Campaign Shadow War - In the Shadow of the Sun

[Silver Strand]

In the aftermath of Quiet as a Shadow...

While one group of the raiders on Orleon was tracked and their fate determined, another group of Crymorah Syndicate raiders has been tracked down to the nearby Xoman System thanks to a tracking beacon placed by a daring member of the Nimbus Alliance during the attack. Curiously, initial follow-ups centered on the inhabitated world in the system, Xoman Free, did not show any signs of any pirate activity. Instead, commercial traffic has largely continued with a record rate of criminal harrassment. The search appeared to be at first a dead end. However, a probot dispatched by the Concord to monitor the space picked up the tracking beacon again...still in the Xoman System, but right around the system's sun. A web of more Excursor probots along with a handful of stealth recon drones managed to form a web around the secret pirate anchorage - now dubbed Beta Yellow - which has managed to stay hidden thanks to hiding in the star's radiation shadows.

Located mere thousands of kilometers from the sun itself, the anchorage appears to be several SpacePlex stations that serve as starship maintenance platforms and holding areas for captured hoot, guarded by a single XQQ-5 Space Station that serves both as a meeting area and recreation zone for the criminal groups which frequent it. All stations appear to be modified to have a Kerts-Bhrg field generator which provides a protective shield around the anchorage and the ships that dock there - any ship located outside of this field is likely to deal with sensor overload and thermal damage caused by the sheer proximity to the star. A number of criminal-affiliated starships have been recorded and entering and leaving the area. At the moment, the recon net has observed a single Neutron Star II-series Bulk Cruiser as the largest vessel present along with a few frigates and many smaller, faster raiding vessels.

Just outside the system and out of sight from the pirate armada, a collection of Nimbus Alliance vessels, the Silver Fleet, and several other allies have gathered to finalize their plans onboard the Tritones II-class Heavy Cruiser Paladin's Commitment...

ADM. Reshmar | Mig Gred | Grand Shepherd Burtch | any other interested parties

 

[Rann Deshra]

Spitfire-class Light Patrol Craft Aay'han Yaim'ol, nearing Paladin's Commitment

The mandalorian tugged on his patrol craft's yoke, bringing in a gentle curve towards the assembled fleet and straight towards the Commitment. Through his visor, the muscled man's eyes swept across the assembled warships and was instantly reminded as to why some mandalorians remained with the Concord: raw power. Slightly larger than the old Victory-class Star Destroyer, the Commitment had several very large and obvious weapons emplacements, though his HUD readout showed that there were many more smaller weapons that blended in with the vessel's organic hull lines. His comms channel pinged, signaling an incoming call from the Commitment. He flipped a switch, activating it.

"Ai'han Yamol..."

Butchered the name...guess I can't expect everyone to be fluent in foreign languages...

"...please follow the designated flight path being transmitted to you now. Tractor beams will take over docking within 50 meters of docking as a precaution."

"Roger Commitment."

As he approached the shimmering vessel, he felt an invisible force grab ahold of the vessel, causing him to simply shut down his ship's engines. Things suddenly felt much smoother, and his vessel neatly turned to the side and neatly lined up with a docking port. A hiss of air rose up from the hatch, signifying a positive airlock coupling. That went better than expected...He rose from the pilot's chair and made his way down to the airlock, where a gray-plated droid awaited him, staring at him with glowing photoreceptors.

"Rann Deshra," stated the droid plainly, "I am here to escort you to the briefing."

"Lead on."

The droid promptly turned around with an oddly smooth, precise grace that only a droid or very accomplished dancer could accomplish. The corridors seemed busy, with crewmen and shock marines moving around as they prepared for combat and as other visiting commanders and pilots came onboard for the briefing. He almost mixed up the droid for another identical model, but his guide promptly turned around when the mando stopped. Eyes on the back of his head, this beskar'ad....It eventually ushered him into an amphitheater like room that was centered around a large holo-projector. Already the room was starting to get packed with officers, troopers, pilots, and other irregulars who would soon be facing down the pirates in their own layer.

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Spoiler: Force Composition

4 cruisers | 9 corvettes | 152 Fighters/bombers | 20 support craft

Breakdown:

2 Makashi Class Light Cruisers

• HMS Shii-Cho (Flag)
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X) 163rd Squadron
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X) Bantha Boy Squadron
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have high powered sensors and comm arrays for breaking through jamming
    • (X) booster included
• HMS Ataru
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X)
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have been fitted with Battledroidracks, entire ship is capable of carrying 8000 battle droids at a time.

2 Rectifier Class Heavy Cruisers

• HMS Verdict
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
• HMS Justice
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)

6 Val Khaar-class Corvettes

• HMS Black Mamba
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Python
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Constrictor
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Cobra
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Rattler
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Asp
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)

3 KH-ICC Corvettes

• HMS Viper
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Garter
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Adder
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)

The trip to the Xoman System was smooth, yet tense as the various division crews reported at ready stations. Burtch's little fleet of cruisers and corvettes dropped out of hyperspace just outside the rallying point and made the rest of the trip on sublight engines as they settled into a scattered formation within the Concord fleet. Burtch, two of his marines, and his new Protocol Droid, boarded one of the LAAT-2 transports in HMS Shii-Cho's hangar, and were quickly taxied to the Paladin's Commitment. Burtch was quickly met by a deck officer, whom Burtch saluted and formally requested to come aboard. The deck officer returned the salute, and traditionally granted permission before Burtch and his entourage were led to the amphitheater.

