01.33 : The Light Begins to Dim

[21 BBY]

[Republic Aegis Guard Combat Freighter Stormcrow, Task-force Aegis, 14th Sector Army, Ordo Plutonia System]

"The Sharlissa and Sevarcos systems seem to be our best bet for initial strike operations..." Jurdan's holographic avatar was saying as the four present board members, therefore senior commanders, discussed the incoming operation plans for Operation Thunderstorm. My eyes followed the strategic display as our various ships exchanged tight-beam communications, and I got to deal with Braika on my Stormcrow "...reported Separatist forces are on the summaries, light in general, rising to moderate striking power if reinforced by a Sector patrol....regular as best we can tell"

Shesgora's avatar nodded "Droids fer your life"

I agreed after taking a sip from my mug of kaff "I'd guess so to, but let's not get wed to the idea either in case it's just a lazy, but competent, organic officer. So, we hit them with strikes from the bombers? We have few long range escorts to play defence; we can put a YT light-combat with each group for sensors and jamming, spoof a few of the nearby systems perhaps in coordination with the strikes?"

In all honesty it was more a matter of putting one or two of the small 'patrol boats' we'd acquired over the past few months with the groups as large numbers of hyperspace capable fighters weren't exactly available at a moment's notice. We had to husband their usage, nursing them to strength before deploying them on mission critical strikes when we wanted to hit hard against strong enemy star-fighter, well droid-fighter, screens. Neither of these star systems had extensive droid-fighter screens, and we were depending on the Y-wings and Pantoran rigs hitting hard, and then escaping the system after their intial attack runs while the YT jammed enemy sensors, and the PT's annoyed the fighter defences as decoys.

Jurdan nodded "Yes, I want to go heavy from the start even if we have to lull operations for a few days in between high activity periods. We can vary it up to our liking, but we want get them in a routine, ideally spreading out forces, and then striking hard at their logistics bases here, here, and here"

I nodded, taking another sip "Agreeable enough to me, I'll follow your led on this. I can also coordinate with Yanthis and his lot to ensure he's raiding hard while we're on a lull for repairs, and then we're hitting them when he needs to rotate his squadrons"

"Question is; what happens if they seek a big battle?"

Jurdan's avatar nodded, obviously towards Shesgora's avatar before sending over a data-packet to us all "Our defences here should be strong enough to resist anything below a major fleet action. It's why I've got the Sword of Ryloth, and you the Warrior Queen, along with our two friendly Acclamators after all"

"Well..." I muttered "...that and firepower when we go on the offensive. Hopefully they won't be expecting a fully operational Providence and Lucrehulk amongst our ranks. If we're really lucky we can pull the disguise trick at some point on them, but yeah, with the Pantoran system defence fleet and what we've got we're okay for what the Confederates are supposed to have in this part of the Outer Rim. Geen is in Reserve, and Yanthis is close enough we can both mutual support each other without too much delay"

Jurdan gestured at something unseen to us, tabbing a screen or something I guessed "Yes, and there is also the nature of our reinforcement convoys to serve as distractions, and to encourage the belief the true offensives will be coming out of Naboo along the hyper-lanes...." he gave an amused snort "...both you and Braika get your shiny new ships at least. Try not to lose this one would you?"

"Har de Har Har" I muttered back, then nodding "....but yes, they should serve as a distraction, we just have to avoid them actually getting wrecked on the way here. Same with the Ailon Guard's ones....we are in urgent need of capital ships"

"Yes, we are, don't I know it..." the older board member and Admiral agreed wearily "...but they'll have a strong number of escort ships, and their officially cargo haulers delivering supplies to us rather than heavy cruisers and destroyers, so any attackers will get quite the surprise there. I'd warn though that they'll take time to work up green crews....time that means they're not going to be more than distractions for the enemy, or defensive batteries. We won't have time, with the tempo of operations we're talking about, to moving crews around and do training drills"

I waved my hand as Braika snorted and rolled her eyes "Yes, Yes, you've mentioned Jurdan. I'm aware, and I can resist boarding my former city-ship turned heavy cruiser/command ship combo till we've linked up with Moff Tarkin and the Sector Army in Seswenna"

It was a powerful enough force we'd managed to purchase or salvage, and then refit; including my soon to be Stormcrow II, a massive former Mon Calamari city-ship that really wasn't the battleship or carrier I'd wanted, but I'd made do with a major refit to more long-term potential. The main force would be the two Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers, the refitted and up-armed Lucrehulk we'd captured over Geonosis, and of course the ancient Corsair-class battleship we'd salvaged and sent to the Corelians to make into a functional warship once again.

While it wasn't exactly a fleet of Star Destroyers it would give us true striking power in a Fleet engagement, and we'd already acquired another Invincible-class heavy cruiser, and purchased another Dreadnaught-class, to go into those Alaskan and Corelian shipyard berths for their own refits. Republic credits were helping a great in that regards; our Chandrillan fellow board member handling that, and dealing with the fact the Republic's own production costs were rather bloated. So far we'd managed to get repairs and refits done for significantly less than the lower end Republic credit allocations to the Mercenary/Auxiliary forces.

It definitely was out here in the Outer Rim where you could hire ten times the staff at half the cost in the Core...assuming you could find the trained staff that was. Assembling large numerical armies part had proven less of a problem out here than the equipping them for space-warfare part of the equation. I'd seen large numbers of twi'leks appear within the Aegis guard ranks, humans with some bounty hunting or militia experience {though the Nova Guard picked up most human recruits, or Rahm Kota's forces}, and even a few Pantorans since we'd arrived. All alongside my original Solemites; numbers to crew all these ships wasn't the problem really. Ensuring I'd trained crews up to standard was....

