[ [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Cathul Thuku"] | [member="Lokthra Dawning"] | [member="Bandor Kre'fey"] | [member="Mathieu Bahreiko"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Mazik Stazi"] ]
Command Deck // FIV "Eidolon" // Resurgent II Class Battlecruiser.
Indellian System, Ison Corridor - Gateway to Varonat.
First Order's Thirty-Second Fleet, "Vindicta." with the Indellian Planetary Defense Fleet.
Several Parsec's and Light Years away from Varonat.
To blockade a sector, especially one as vast and as treacherous as Anoat, one would have to wrest control from the armed forces that currently stalked through the stars. It was a foolish mistake for any naval captain to sail away from the relative safety of their stellar conduits, as their shift shields could any protect them from so much astronavigational debris before they flickered and failed. Surely, anyone who sought to use such unconventional methods of approach via lightspeed would find themselves atomized and scattered to the solar winds - all because they collided with celestial dust, atoms, or dark matter. The records told of such a similar event occurring, before the dissolution of the ancient Republic’s senate, during the foundational years of Palpatine’s rise to power. Doubtlessly, several incidents just like the one that was reported occurred time and time again. In fact, it was said that an Imperial vessel, in service to the Order, had collided with an enemy vessel due to a miscalculation in their navigation computers. All hands were sadly lost, but such a lesson would prove to those that followed in their footsteps the importance of ensuring your calculations were correct before the jump to lightspeed was made.
Thus, as the dangers of straying off the path were made apparent, it was imperative for the controlling military to retain control over the various hyperlanes that threaded their way throughout the sector. With their domain secure, the sovereign armada would be able to restrict any naval advances as they saw fit - forcing the enemy to either flee further and further into the spider’s web in the vain hopes of breaking through whatever defences that stood in their way or stand and fight. The advantage would always be in the hands of the defenders, in this aspect, as they were more familiar with the hyper routes than the prospective invaders, and knew what assets they could call upon should they be required. Though the same could be said of an experienced force, who had failed in their attempt to wrest control over the sector from their victorious foe but only ever in the aspect of knowing what assets they could deploy and what they may face - based entirely on their unreliable information gathered from previous battles. It would be irresponsible of the defending force to have everything remain the same in the wake of a repelled assault.
Such an act invited disaster and begged the invaders to take their territory away from them.
The First Order was not rife with such incompetence. It learned from every victory and every failure, ensuring that they would never repeat their mistakes in the days to come. To this end, they shuffled the defence fleets about the Anoat Sector and had reinforced the various worlds within this nigh-isolated corner of the galaxy in the wake of the Galactic Alliance’s previous failure. They would not allow their most hated foe to take one of the most fortified zones within the Order’s sphere of influence, and if they did? Well, the Order would be sure to make the Alliance bleed for such a loss. Hundreds, if not thousands of star-faring vessels sailed the solar winds of Anoat and patrolled the terminal junctions in preparation for what would come. Therefore, whatever meagre force that the Alliance could muster, would find itself equally matched by the Forces of Order. With both militant bodies on a seemingly equal footing, the defining factor of dominance lay within the strategies both sides would employ.
It was expected, that if the Alliance had ever returned to the Anoat Sector, that they would seek to deny the First Order of their ability to construct and repair their vast armada. By which they would inevitably attempt to crush the Naval Yards on Varonat, and the various worlds scattered throughout the Ison Corridor and the sector itself. Yes, such a vast war machine as the one that swore service to Sieger Ren, required more than a singular Naval Yard to retain its combat efficacy. Multiple systems had found themselves orbited by large, modular construction rings that housed the foundations of the next generation - with many more installations secreted away in the depths of space, far away from prying eyes. So, it would be challenging to cripple the Order’s efforts in returning the various vessels from multiple war fronts by striking out a single installation. Yes, it would be a setback, but in the grand scheme of things, should the Alliance ever attack and somehow manage to prevail, well, it would be nothing more than a bloodied nose. Perhaps that would be enough to galvanize the armed forces of the Galactic Alliance into launching more full-scale operations in the future. Maybe it would give them the hope that they could win this war. Astarii smiled at that thought when it crossed her mind.