Burtch left his two marines at the door to the briefing room and kept his protocol droid with him as he sat down at a bench seat close to a burly looking Mandalorian. Burtch nodded a polite, yet silent greeting towards Rann Deshra as he wondered what the Mandalorian's role was in this battle. Burtch wasn't terribly fond of boarding action, but Mandos were always particularly apt at this role. Pirates, in Burtch's opinion, rarely constituted the mercy of boarding and detaining unless they were in possession of critical assets or information. If, and whenever possible, it was always best to transform pirates into slag from a safe distance with heavy navy guns.

But Burtch wasn't here to throw his weight around. The Concord had their way of doing things, and Burtch wanted to see first-hand how they fought. Burtch felt he was talented enough to adapt to whatever tactical style the Concord employed, so he had opted to come himself. With this mission, he hoped to evaluate whether joint training operations would be necessary in the future or not, in light of the recent strengthening of their alliance. Hell, from the quality of hardware he was seeing here, he might petition for a joint training exercise anyways. The Empire had fought beside the Concord in the past against the Bryn'adul, but sometimes it didn't hurt to update procedures. Technologies and protocols were always evolving.

Out of the corner of his eye, Burtch saw one of his marine escorts eye up a Concord Shock Marine as they walked past the room. The Shock Marine returned the appraisal in kind and marched on. Burtch contained his urge to grin in amusement at the antics of Marine tendencies. No matter what faction, all marines from any background had a competitive streak. If nurtured correctly, such competition could be harnessed into a powerful weapon. The prospects of petitioning a joint training exercise began to cement even further in Burtch's mind.

He brought his mind back to the task at hand. Right now, they were about to be briefed on the mission and Burtch had prepared some files in his protocol droid in advance in case he was asked some questions. He knew how his ships fought, but he needed to fit them into the fleets of the Nimbus Alliance and the Silver Jedi Concord. Time would tell how well this would work.

He waited for the briefing to begin.

ADM. Reshmar | Mig Gred | Grand Shepherd Burtch | Silver Strand

 

[Mig Gred]

Ships: Atin'la, 2x Shield-class Escort Cruisers

Mig looked from aboard the Atin'la as it exited hyperspace, followed by her two escorts. It might have seemed strange to bring this much heat to a battle like this, but having been on the backfoot after Hammerfall had taught him a lot. No well laid plan survives combat, and having a backup isn't a bad thing. He was more worried about the ships A.I. though, and had asked her to help off on weapons and navigation control just in case. The Mandalorian would then look, asking Atin'la to contact the Alliance ship.

"Alliance vessel, this is the A.I. of the heavy cruiser Atin'la. we're approaching slow, off you're port side with two escort cruisers in tow." Mig would then look a bit at the hologram image of the A.I., which got her confused. "Alor?"

"You sure you're up to this. You've only seen combat one time since the Bryn invasion. I know what Soul did...."

"I'm fine. I just want to help them." Mig simply nodded, then looked at the captain.

"Make sure everyone's ready. From gunnery to DC."

Silver Strand ADM. Reshmar Rann Deshra Grand Shepherd Burtch

 

[ADM. Reshmar]

Entering Xoman System


Light serged then flashed away as the 3rd fleet's 365th pursuit line escaped hyperspace. The six ships came to a standstill as their motivators disengaged and the sublight drives warmed up. "All hands to stations" came a voice over the ship-wide comm system. Mean and women ran to their stations and prepared for action as the Heavy Cruiser brought her drives online and began to move deeper into the system. The old cruiser was among the last of her old class. The hull had seen many improvements and upgrades over the last twenty years since their first commissioning. Seven other ships had been built upon the aged hull design with only a hand full of the original MBC75 still in operation in their original form. Tidal Storm was among the few still in service with the Silver fleet, most being sold to planetary defense forces over the years.

Reshmar stood at the command podium of the vessel looking over reports from his contacts and intel operatives regarding the suspected location of the mad Wookie pirate. With so many leads he had to dispatch most of the 3rd fleet's ready group to different locations to track down the beast. He had joined up with the 365th two weeks ago to see to the final action of the Tidal Storm, she had served well on many operations and actions in the past and he had fond memories of the ship. Seeing her decommissioned would be a sad day but with everything, her time was almost done. He guessed he and the old cruiser had that in common.

"Admiral, the line has formed up and we are moving into position with the Paladin's Commitment," said the Tidal Storms commander. Reshmar nodded then turned to leave the bridge. "You have the con captain. maintain action stations and monitor all frequencies for anything out of the ordinary. keep a channel open with Majestic and have her maintain her scanning of the system. Passive only for now." said Reshmar as he walked away from the podium and to the lift. As he walked the lower deck towards the hanger crew stopped to salute as he passed quickly to go back to their activities after he returned the salute and walked past. He walked onto the hanger deck towards a shuttle parked just in front of the hangers opened blast doors. three officers saluted as the Mon Calamari Admiral neared the craft.

