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Chapter Text

Earth Strikes Back! - Earth in Star Wars I I

Disclaimer: Disney this is Fanfiction and I get no profit from it. Please don’t sue me.

Captain Gerroius Vent of the Imperial Navy sighed as he observed operations aboard the bridge of his command. With his shift ending in a few minutes, he was anticipating some time in the rack. It wouldn’t be much duller than what he was currently experiencing, and at least he could sleep.

His command was the Star Destroyer Titanius, a recently commissioned Imperial I I -Class Destroyer, built rapidly to replace older vessels being lost to rebel attacks across the Empire. Around him lay several frigates and corvettes protecting a large convoy of freighters as they headed for the Garnison I I , the sector headquarters.

The ship had been assigned to reinforce the sector after half of its 24 Star Destroyers and many of its smaller ships had been destroyed or were reported missing. Three had been destroyed and an additional two heavily damaged by a local group of Separatists that dated back to the days of the Clone Wars when the sector had been a Separatist Stronghold. It would take months in drydock to repair them fully, perhaps a year. The ships could always be sent back to Kuat or another Imperial world with more resources, but the shipyards were trying to keep up with mounting losses against the main rebel forces.

While losing 3 I S D s, as well as several smaller ships in such a short amount of time to rebel attacks, was alarming, seven other Star Destroyers and dozens of escorts had been either destroyed or declared missing after an ill-fated expedition into wild space. About a year ago, a long-range probe had discovered a promising star system deep in uncharted space. One of the planets was inhabited exclusively by humans and was rich in natural resources that could help fuel the Imperial war machine. Even better, the species had been fully cut off from the rest of the galaxy; barely into the information age and supposedly lacking in meaningful spaceborne defenses.

A task force was sent to bring the planet under Imperial control, and it was supposed to be an easy mission. But instead, they found a determined fleet of starships somewhat assembled out of thin air. The battle proved a defeat for the Empire, and only one shuttle barely made it’s escape.

After some time, a second and much larger fleet was sent to the planet. Six Star Destroyers and several support ships was enough to quash rebellions on many worlds, and so should have proved more than adequate at defeating this small planet. Since almost all of the world’s sentient life was made up by humans, it would be treated fairly and to be honest quite better than most.

But after the ships had left communications range, nothing had been heard from them. Several probes and even a few small ships had been sent to investigate their disappearance, but all of them either disappeared as well. Perhaps it was caused by this planet known as “Earth”, but it seemed unlikely that they could resist six Star Destroyers at once.

Any further expedition had been called off since the sector forces could not afford to lose more ships. Vent had been initially interested in this major disappearance but had lost interest as time went on. While rumors had run wild across the highest ranking Imperial officers in the region, it had been suppressed as time went on. And of course, there were much more pressing matters, like the local rebels.

His small fleet consisted of the Titanius, the interdictor cruiser Senaili, three Nebulon B frigates, and 8 corvettes, escorting 23 freighters and transports. Gerroius was worried that he would not be able to fend off rebel attacks, considering their recent effectiveness in the area. From what he understood the local group was not affiliated with the wider Rebel Alliance and appeared to be survivors from the Separatists of the Clone Wars. While their size was not known, they appeared to have multiple large capital ships that dated back to the Clone Wars, as well as many smaller ships. They hadn’t revealed much of their strength until recently when they had attacked the naval base at Garnison I I . The attack had been well planned, with the ships coming out of hyperspace while many of the Imperial ones were docked at the base. While the rebels had eventually been repealed, many ships had been destroyed or damaged. Civilians on many worlds in the sector were getting close to open rebellion, and only harsh crackdowns had prevented a total breakdown of order. Hopefully, these reinforcements could help.

“Captain, we have multiple contacts exiting hyperspace. One seems to be slightly larger than us.” He snapped out of his thoughts as the lead sensor officer gave his report, somewhat confused at the sudden occurrence. “They all appear to be heavily armed, and their class or type cannot be identified.”