With as many losses attached to their name and so few resounding victories in so short a time, it was any wonder how the government was able to retain its control over the myriad member worlds - and still have such an able-bodied fighting force to muster. Surely they were being supported by the other factions that populated the galaxy, and as the geopolitical lines became ever more defined, such speculation was no doubt growing into the truth with every passing day. It was of little consequence in the bigger picture, however, as no matter how many soldiers and ships they threw, or rammed, at a problem - they would eventually run out of starships in which to transport their armies, and defend their worlds. Even now, there were scattered reports of unrest as the Alliance had uprooted themselves from their foundational homeworld, and moved towards Coruscant, as the Forces of Order drew closer towards Sullust. Such a move could be misconstrued as cowardice, and as the Hapan Officer herself had learned of their moving Capital, well, it sufficed to say that several choice curse words were thrown about in response. So much so that her Bureau handlers had to intervene, especially when the mounted portraits in her office began flying at the opposite retaining walls.
She had staked much of her return from retirement on devising strategies to take the former Alliance Capital. When the information was passed through the lines and had finally made their way towards her newfound station in the Western Reaches, Astarii was far from content. Months of painstaking planning and preparation were tossed out the window seemingly overnight, and that made that Hapan wish that she had spent her efforts doubling down on the burgeoning might of the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium instead. If she had done that, it was more than likely that they would’ve burned the Cluster and made the Xenos scum pay for their misdeeds upon Dosuun. However, they remained a nuisance on the Western Front, and much of Astarii’s recent history had been spent fighting them - rather than being employed against her former comrades in arms. The woman couldn’t blame them for wanting to ensure that her oath of loyalty was sound. It would be foolish of the First Order to keep turncoats in the fight against their allies, especially after the debacle that had seen Fiolette Yvarro taken from Sieger’s embrace. So, by the order of the Supreme Commander, both Astarii and served under the leadership of the recently retired, and apparently captured Admiral Yvarro, were placed under the Hapan’s command. They were to be given honourable deaths at the hands of the Ssi-Ruuvi, rather than being executed for their commander's weak will. While the Admiral had considered such a move to be a misspent effort, she understood the reasoning. If the former Fleet Admiral had ever turned her mind against the First Order, it wouldn’t do to have forces loyal to her in any sector, and why squander valuable munitions - when the enemy's weapons would do just fine?
They had to be purged, and by the graces of the Security Bureau, and the Order’s Navy, they had received just deserves at the hands of the enemy, rather than someone they might consider a friend. It was a kindness, she mused, rather than endure another public spectacle like the Decimation following Skor - and the haunting memories that the Alliance sought to impose in the aftermath - they would be honoured as Heroes of the First Order. Martyrs to the cause, rather than victims of a commander’s failure. Should the Alliance ever decide to employ their propaganda tactics against the Order, it was doubtful that they would succeed. The overall satisfaction of the populace within Sieger’s domain was far from seditious, as they were given everything they could ever ask for and more - should they carry their weight within the Order itself. Service was expected from all that lay within the comfort of the First Order, as nothing given selflessly was ever truly free. In return, however, the populace was given the best education and advancements in medical care that the Galaxy could provide. They were also safeguarded from many threats, especially those that grew jealous of the Order’s holdings and sought to take what they rightfully saw as theirs.
Such a utopian society came at the cost of a heavy, orderly hand, however. So it was no surprise that the downtrodden, and filth-ridden proclaimed fascism and tyranny, with little understanding of what those systems entailed - and how free the populace actually was under the reign of a benevolent dictatorship.