"At east gentlemen, are we prepared for departure?" asked Reshmar who was quickly answered with a "Yes Sir" from the man standing foremost of the three. Reshmar nodded then made a motion for the man to lead. "Right this way Admiral," said the officer returning the hand gesture towards the shuttle's ramp.

The ride across the short distance went smooth and as the shuttle sat down on the hanger deck of the Paladin's Commitment Reshmar closed his eyes for a moment. He had chased many pirates in his career. His time with the Mon Calamari defense fleet in his youth was mostly just that. since he had fought battles and waged wars across the galaxy and still the task of hunting pirates never seemed to go away. Reshmar opened his eyes and stood to follow his escort down the ramp and to the conference room where the meeting was to be held. While he outranked everyone present he was not the one leading this group of assembled forces. He was just there to advise and support the forces of the joint force. Just one last stop on the last cruiser of the Tidal Storm.

Reshmar walked into the room and nodded to the officers at the table. He walked to an empty seat, dismissing his escort, and sat down to await the briefing. He knew some of the attendees but many new faces sat at the table across from him. He remained silent and nodded to the men who eyed him as he sat. So many new faces so many young faces.

365th Pursuit Line
MCB75-class Battle Cruiser "Tidal Storm"
MCE62 Repellent-class Escort Cruiser "Horus"
MC30d Admonition-class Assault Frigate "Spinner"
MFG34 Mantis-class ELINT Frigate "Majestic"
MCE30 Nautilus-class Escort Frigate "Suffok"
MPT10 Wake-class Multi-role Picket "MCP-377"

 

[Rann Deshra]

As the host assembled, Rann was reminded again just how many the Silver Jedi had managed to unite. Among the assembled, he could count hapans, wookiees, mon calamaris, mandalorians, and others stand out, though compared to a whole, they were outnumbered by more numerous baseline humans from various worlds in the Slice. In some respects, their unity was unsurprising - what sovereign people didn't want to be ruled over with an iron fist or subjugated to the horrors of war by a larger, less benevolent power. Better to be voluntarily united and led by experienced jedi rather than deal with a more hostile, outside galaxy. The room began to quiet down as some of the "brass" started to enter, including Grand Shepherd Burtch and ADM. Reshmar . Yet it didn't fully quiet down until another mon calamari entered, wearing a black, tailored Directorate uniform stepped over to the holo-projector and pulled out his battle baton to act as a pointing instrument for the holo-projector. He cleared his gravelly throat.

"Gentlebeings," started Perit, "I am Commodore Perit, commander of the temporary task force that has been assembled for this mission. I will assume that you have all received the briefing materials sent to your command, so I will keep my comments brief and to the point, though I will take questions afterwards.

This newfound pirate anchorage is extremely uncommon in both its modus operandi and location, though clearly they are elements that work together. By almost hiding in plain sight in a civilized system, and with apparent an understanding by its patrons not to attack local shipping, they are located right on a major trade line which greatly simplifies logistics for them - either in finding prey on the hyperlane - and using less than reputable dealers to sell their hauls and obtain repairs - who themselves can probably make easy visits to this anchorage without attracting much attention.

Being so close to the system's star has been key to their success until now - it's difficult for many sensors to reliably get readings in such an area of intense radiation, and the lack of sufficient protection from this radiation has made traditional pursuits unlikely and dangerous for common law enforcement.

But this all relies on the Kerts-Bhrg field generators that they rigged up to their stations. It would be simple for us to simply jump into the system, destroy the generators, and get away. The anchorage would then fall apart, assuming that we damage the generators beyond repair. Radiation will likely cause systems malfunctions and eventually will lead to the outright deaths of those onboard and the destruction of the stations by simple heat.

However, if possible, command would like us to capture several prisoners and ideally several actual starships in the process for intelligence analysis. The Crymorah Syndicate and its current network of allied pirates largely remain unknown to us. Learning more about them will hopefully allow us to better understand them for future operations and even provide us with future targets. Capturing a vessel likewise would give us the ability not only for a greater intelligence understanding of our foe, but also might provide us with the possibility of engaging in covert infiltration operations using the same vessel.

So in essence, we must jump in, snag what vessels that we can quickly capture, and destroy those present before they can escape to let others know what happened. And we must do so while remaining within the protective field of their generators.

This latter reason is why I have been selected to lead this mission through instinctive astrogation. I will be taking control of all vessel's navigation systems for the initial jump into the anchorage. After that, it is likely to turn into a brawl as the enemy reaction is likely to be chaotic and desperate. I would encourage you all to coordinate your movements within the protective zone to ensure that there are no clean exit vectors for our foes.

Does anyone have any questions about what we are about to do?"

Mig Gred

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Spoiler: Force Composition

4 cruisers | 9 corvettes | 152 Fighters/bombers | 20 support craft

Breakdown:

2 Makashi Class Light Cruisers (now in reserve)

• HMS Shii-Cho (former Flag)
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X) 163rd Squadron
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X) Bantha Boy Squadron
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have high powered sensors and comm arrays for breaking through jamming
    • (X) booster included
• HMS Ataru
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X)
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have been fitted with Battledroidracks, entire ship is capable of carrying 8000 battle droids at a time.

