadly, for us, that seemed not to be the case. Instead the Republicans seemed intent on taking Fondor, along with eliminating remaining opposition at the same time. That surprised me, badly, in that I'd have expected at least a few years trying to secure their already extensive gains before making a move upon more systems to try gobble up to fill its seeming black hole of an economic belly. Especially with the shock of Sernpidal as the Vong shattered our investigation fleet…a huge shock for us, and me especially, in that I'd no fucking idea the Vong were building advanced bases on developed worlds like that. Nor was I aware they were so willing to act so blatantly.
'Yet the Republicans care more for conquest than investigating the mysterious destruction of an entire planet with fleet in orbit!' I wanted to rant, hands on the table, frowning at the tactical display before me. Plans, such as the one intended against the Confederacy's southern states, now had to be adjusted, or halted. Much as I, and others, wished it to be otherwise – New Republic Navy fleet elements were clearly starting to form up at Hosnian Prime and Loronar. Not only that, but our Corellian sources indicated that the Coruscant based government was truly convinced Imperial guarantees to the Fondor Droid Remnant were a Bluff.
I sighed. Those guarantees were not a bluff. Fondor could *not* be allowed to fall in the hands of the Republicans. No matter what the cost.
"The situation is problematic Master"
I nodded at Tionne's statement, nodding at the displays "Yes Apprentice, it is, and growing more each day it feels like. Sernpidal should have given everyone pause, and the Confederates, at the least, appear to be investigating according to our intercepts. But, rather than pause, it seems we are going to be thrust back into a total galactic war once more"
She gave the simple, soft, word that meant the coming deaths of billions "Fondor"
"Fondor, indeed Apprentice. Fondor" I answered, drumming fingers off the display's metallic side handles "We cannot allow the third or fourth largest shipyard in the galaxy, opinion dependent, fall into the hands of the mad beings of Coruscant. It does seem the Core are so blinded by their own natures that they cannot see that, even at war as we are, that we cannot allow that happen. Despite our warnings, they will move. Then we will intervene. War with be the result"
Tionne nodded. She did not like war, but as my Apprentice, and the life that she and so many others had lived since Fall of the Republic, had come to understand it well enough "The Chardaan Offensive cancelled then?"
"Officially, we're still talking about it. Indications are at least Confed Naval Intel might have breached those data-codes" I murmured, thinking on it and the associated matters "In truth, yes, we cannot carry through the Offensive. Not with the likelihood of the war escalating…but also…"
I paused, letting out a sigh. Tionne had security clearance at the least "Our reports indicate the Watchful Eyes have, and are, being blinded"
Which indicated really bad things in relation to the Vong. We should have at least another decade and a half, more even…yet the actions, now, indicated something bigger…sooner than expected…
"Is the Senate not be informed?"
"It is to be, as well as our allies…and enemies" I gave snort "The problem lies in the went and how to inform people of such things. We have less than desired proof after all, and making such statements now is unlikely to be believed by our foes. Too convenient for us to claim such when under assault by both the Confederacy and the New Republic…and stating to our own people, now, with what limited proof we possess?"
I shook my head "The difficulty lies in it distracting from the wars we must fight here and now. That are silencing our hidden watch stations after Serpidal…indicates bad things. But, even now, solid, undeniable, proof lies beyond our grasp"
"The secret watch-stations we illegally infiltrated?"
"Yes. Which also doesn't help the case" I chuckled darkly at her response. Ex-Gal was a nominally independent body, and now was effectively defunct as 'pirate attacks' in recent weeks and months, with our allies driven out, meant they were shutting down. Temporarily. Just after we'd got worrying hints beyond the Great Barrier supposedly, though I wasn't briefed yet on the details. So, there went our secret source, and Confederates and Republicans at war with us now…
"Truth be told; we were fighting a shadow war. One we've been losing clearly enough" I shook my head, annoyed at the thought, and perhaps overstating it "Unfortunately, now we have a galactic scale war to fight, and that takes priority. So, we'll be redirected soon enough, and partial mobilisation is being ordered of the various Sector and System Defence Forces under the Imperial Guard aegis. Our new members, such as the Trade Federation Defence Fleet, are also to mobilise"
It was a step short of total war, but a decision with broadscale support in response to the growing war with the Confederates, even with the New Republic in the mix. With them in, it became necessary, and that was without the fact we needed to redeploy forces to the frontier that my fleet was no longer guarding, just like the other mobile 'battle' fleets of the Empire. So far, we'd avoided major confrontations with the Confederate Fleet, save on our terms, as they were distracted consolidating their gains in the galactic north. There was hope the war could be ended, but I knew in bones that the moment the New Republic and the Empire clashed the Confederates would push hard for their own objectives. Even if it was simply to reconnect isolated Confederate systems like Onderon or Contruum that were now, effectively, surrounded by now Imperial territory.
Tionne frowned at map "Then, what about…this fleet?"
"Sit here. Being threatening in our sitting here-ness" I answered with an amused 'heh' as I studied the map "We are assembling a Heavy Taskforce from several fleets, and returned veterans, to reinforce Fondor under Vice Admiral Thrawn. Assuming the droids let us in before first shots are fired. If not, then it'll move as near as they can to support operations should the situation turn. NRN's moving their former First Fleet, now The Workers Red Banner Fleet, to do the same. Either for us or the Big Three of the Core, we don't know. Maybe both even as a statement"
Tionne blinked at me "Red Banner?"
"For the blood of the workers spilled, with Commissars and everything. Filled with fanatics since the purges as best Intel, both Naval and ISA can tell" thought I knew even Tionne likely wouldn't grasp how bad it might get as all the Envy, Hate, and Jealousy that driven Palpatine's Empire in the time-that-wasn't was redirected here into the democracy that spawned it. And, as always when such things arose, an ideology based around effectively taking what others had arisen under the banners of compassion and self-righteous, self-interested, douchebaggery. One that had massive popular support outside of the Big Three systems of Alsakan, Corellia, and Kuat of course. Because those three allied-enemies had done really well out of the peace since the Fall…unlike Coruscant.
"Revolution, progress, workers' rights, other catchy phrases that mean they want to steal our stuff and enslave our spouses and children" I stated bluntly. My actions over a lifetime of war had helped stop the abomination that was the Galactic Empire of Sheev Palpatine. Unfortunately the universe was clearly all too happy to remind me that that Empire had arisen from popular support too. Democracy now…was, in many ways, as much the enemy as the leaders of the Core "Everything we are hearing out of the newly liberated galactic north is of one giant, nightmarish, banta-poodoo right out of some horror holo. We don't even have to try propagandising how bad they are to our citizens. The refugee crisis speaks for itself, even to the Hutts"
Tionne nodded, as she was aware far more than the average citizen about those happenings "You were always saying it'd be War Now, or War Later Master"
"Unfortunately. I'd rather not have been right. But, well, the Coruscant based government needs us all to lie down and die, or work as their serfs for their societal model to function beyond a few years or decades. Someone always has to pay for such utopian things as their galactic living credit, because someone has to work for such things to be so. Utopia is always built on the blood and bones of others"
"Sit and wait is all we can do?"
"Sit, wait, and plot I suppose. We don't want to start this war, even if it is seemingly inevitable" I shrugged, then tapped at icons on the tactical holo-display "It's important that the NRN starts it, and Zsinj's Third is in a similar position. We're being held back because we're the mobile, deep strike, fleets. Or, rapid reaction should events go wrong, but I suspect they want to use us offensively…but, for now, we must wait for our enemies to take the first steps…"