As a voice in the distance had drawn her mind from her musings, Admiral Saren tore her gaze away from the datapad that lay before her and focused on the shadow lingering just outside her ready room’s door. There, standing opposite of the Admiral, was Captain Veers in all his accomplished glory. He, like the late and recently returned Admiral Carlyle Rausgeber, were lauded for being Heroes in the last Invasion of the Anoat Sector, efficiently cutting the Alliance forces off in the Indellian Gateway - and denying the enemy the vital reinforcements they required to establish a foothold in the sector. Though he had been recently assigned to the Fleet Carrier that was utilized to great effect during Operation Serpent’s Folly, it seemed that Central Command had deemed him worthy enough to place in the Command Throne of a battlecruiser once more. It was also the reason why, when recalled from the Ssi-Ruuvi front, that Astarii herself had personally requested his Battlecruiser to act as her fleet’s command vessel.
“Ma’am,” He said once again, ensuring that his voice was heard and her attention garnered. Astarii never responded, merely flicked her eyes from one surface to another, and fixated the man before her with a cold, and calculating gaze.
“We’ve received mobilization orders from the Supreme Commander. Our early warning stations near Kirtarkin have detected amassing signals beyond the borders of our space, and several of the tachyon grids have relayed information of translations bypassing our interdictor fields. The Alliance is making its move.”
The Hapan’s once scarred face, now grafted into porcelain perfection, peeled back into a serpentine approximation of a thin-lipped smile.
“Of course they are, Captain. It was to be expected after our incursion into their space. Have the planetary defences of Indellian been made aware of what’s transpired?” Achim nodded, curtly.
“Yes, Ma’am. They were copied on the Supreme Commander’s message and were ordered by Central Command to make ready. The Alliance would have to translate back into realspace here, before altering their trajectory into the Ison Corridor.” The Captain scoffed.
“No doubt another attempt to sever, or cripple our abilities to repair and construct our Armada.”
Astarii’s smile grew wider at that.
“Indeed, Captain. We will let the serpent strike, as commanded, but they will be forced to split their forces to keep the conduit for reinforcement open. Should the Naval Yards be their intended goal. Admiral Hask has command over the Lutrillian Cross, and will keep the Alliance forces contained at Shuldene and Mijos.” Before she could detail the other route, Captain Veers saw fit to brazenly step forward and allow the door - now behind him - to slide closed with a gentle whoosh of atmospheric pressure. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, the Admiral’s tongue stilled for a moment, before a swift gesture of the Captain’s hands had informed her that others had begun to congregate near the entrance of her ready room’s primary portal. Undaunted, after the explanation had been given through sign language, Astarii continued.
“The Nothoiin Corridor will be hard pressed to keep the enemy at bay, for they’ll be fighting on two fronts, with only a single ingress for resupply and reinforcement. However, I’m sure my fellow Admirals will have little issue in repelling any forthcoming assault. As will those down the length of the Trade Spine.”
“What does that mean for us, Ma’am?”
“Why my dear Captain,” A pause halted the answer to her subordinate’s question, as the Admiral roused herself from her padded chair, and casually tossed her datapad away.
“We’re about to become the frontline. Order the fleet to active combat readiness, and prepare to greet our guests…” Her eyes narrowed into venomous slits, as she spoke again.
“With every weapon we have.”
Command Deck // FIV "Eidolon" // Resurgent II Class Battlecruiser.
Indellian System, Ison Corridor - Gateway to Varonat.
First Order's Thirty-Second Fleet, "Vindicta." with the Indellian Planetary Defense Fleet.
Several Parsec's and Light Years away from Varonat.