2 Rectifier Class Heavy Cruisers

• HMS Verdict (New Flag)
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
• HMS Justice
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)

6 Val Khaar-class Corvettes

• HMS Black Mamba
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Python
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Constrictor
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Cobra
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Rattler
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Asp
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)

3 KH-ICC Corvettes

• HMS Viper
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Garter
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Adder
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)

Burtch's protocol droid, ECP-63, chimed with a soft electronic note to get his attention before projecting a small holographic image of three mandalorian cruisers as they dropped out of hyperspace. Clearly the information feed came from HMS Shii-Cho and ECP-63 was relaying the data at Captain Treyfa's command. Burtch was pleased that his new droid showed the sense to not verbally announce this information and disrupt the whole room. Each droid of this line had a different personality, so it was a crapshoot as to what each droid was like when an owner got one.

Then a Mon Calamari, whom Burtch vaguely knew of by the name of Admiral Reshmar came in. Burtch tilted his head in respectful greeting as the man entered.

Burtch appreciated the Mon Calamari. Many of their race settled within the Elysium Empire and were much like the Chiss in their industrious and responsible nature. The ones he served beside were good men and women and he was proud to have them in his fleet.

Then another Mon Calamari Officer came in. This one, announcing himself as the nominal commander for this operation. Burtch did note that the man was a Commodore commanding a group of Admirals, but that didn't really concern Burtch too much. This was something that the Elysium Empire could relate to, as it was common for lower ranking officers to assume nominal command over missions due to experience or special circumstances.

On that note, Burtch may be a Grand Admiral, but he was not a member of the Concord naval chain of command. Putting that into consideration, he was technically the lowest ranking senior officer in the room. That was strangely refreshing.

Then the briefing proceeded and Commodore Perit outlined the parameters of the mission…

Damn.

Burtch had suspected that the mission was a detainment and investigation job on the way here, judging from the files that he had been reading. He and his staff had hoped it was gonna be a demolition and neutralization operation. The area of engagement was claustrophobically tight and hairy, and the mission now entailed capturing and securing enemy assets. That meant that the allied fleet would be required to sit there and secure captured assets while they just took whatever the enemy threw at them.

It wasn't the end of the universe, though. Most of Burtch's ships were well-suited to missions where their guns were essentially set right up against the enemy's hulls, and he had a few surprises of his own. But he'd have no choice but to leave his Light Cruisers behind on this one.

His Makashi Class Light Cruisers were simply no good in a fight like this. He had brought them along for their speed just in case this was a smash-and-go op, but also because it killed him a little inside to leave his precious HMS Shii-Cho behind. But he wasn't stupid. The Makashis were only good when they had lots of room to breathe and a long range to work the enemy down. A shame, but they could still be held in reserve if needed. And the fighters they brought were still solid with their own hyperdrives. By his rough math, ditching his light Cruisers by themselves reduced his force strength by roughly twenty-five percent. That was still better than having them become a burden in this engagement when the enemy tried to exploit their weakness. And they are still in reserve if we need fresh reinforcements he thought to himself.

Commodore Perit asked if anyone had any questions, and Burtch spoke up, "I do, yes. What is the current plan to keep the pirates from shutting down the field generators while we are attempting to detain their captured vessels?

"Also," Burtch added, "because of the nature of the area and current objectives, I am regretfully forced to leave out my Light Cruisers for this operation. I'll keep them in reserve if necessary, but they will be more of a burden than anything in this scenario. My heavy cruisers, however, are perfectly tailored for this type of operation and should more than make up for the absence of the light Cruisers. The fighters from the absent ships will fly carrier-free with us on their own hyperdrives." He nodded to his protocol droid to relay the message to his fleet as orders. The droid chirped a discrete affirmative and transmitted immediately.

His fleet had already prepared for this contingency, and the flag would already be transferred appropriately by the time he got back to them.

ADM. Reshmar | Rann Deshra | Mig Gred | Silver Strand

 

[Audren Sykes]

"They won't shut them down, just reduce the range of space that's protected. Shrink the coverage to keep friendly ships protected but others not."

Myra Berend was seated further back in the briefing room, quiet until now. The near-human commanded a single, small ship rather than a fleet. That ship, the Faradrim, only held three or four crew members including herself. It wasn't really designed as a slugger and as such wouldn't be taking place in the frontline fighting, instead playing its part in the 'cleanup crew'.

Escapes happened from traps like these, even ones that had so many ships going in. Typically the ships that escaped were the ones prepped for leadership because they cared about their hides and not those who worked for them. Crawling over a wall of bodies slowed an invading army significantly and that presented opportunities. The Faradrim would be one of the ships in place to stopper those opportunities. With top-of-the-line sensor systems and basic stealth tech the ship could stay out of the way and keep a watch for any runners. It was more than just a ferret though...it was designed to be a chaser and carried the technology to apprehend most targets the crew aimed for.

Myra wasn't the owner of the ship, or even a member of the Silver Jedi Concord. One Audren Sykes did and was however, and having been informed of the findings from the original mission he'd sent the more effective ship he had available for the job. The frigate wasn't currently available and there were plenty of cruisers currently floating around the rally point. However, he'd put the ship in her hands and given her a free hand to do what she thought correct; there was a reason she'd been made captain. Multiple reasons actually: she'd proven her capabilities in the subject more than once and previous captain Daska Thano had retired.

