[1 BBY]
[Beginning of Operation Vengeful Revenant]

The ARC-170 Heavy Starfighter had been a solid feature of the old Galactic Republic's Grand Army of the Republic, and its highly advanced sensor system and combat role had made it prized the then GAR-South substructure. It was also a struggle for the then emerging United Federal Empire's less advanced industries to mass produce as it might have been in the Core, so it had gone down two routes. More actually, when one included the top-secret ARCHS-X project, but such was an elite, small production run, starfighter rather than the workhorse that was the TIE for standard combat.

Instead the Imperial war-machine had focused partly on the ARC-170/I, which was an essentially upgraded ARC-170 with superior power-plant, engines, and shielding at the expense of added costs. Added costs that ensured it remained a minority amidst the 'heavy' starfighter programme of the UFE, with the dominant model becoming the gradual evolution, or devolution some would say, of the ARC model. For the pilots this was not strictly true, as while sensors were significantly degraded in the current models, now the ARC-242/B model, versus even the original this had been matched by increased performance, shielding, and manoeuvrability. Not quite a match for the light X-wing favoured by the New Republic, it also served more niche role for the Imperial Fleet than the X-wing for the New Republic and did so excellent it was judged by pilots and commanders.

Such as now as twenty-four such heavy starfighters, broken down into four ARC-170/Is and twenty ARC-242/Bs, along with two military modified YT-freighters and two Imperial LAATs, emerged from hyperspace in the non-descript, once but now again uncolonized, star system within the Ehosiq Sector. Ancient mining stations, long fallen into ruin, served as 'shelter' of sorts as the starfighters merged into the static and background 'noise' of the gas giant and its moons. Then they burned hard and fast on sub-lights towards one of the few active structures within the system, all while the twin combat freighters activated their full spectrum jamming systems.

Both squadrons of heavy starfighters broke apart, one escorting in the LAATs as they charged towards the hyper-comms relay station, the other flight surging towards the freighter docked there. Or, more accurately, at the two starfighters on the upper and lower sides of the freighter, prepped for launch in theory, as well as the gunship in the flight bay. Both were destroyed within minutes of the Imperial force's arrival, both old Z-95s blasted with single shots as LAATs forced their way into the landing area. Imperial stormtroopers in black armour emerging from within, blaster rifles lowered; though shouts and threats were enough to persuade the under-armed, and civilian rather than military, security staff to lay down their arms even as alarms blared.

But…only briefly as the shock troops and droids made their way through the station, another squad landing and entering through the 'top' station airlocks, meeting similar lack of resistance. Within less than fifteen minutes it was all over, the station's vital systems secured, within the hour all of the twenty-three members of staff and freighter's crew rounded up and cuffed. Imperial naval intelligence operatives immediately began accessing the systems, preparing for the end of the scheduled station's downtime while the captives were led away to the LAATs to be transported back to the distant fleet. All while, outside in the silent darkness of space, the heavy starfighters continued their patrols, awaiting the withdrawal orders.

This had been the third such mission for them, as they would depart within nine hours, leaving behind an abandoned, yet still operational, hyper-comm system as it came online. Manned by an automated system and five refurbished B-1 droids with orders to maintain the systems under 'normal' conditions for as long as possible. 'Normal' within the deemed Imperial Fleet's desired operating standards of course, and filtering out unwanted data from various channels should such data be transmitted to the backwards system's relay station to retransmit…

Several systems away, on a secondary route for hyperlane travel to the sector the old Venator-class Star Destroyer Hopeful Dawn emerged into real-space alongside three equally old corvettes, IFFs and paint not matching known Imperial models. Instead it was mimicking those of local pirates, formerly resistance groups, and deploying its active space patrol of four hyper-modified Z-95s. Then it began to deploy hyper-space mines, set to enter hyperspace at a specific mark, along with deploying two probe droids to lay low within the less travelled system, systems set to passively scan while drawing energy from the local star. Waiting, hiding, for events that might never occur.