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[21 BBY]

[Republic Aegis Guard Combat Freighter Stormcrow, Task-force Aegis, 14th Sector Army, Ordo Plutonia System]

I frowned in thought a moment as Anakin...sorry, General Anakin Skywaker's...avatar stood in mini hologram format in front of me "You and your padawan want to hitch a lift to Naboo with our, supposedly secret, convoy?"

"Ugh...yeah, sorry about...well, and the Senator too..."

Oh, Gods he was bringing his harem with him; both hyperactive teen and the hippie lemming "...it's sort of a secret mission, Daron, and...securest and fastest way there"

I brought my hand up to the bridge of my nose and started to rub at the likely coming headache "Ahh....right, of course. Minor issues first; like why are you going to Naboo?"

"It's....Jedi business, it's supposed to be secret"

"Yeah, like my convoy..." I grumbled, then pulling out a data-chip and inserting it into the long range comm. unit "...right. I'm hanging up, and in a moment you're going to get a private, encrypted, call routed through alternate hyper-comms. Then we'll talk"

"Daron I'm..."

I cut him off, then hit the dial on private line through the Temple, the one I hoped Palpatine and the GAR didn't have easy access too thanks to Jedi wanting respect for their own privacy, if not giving it to others. It took more than a few seconds; not surprising as the Separatists were finally starting to copy our tactics of hitting any 'enemy' hyper-pulse communications. Then monitoring any of the ones that passed through our territory with Magic Mountain's systems;- moments later the avatar finally appeared again "Hey! What was that about?"

"Because I'm trying very hard not to screw up operational security Anakin..." I answered tiredly but calmly "...I know you'll find your way unto to it, so I'm not objecting...but there's more to the convoy than the official records, for good bloody reasons as we think that Separatist Intelligence know roughly about it..." since you found out "...and we're setting a trap for them, that I'd rather not get its cover blown before it begins. So, why are going to Naboo, and what problems will this bring on me?"

It was true....from a certain point of view after all. The thing was a trap, albeit we hoped it wouldn't be, and instead serve as a distraction for our operations. Anakin seemed to mull it over, before finally relenting with some basic information "There is....a bounty hunter, he's stolen something important and we're sure he's going to Naboo. We're going to catch him there....I can't say more, Obi-wan and the Council won't want me saying anymore"

I ran my hand through my hair, then relented myself. Minimise damage time really "Right, I'll arrange berthing for you for departure tomorrow....just, and this is very important, there can be no signals or reporting on the nature of the convoy's...cargo when they join up. And you need to know this could turn into a battle half-way into the journey"

At his unhappy look I gestured with my hand "Now, you invited yourself along..." and potentially screwed up the operation if certain others got wind of this "...and unless the Separatists thrown a full blown battle-group, or more at them, it shouldn't be a problem. But no signalling task-force composition, or systems, or reporting to the Council, or Chancellor, or anyone really during comm-silence....I'll be already in the bad books with the others for authorising this deviation to the operation without adding to it..."

Because adding the 'Chosen One' to anything was just a way for the Force to add 'extra drama' to things I did not want any drama related too. Still....it would also likely serve towards distracting the Confederate Navy while we went about our strikes in coordination with the ORSF and Republic Forces there. One could only hope the bloody task-force could survive having him and his disaster magnet powers aboard one of the ships. All our information indicated big CIS offensives building up; one core-ward and to the galactic north of us, so'd we'd been watching it closely.

Likely aimed at Malastare and its great fuel depots according to Republic Intelligence, potentially Naboo or Sullust if we were unlucky, or even towards the CIS Forces pressing forward from Thyferra. I resisted a snort at that; our former Sector was apparently falling apart by all reports, and a Core-ward thrust really was a possibility after the recent battle in the Devaron system. There were even rumours that a big Confederate fleet was mustering for another go at the Rishi Moons to try break through to Kamino. Or at least that was the hints General Geen was getting for the diversion of resources and any reinforcements meant for us towards Bothawui and Rishi these past few days...

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[21 BBY]

[Sabaoth Squadron Destroyer Terror, Cato Neimodia System, Quelor Sector, Colonies Region]

"Hmm....looks like the Republic has been moving forces, now doesn't it my dear Bella?"

His bloodthirsty twi'lek former Lieutenant, now Captain, nodded "Looks like it Boss, goin' for target Alpha then?"

Calvik Toth smiled darkly "Yes, yes indeed, it is why you have to be patient and watch the prey. See which way they move, what flank they leave vulnerable. We are a go, make final preparations, no mistakes or missteps for this"

He could still change is target after all if the Republic moved their forces again. It all hinged on which of the targets they left most vulnerable and easy to it. Oh, Target Alpha would be much more profitable and logisticaly desirable, but Target Beta had its own appeal by letting him use his....superweapon as they called it. A nonsense that; powerful against organic targets but worthless in a ship to ship fight...still, it would be useful for terrorising folks into submission if his new Bosses ever let him off the leash like the cyborg General of Dooku's, the admirable General Greivous.

'No....not long now, then I shall stamp my name upon this war, and make myself rich as well as fear' he thought gazing out at the ships assembling in orbit. Soon, then he would strike like a viper...