If she was leading the pirate fleet she would reduce power to the generators as the SJC fleet drove in, keeping her ships fighting on the edge of the protected area to both slow the SJC fleet and inflict heavier damage. Meanwhile a separate K-B generator would be spun up, ready to punch a single, small tunnel through the danger zone so a personal ship could sprint through to safety. Or better yet, reduce the generators' coverage area to increase the relative strength, then take the whole pirate fleet even deeper into the danger zone where the SJC ships couldn't reach. Hopefully the assault commander - this Commodore Perit - had put some thought into countering potential countermeasures.

Grand Shepherd Burtch | Rann Deshra | ADM. Reshmar | Mig Gred

 

[Rann Deshra]

Perit intently listened to Grand Shepherd Burtch - he had only met one other chiss officer during his time in the formal military, but the reputation of Thrawn often seemed to affix itself to their background, much like Ackbar had to the mon calamari. But perhaps more interesting to the Directorate officer was the talk about the Elysium Empire's ships, whose capabilities he had not had a chance to see in combat. But as the mon calamari considered his response to the chiss officer, a brunette human captain spoke up.

"They won't shut them down, just reduce the range of space that's protected. Shrink the coverage to keep friendly ships protected but others not."

Perit nodded in agreement, "Captain Berend is probably correct. We have no certain way to divine their reaction, but that seems the most sensible option. If they opted to simply turn them off, they would hurt themselves probably more than us - most of their craft present would appear to be on the smaller scale and not as likely capable of dealing with that intense radiation.

Now, this scaling and moving of the field brings up a good point - they may try to shrink the field in one way and expand it in others to their own benefit, tactical or strategic. We will have to be swift to react if that is the case, most likely by simply following them at sublight speeds. Grabbing ahold of them with tractor beams is another obvious solution to this problem as well, especially if their ships are a little smaller and faster. Any other questions?"

Audren Sykes | ADM. Reshmar | Mig Gred

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig mostly listens in quietly from the Atin’la’s bridge Looking through the hologram until he heard the ships AI give a worried response.

“Wait wait. Let some else guide me in the other without a nav-computer? Alor I don’t like this.”

“Easy. The sensors and nav-computers won’t do any good until we’re behind those fields.”

“So I’ll be blinded for all intents and purposes too?” Mig just facepalmed a bit as he walked back to the hologram. They were right that it would be impossible to know if the pirates would lower the shield distance, and capture wasn’t really something the pocket star destroyer was built for, but they could manage he figured. Controlled shooting to disable vessels. When Perit asked if there were any other questions, Mig slightly sighed a spoke up.

“This may sound strange, but to put Atin’la at ease would you mind explaining instinctive astrogating? She’s a bit worried about give up control without a nav-computer being a guide.”

Rann Deshra ADM. Reshmar Audren Sykes

 

[ADM. Reshmar]

Reshmar sat quietly listening to the men and women discussing the operation. Reshmar had already been given the information on the operation and knew well the problems it might face. The truth was at the time of the last intel report they honestly did not know what was hiding around the star and the station orbiting it. Intel summarized light resistance but that was based on past dealings with pirates. As of late, the pirate activity has been anything but normal. A rise in both scopes of operations and size of force composition had been reported by the 3rd fleets intel department. Reshmar hoped the Concords Intel leaders had taken his reports into consideration before coming up with this operation. He somehow doubted they had.

Reshmar had no questions but listened intently to the others as they asked questions and compared thoughts on what the OPFOR may do once the Concord Joint Force moved in. His concentration on the others was interrupted by vibration on his personal com device and looked down at the message. "Interesting" Reshmar said softly to himself. He had ordered his Majestic to begin a full scan sweep of the system. He figured any force that has scouted the system would not have the equipment the Majestic had at its disposal.

The small screen colled a report from the Majestic laying out a better picture of the station and its position around the star. He had tried to get the Concord to utilize ELINT ships in their other fleets but so far the higher-ups had not seen a need. He looked back up and returned to listening to the conversation around the table. There would be time to send the new data along to the group once the operation began.

365th Pursuit Line
MCB75-class Battle Cruiser "Tidal Storm"
MCE62 Repellent-class Escort Cruiser "Horus"
MC30d Admonition-class Assault Frigate "Spinner"
MFG34 Mantis-class ELINT Frigate "Majestic"
MCE30 Nautilus-class Escort Frigate "Suffok"
MPT10 Wake-class Multi-role Picket "MCP-377"

Mig Gred Rann Deshra Audren Sykes Grand Shepherd Burtch

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Spoiler: Force Composition

4 cruisers | 9 corvettes | 152 Fighters/bombers | 20 support craft

Breakdown:

2 Makashi Class Light Cruisers (now in reserve)

• HMS Shii-Cho (former Flag)
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X) 163rd Squadron
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X) Bantha Boy Squadron
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have high powered sensors and comm arrays for breaking through jamming
    • (X) booster included
• HMS Ataru
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X)
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have been fitted with Battledroidracks, entire ship is capable of carrying 8000 battle droids at a time.