When elements of the Galactic Alliance’s amassed armada had finally made their appearance at either end of the Corellian Trade Spine, Astarii could barely contain her surprise. Several of the vessels that they had employed were those she was intimately familiar with, and then there were few others that she had only seen in passing before she was forcibly retired from the Triumvirate’s totalitarian regime. This meant that there would be some excitement to be garnered from this engagement, and not the dull slugfest that she had previously expected. Perhaps, now that their former Supreme Commander had perished weeks before this assault, the man that had become his replacement saw fit to alter their approach to combating the First Order. A subtle blade between the ribs didn’t seem to work when your foe was clad from head to toe in the most advanced armour in the Galaxy. The fact that they had tried it over, and over again had only showcased the tactical failures of an ageing mind. Astarii had worked directly under Nemo Ven before she was retired by Alliance High Command, and had seen what ailed him long before the others had finally taken notice. The man, was the spitting image of insanity, as he tried the same tactics over and over again, expecting things to change. It seemed that with his death, and his eventual replacement taking over the helm, that things had drastically changed.
That was to be expected, Astarii mused, as the same occurrence had happened within the First Order, after the debacle at Kaeshana, when the current Supreme Commander took over.
Now that things were made interesting, Astarii watched as her armada and that of the Indellian Defence Fleet had begun to take their places. With the various stationed that were deployed in Orbit over the Gateway world, their guns began to shift and turn towards the inevitable. When the Alliance would translate from hyperspace, as they would be required to do, before making the translation into the Ison Corridor, they would be greeted by volley after volley of plasmatic bolts and ferromagnetic slugs belched forth by Imperial guns. This assault would come from two fronts, as the Admiral had designed, due in part to the distraction tactics she had almost perfected against the Ssi-Ruuvi. Her force disposition would require the Alliance fleet to splinter to adequately combat the threat both her fleet, and the Battlestations over Indellian had poised, as to focus solely on one or the other allowed the unengaged force to flank - and subsequently destroy the attacking force easily.
Naturally, no matter how the Alliance sought to engage the turtled forces at Indellian, those that had managed to bypass their barricade, were only allowed to do so because it further fractured the overall combat efficacy their enemies could bring to bear. Those that attempted to do so again would be faced with the consequences of flying through an astronavigational minefield of the Ivax Nebula or be trapped in realspace once the interdiction stations and gravity mine’s laced throughout the system had been activated. Therefore, the only thing that the First Order had to worry about were the Alliance themselves, and any evacuating craft that were stuck within the Trade Spine. Those civilian and support craft that had sought to gain entry into the system were turned away; diverted to other nearby planetary systems for their safety - allowing only those who served in the military free and unrestricted passage throughout the Anoat and Greater Javin Sectors. It was standard practice for the First Order and had been enacted multiple times before throughout the war.
Therefore, no matter what the Alliance had brought to bear, the Forces of Order were ready to stand against them; fangs bared and claws at the ready.
“Mobilize the Starfighter Corps,” Astarii ordered, allowing her authority to drown out the muffled conversations and sounds of the primary command deck.
“I want our pilot’s in their fighters when the Alliance breaks into the system. Relay the order to every ship in the Fleet, and to Commodore Gwendoline in the Indellian muster.” As was expected, a single response of respectful acknowledgement was given in return. It was good to stand amidst proper soldiers again, she thought to herself. Working for the Republic Engineering Corporation had its perks, but was ultimately lacking in the professionalism of it’s employed security forces and officer caste.
The First Order had given her purpose, and one Astarii would not see squandered when it’s sovereign systems were assailed by the twisted and voracious appetite of her former comrades-in-arms. Let them come, the Hapan had told herself. Let them break themselves atop our anvil, and know the truest meaning of defeat. Her lips curled, once more, into a serpent’s smile as she stared out into the bespeckled canvas of endless night. They were ready, and when their enemy had revealed themselves, they would finally close this spider’s web and feast upon those that had become trapped upon the becalmed solar tides.
First Order's Thirty-Second Fleet, "Vindicta." with the Indellian Planetary Defense Fleet.
[ [member="Sieger Ren"] | [member="Robogeber"] | [member="Gromm Cardan"] | [member="Asharad Graush"] ]