Meanwhile the old Star Destroyer continued its task, deploying hyperspace disruption mines and the most basic of indirection fields within the system between the gravity wells of the third and fourth planetary orbits. Where the hyperlane was most prominent in its usage, evidenced by some old wrecks, and faint signals from the largely abandoned fourth planet. While habitable it was overly mountains, yet valuable mineral poor, with only those seeking to get away from various groups and those descendent of those too stubborn to leave remaining. It was why the Imperial Fleet had chosen this to begin its initial moves, with nothing in-system capable of tracking the Venator…in theory at least.

And if they could…hopefully they would see only pirates doing pirate things…

Three other such older vessels were attempting similar, largely successfully, in other such out of the way, secondary locations. Such was the goals of the Imperial Fleet to lay the groundwork for their offensive operations into the northern territories, laying comm-buoys even as they south to deploy means to delay any Republican rapid transits through such systems. These were the heralds of the infamous Imperial Fifth Fleet, experienced crews, born of the early Fall of the Republic Wars, then the brutal, and constant, frontier wars that faced the Empire. And such experience and training counted in the here and now, in a vastly different series of sectors than they had been learned in.

Primary and secondary hyperlane routes were rigorously, if carefully, scouted and then either mined or had droids deployed into, sometimes led by Jedi as aboard the Hopeful Dawn. These were distant to primary New Republic Navy operations centres, yet there was still some traffic on them, something vessels like Hopeful Dawn and its escorts were careful to avoid. Despite the state of war the Imperial's Fleet Fleet actively sought to avoid attention, let alone battle as extra fuel and energy was burned in an effort to achieve such tasks with maximum secrecy. Like a spider beginning to spin a web, save it was a web being spun amongst the stars and struggling systems of several star sectors.

Soon enough Hopeful Dawn and its escorts had completed their mission, reactivating their drives and heading to refuel and rearm. For one deployment would not be enough in the greater scheme of things as a careful choregraphed dance of death was about to begin, the Force beginning to softly pulse with the opening notes as the curtain remained down, but activity hummed beyond the veil. Yet it was hidden yet by the efforts of the Fleet Admiral and two other Force Users of varying skills and loyalties, who plotted routes and sought out the undefended and the vulnerable amongst their foes to silence…

Shilli had once, not too long ago, boasted of an orbital defence station or two, with a small, but dedicated, self defence force. Now those forces were gone, replaced by an equally small orbital force, though it was now arrayed to get sentients in, trapped upon the plan, rather to see to theirs and the planet's defence. The old orbital station had been repaired and replaced with an interdiction generator as well as a completement of two X-wing squadrons. Further an old Venator-class Star Destroyer, Benevolent Skies, was also in obit with it's Z-95 starfighter wings, serving as traffic control and escort for the dozens of heavy freighters and troop transports moving between orbit and ground.

There was an extensive garrison of course, for the world was the source of both penal legions and of work battalions to repay for their crimes against the Core Worlds and their workers. Allegedly at least. Still, it was a largely abandoned system in terms of military presence as the New Republic Navy had moved on, caught in a war against the Empire, as well seeking to pacify other sectors entire. Patrols, while regular from the defenders, were as such rendered on the levels of ridiculous to defend the world with when, as one squadron of X-wings, and other of Z-95s, were on patrol…

From the echoes of hyperspace the Imperial Fifth Fleet, the so-called Army of Light, roared out into realspace from hyperspace, spearheaded by a pair of M-series Battleships…and the Venator and Station died. There was no grand description of their destruction, as they existed one moment, and ceased the next as they were bracketed by multiple heavy warships heaviest turbolaster batteries….

Then no longer existed as the fleet emerged into orbit around them now the interdiction fields were down, and pinpoint transits were enabled. Vessel after vessel emerged now, escorts and heavy cruisers, then turning their weapons on pre-targeted locations that housed Republican military and administrative centres. Many of these housed many unfortunate natives of the world below, but there was no time to avoid such collateral damage as they also house potential anti-orbital defences. Heavy turbolaser batteries and some few coilguns roared their furry as assault heavy fighters and bombers descended into orbit while swarms of TIEs overwhelmed and captured every freighter in orbit, while hunting down the few Republican starfighters mercilessly.

Cries for aid, were, momentarily, before being violently silenced as they were used as targeting vectors by the invading Imperial fleet. Even if they had continued for longer than the brief few moments, they were active there was no ears to hear the demands for aid, and alerts of warning. War had come again to Shilli, and the skies rained fire…