2 Rectifier Class Heavy Cruisers

• HMS Verdict (New Flag)
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
• HMS Justice
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)

6 Val Khaar-class Corvettes

• HMS Black Mamba
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Python
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Constrictor
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Cobra
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Rattler
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Asp
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)

3 KH-ICC Corvettes

• HMS Viper
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Garter
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Adder
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)

"They won't shut them down, just reduce the range of space that's protected. Shrink the coverage to keep friendly ships protected but others not."

Myra Berend

Perit nodded in agreement, "Captain Berend is probably correct. We have no certain way to divine their reaction, but that seems the most sensible option. If they opted to simply turn them off, they would hurt themselves probably more than us - most of their craft present would appear to be on the smaller scale and not as likely capable of dealing with that intense radiation.

Now, this scaling and moving of the field brings up a good point - they may try to shrink the field in one way and expand it in others to their own benefit, tactical or strategic. We will have to be swift to react if that is the case, most likely by simply following them at sublight speeds. Grabbing ahold of them with tractor beams is another obvious solution to this problem as well, especially if their ships are a little smaller and faster. Any other questions?"

It's exactly as Captain Treyfa predicted…

Burtch listened to the other officers as they addressed his concerns, and he began to feel concern for this mission. On numbers alone, the Concord allied forces had the upper hand, but numbers weren't everything. The pirates had a very clear terrain advantage here and the ability to control the very landscape they were holding. By rough math, Treyfa had predicted that the enemy held the bigger advantage here, and she had been right about everything so far, right down to how they had to leave the light cruisers behind.

One of these days, she's going to be wrong about something, Burtch thought. His flag captain was smart, but she irritated him to no end. But she was good at her job.

Then, Treyfa's proposed counter-tactics surfaced in Burtch's memory from their conversations on the hyper jump here, and Burtch found himself speaking again, "not necessarily a question, but a suggestion, if you will hear me out. First, I must preface that I am here as an envoy of the Elysium Empire and we are at your service for this mission. I will follow your orders to the letter, even in defeat if necessary. But I'd like to propose a change of objectives for your consideration." He nodded to his protocol droid, and it began projecting an image of the pirate anchorage for the whole room to see, "my team and I analyzed the data that you sent us and it is clear that the enemy controls the very shape of the battlefield at their will. They can expand the Kerts-Bhrg field generator fields, contract them, and even sacrifice a number of the SpacePlex stations at their discretion if need be before they even have to think about leaving. They have the ability to funnel us into kill boxes at will if need-be for a long time before we can get the initiative back from them, if we should lose it. In conclusion, even if we outnumber them, they can easily control our options. Our first objective should be to take that advantage away from them."

The holo image shifted to encapsulate one of the SpacePlex stations, "instead of capturing the enemy ships, our priority should be to capture one of these stations as absolutely quickly as possible. That gives you much of the intel you seek and eliminates the enemy's main advantage, providing that our intel is sufficient. I have a substantial marine contingent with my Heavy Cruisers, and the Concord has a reputable Shock Marine corps of its own. When we drop out of hyperspace, we will have the initiative for a short time until the enemy can gather themselves for a substantial counter attack. We use that short window to board and control one of the Kerts-Bhrg field generators. We can then use that field to punch a long range hole in the radiation field and grant our long range cruisers a decent firing position to hammer the XQQ-5 Space Station from a safe distance. The XQQ-5 Space Station is a solid weapons platform, but the Makashi Class Light Cruisers and the MCB75-class Battle Cruiser have an overwhelming range advantage over almost everything the pirates have. If the long range bombardment force consists of the MCB75-class Battle Cruiser, Tidal Storm, my two Light Cruisers, and my three KH-ICC Interdictor Corvettes, the enemy will be in our kill box with no way to escape. We will be in a position to demand their unconditional surrender."

ADM. Reshmar | Rann Deshra | Mig Gred | Silver Strand | Audren Sykes

 

[Rann Deshra]

"This may sound strange, but to put Atin'la at ease would you mind explaining instinctive astrogating? She's a bit worried about give up control without a nav-computer being a guide."

Perit turned to face one of the holograph projectors that displayed a number of commanders who had opted not to come onboard before finding the face of Mig Gred .

"Instinctive astrogation is the ability to draw upon the Force to help guide starships through hyperspace," started the mon calamari, "by feeling the surroundings around us, I can personally act very much like an advanced navi-computer for the fleet, allowing us to penetrate deeply into the mass shadow of the star and into the actual field projected by the Kerts-Bhrg field generators. Given that not all of our vessels have such an advanced navigation computer systems immediately at our disposal, this is the most surefire way for us to ensure the entire group cohesively and safely enters that safe zone to attack. However, if you wish, you will be able to tell on your sensors if something horrendously unsafe is coming."

The chiss officer, Grand Shepherd Burtch , spoke again.

"Not necessarily a question, but a suggestion, if you will hear me out. First, I must preface that I am here as an envoy of the Elysium Empire and we are at your service for this mission. I will follow your orders to the letter, even in defeat if necessary. But I'd like to propose a change of objectives for your consideration. My team and I analyzed the data that you sent us and it is clear that the enemy controls the very shape of the battlefield at their will. They can expand the Kerts-Bhrg field generator fields, contract them, and even sacrifice a number of the SpacePlex stations at their discretion if need be before they even have to think about leaving. They have the ability to funnel us into kill boxes at will if need-be for a long time before we can get the initiative back from them, if we should lose it. In conclusion, even if we outnumber them, they can easily control our options. Our first objective should be to take that advantage away from them. Instead of capturing the enemy ships, our priority should be to capture one of these stations as absolutely quickly as possible. That gives you much of the intel you seek and eliminates the enemy's main advantage, providing that our intel is sufficient. I have a substantial marine contingent with my Heavy Cruisers, and the Concord has a reputable Shock Marine corps of its own. When we drop out of hyperspace, we will have the initiative for a short time until the enemy can gather themselves for a substantial counter attack. We use that short window to board and control one of the Kerts-Bhrg field generators. We can then use that field to punch a long range hole in the radiation field and grant our long range cruisers a decent firing position to hammer the XQQ-5 Space Station from a safe distance. The XQQ-5 Space Station is a solid weapons platform, but the Makashi Class Light Cruisers and the MCB75-class Battle Cruiser have an overwhelming range advantage over almost everything the pirates have. If the long range bombardment force consists of the MCB75-class Battle Cruiser, Tidal Storm, my two Light Cruisers, and my three KH-ICC Interdictor Corvettes, the enemy will be in our kill box with no way to escape. We will be in a position to demand their unconditional surrender."

Perit considered the chiss's words carefully, weighing a variety of options and outcomes carefully. In cases like these, sometimes a possible degradation in military performance was worth saving some possible diplomatic fallout. On the other hand, sometimes an outside voice did bring in other thoughts to mind that were good and could improve a plan.

"There is much we do not know, not for certain," said the mon calamari, "but I know that you know your ships and crews abilities better than I. I have little worry that we can eventually capture the stations - they are not capable of movement on their own nor do they have any direct offensive abilities that we need to worry about. I am concerned, however, that the pirates will view these stations as expendable once combat begins, especially if they think that they might be captured. These stations might have the intelligence that we're looking for as well, but they might not - one of the stations we hit might just very well be a warehouse or a repair station. It might have some interesting tidbits that we can extrapolate from logistical records, but I doubt it'll give us operational clues. Still, I think your plan is worth a shot, because it might enable us to save some of our own crew or at least preserve some of our most basic ablities in a tough fight - such as shields and sensors.

Does anyone have any other questions or concerns that need to be addressed?"

ADM. Reshmar | Audren Sykes

 

[Audren Sykes]

Myri shook her head mutely at Perit's question. At this point the Faradrim's mission had not changed one iota. The plan itself was rapidly evolving, but the direction it was going suggested that even more ships might escape. Going after the stations meant that the Concord fleet - and allies - could have safe harbor but depended on them capturing stations. If the pirates onboard resistance was stronger than anticipated things could go badly. Then again, things could go badly just about any way one turned. Everyone was going to be busy in some form or another.

Grand Shepherd Burtch | Rann Deshra | ADM. Reshmar | Mig Gred

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Spoiler: Force Composition

4 cruisers | 9 corvettes | 152 Fighters/bombers | 20 support craft

Breakdown:

2 Makashi Class Light Cruisers (now in reserve)

• HMS Shii-Cho (former Flag)
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X) 163rd Squadron
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X) Bantha Boy Squadron
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have high powered sensors and comm arrays for breaking through jamming
    • (X) booster included
• HMS Ataru
  • 1x TIE/PN Fighter squadron (X)
  • 1x Ferrum-Class Bomber Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
  • Module slots have been fitted with Battledroidracks, entire ship is capable of carrying 8000 battle droids at a time.

2 Rectifier Class Heavy Cruisers

• HMS Verdict (New Flag)
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
• HMS Justice
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)

6 Val Khaar-class Corvettes

• HMS Black Mamba
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Python
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Constrictor
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Cobra
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Rattler
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)
• HMS Asp
  • 1x ST-Class Multirole Starfighter squadron (X)

3 KH-ICC Corvettes

• HMS Viper
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Garter
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)
• HMS Adder
  • 1x Saberdroid Starfighter Squadron (X)
  • 1x Imperial LAAT-2 Squadron (X)

Commodore Perit's words were listened to with care and Burtch considered the man's concerns very carefully. A solid plan was beginning to take shape, but it needed to be adjusted a little bit..

…And only to be thrown out as soon as the shooting starts…

"Yes, the enemy might try to destroy the stations. You make a good point. And the chances of not picking the right station could be detrimental to the mission. I do have two heavy cruisers. If you accept my suggestion, I'll divide my cruisers and corvettes into two groups and move to capture two stations at once. Hitting two stations at once will give us a better chance of picking the right target. Once my marines are deployed in boarding actions, I'll have my two groups defend the stations until boarding is completed while the other groups," Burtch was referring to Audren Sykes ADM. Reshmar and Mig Gred "move to round up the more mobile assets of the enemy forces. If the other groups are successful in keeping the enemy fleet off of my heavy cruisers, my ships should be able to successfully ward against that much bigger station for some time."

Burtch considered another change to the plan as an afterthought, "as for my three Interdictor corvettes, I'm willing to give nominal command of those ships to anyone who is tasked with preventing the escape of fleeing vessels…" he looked around the room, hoping for a volunteer…

Rann Deshra

 

[Mig Gred]

Ships: Atin'la, 2x Shield-class Escort Cruisers

Mig looked at Atin'a, who gave a slight nod.

"Ok. I can accept that kind of control for that long." Mig smiled a bit, looking back at the others.

"She seems shaky, but said she's ok. I'll go ahead and begin the handshake with your ship's controls now."

Then came the tactical talk. Mig would simply listen and nod a bit at the plans suggested. He was more going to wait and see what contact with the enemy did to change things. He then heard the call take an interdictor, not sure how to respond. As a whole, his clan had no experience handling interdictors, so he would stay quiet, hoping someone with more experience would step up.

Rann Deshra Grand Shepherd Burtch ADM. Reshmar

 

[Rann Deshra]

Perit nodded in assent to Grand Shepherd Burtch .

"I think we can work with that plan," said the mon calamari officer, "I will take charge of providing basic directions to the interdictor corvettes, if you will permit me - my understanding...or feel perhaps is the better word, that enables me to better lead ships through hyperspace can also help me with the opposite - knowing which zones to block off more. I will study the charts briefly and transmit some likely blocking points to them when this meeting is adjourned.

With that said, we must move to our vessels soon and get this operation underway shortly. The longer we wait here, the more likely they are to discover our presence here or any of the recon assets currently in place surveilling. Everyone to your ships. We will make the jump in one hour. Use what time you have to make sure all of your combat preparations are complete, that everyone under your commands is of an understanding of the basic plan, write letters to your loved ones, whatever you need to do to make sure we win today.

May the Force be with us all."

Like I'm a jetti...Rann snorted underneath his helmet. Despite his respect for the jedi, he had difficulty fully integrating into the Concord military's way of doing things. That almost ensured that he'd always remain an irregular who operated just within the margins of its military command - a useful gun, but no more. He wouldn't get more power out of the deal, but he'd get enough credits and reputation to make it worthwhile, and perhaps most of all compared to a traditional military command he'd still have his freedom after the end of the operation. He quickly rose to be among the first to depart from the room, making his way back to his patrol ship where he'd do his own pre-combat rituals.

Mig Gred | Audren Sykes | ADM. Reshmar

 

[ADM. Reshmar]

Reshmar listened to the remainder of the meeting then stood when it was concluded. He waited a moment watching the members assembled shuffle out of the room. "Give them a minute," Reshmar said to his escort. The men nodded and stood to each flank of the Mon Calamari Admiral. The trip back to the Tidal Storm was quiet. Neither Reshmar nor his escorts said a word. The men knew no words were needed as Reshmar sat quietly in the crash seat of the shuttle silently contemplating the situation and the battle ahead. He would take a back seat in the fight for now. The group had a sound plan for engagement and Reshmar would do his job to support the operation. He still had that feeling though that things would go very much off the rails before it was done and over. It was then that he would step in if needed, for now, he was just a passenger. The shuttle set down on the small hanger of the cruiser and Reshmar descended the ramp to an awaiting escort of Mon Calamari Rangers. The small attachment had been sent to accompany him at the order of the Mon Cala king. Reshmar had known better than to refuse. His old friend had been very protective of him in the past months. No less than four assassination attempts had been thwarted, not counting the many that were never known. His activity of late had caused more than a few criminal and pirate organizations to feel the hurt of being restricted and shut down in the Silver Concords territory. For now, he would appease his monarch and allow the Rangers to protect him. He did like not having to look over his shoulder.

The doors to the command and control center opend and Reshmar stepped out into the room. The crew was abuzz with activity preparing for the operation ahead. An officer chimed in "Admiral on the bridge!" The crew paused their activity and saluted as Reshmar walked to the center of the room and to stand at the command console. "At Ease," said Reshmar as he stepped up next to the captain of the ship.

"Captain, is the Line ready?" asked reshmar. The man nodded and replied "Yes Sir!, All stations are manned and report green status. We await your command sir." said the officer. Reshmar nodded and enabled the holographic display. A three-dimensional hologram came fo life in the center of the room. Reshmar zoomed into the image and highlighted a single position on the hologram. "Set us up here captain. If I was going to lay a trap for our forces I would do it there. Better we trip this trap if it is there and be done with any tricks these pirates play. spin up all energy torpedo projectors upon moving into position and await confirmation before engaging any force we encounter. We are here to support and if this thing goes as the rest of the fleet exects then we may well just have to do that. If we see something amiss then we will reevaluate our mission." said Reshmar to the command crew around the command podium. the officers nodded then returned to their operations. Reshmar looked around the hologram. Data was beginning to stream in from the Majestic and new contacts were being tagged by the doppler tracking systems and other advanced sensors of the ship.

Reshmar hoped he was wrong, he always hoped that but rarely was. There was something they were missing, he knew it. He could feel it. Soon enough he would know what that was and like every other time deal with it the best he can.

365th Pursuit Line
MCB75-class Battle Cruiser "Tidal Storm"
MCE62 Repellent-class Escort Cruiser "Horus"
MC30d Admonition-class Assault Frigate "Spinner"
MFG34 Mantis-class ELINT Frigate "Majestic"
MCE30 Nautilus-class Escort Frigate "Suffok"
MPT10 Wake-class Multi-role Picket "MCP-377"

Mig Gred Rann Deshra Audren Sykes Grand Shepherd Burtch