Vent’s training kicked in, and he began shouting orders. Terror . “Get weapons online and raise the shields to maximum strength. And open a comm channel.” he ordered, sensing that these vessels meant to challenge him. Perhaps he could talk to these people and see who they were. But regardless, it was better to be prepared.

“Scramble fighters and tell the transports to take evasive action…”

The ship shook as a concentrated stream of weapons fire impacted on its hull. Some looked to be turbolaser and ion blasts, but there were some others that he could not make out. Perhaps some type of kinetic weapon. Vent could make out a central large ship, about the same size as a Star Destroyer, along with two ships that looked about cruiser size. There were several smaller ships, about half a dozen in all, and perhaps 100 small starfighters. But most of the work was being done by the large ship and some of the fighters, as if they had been holding back something.

He wouldn’t admit it, but the ship hadn’t been prepared for a fight like this. Its shields had been at low strength due to maintenance on one of the main bulbs and its crew, especially the gunners, were inexperienced. While he had been warned about minor rebel attacks, this certainly wasn’t anything close to one.

While the large ship kept its attention primarily on the Titanius, its ion weaponry began to target the nearly defenseless transports. Their light shielding would not hold against a sustained barrage.

“Sir, multiple Transports have been disabled.” The sensor officer reported as the attacking fleet fired bolts of ionized energy at the transports, disabling many of them. The remainder desperately tried to flee, retreating behind the imposing Titanius and its escorts.

“Get every gun on that lead ship!” He demanded, his voice steadily rising.

“They’re going for the interdictor sir!” Yelled the frantic sensor officer. The ion fire that had disabled many of the transports was now directed at the vulnerable ship whose main combat abilities came from its gravity well generators, which could pull ships out of hyperspace and keep them from entering it. While this was a very useful asset especially against rebel hit and run attacks, it didn’t leave much room for other defenses. The ship was large, expensive, and vulnerable; if it was destroyed on his watch his career would be in jeopardy.

“Make sure nothing gets close to it!” He yelled, frantically trying to control an increasingly uncontrollable situation. One of his frigates split in half after what appeared to be a torpedo strike destroyed its vulnerable midsection, and a friendly corvette exploded after being racked with laser fire.

“Can we get contact with the Senaili?” He asked worriedly. Hopefully, some of its systems were still operational. They would need to coordinate if they were going to get out of here alive.

“They’re not responding sir… Wait, that big ship is launching something at it… Some sort of boarding pod…”

Gerroius Vent’s day was just about to get a lot worse if he survived it.

“I don’t think I need to remind you what we need to do or what is at stake.” Major Victoria Petrova of the UN Extraplanetary Marines said to the seven other soldiers in the boarding pod. She looked around at them, an unlikely bunch from around the world now fighting in a conflict that was beyond their wildest dreams.

Most of the units in the UN's military were almost exclusively populated by a certain country or ethnic group to increase unit cohesion and prevent language barriers. In fact, many of the ground-based units were just brigades reorganized from various armies of Earth, retrained and equipped for the coming war. The Navy was however less homogeneous, as it originally had been that way before the Empire had attacked but not by much. The differences in operating starships from seaborne warships were more acute, but the crews were still mostly of the same nation. The differences were mostly limited to specialized fields or in areas like Engineering where knowledge of the systems was most critical.

Now that she thought about it, the UN’s “Military” was on many levels more of a federation of forces with what was now a mostly unified command structure. The core of “Oldcomers”, who had been a part of the Fleet before it was revealed to the public, ensured that everyone worked together well, but the more new people entered, the less control they would have.

Hopefully, that would continue because they couldn't afford to with what was being planned.

She looked around the squad she commanded. Next to her sat Corporal Emily Taylor, an ex-MI6 agent who primarily served as an intelligence analyst and the only one of the eight (besides herself) who had known Earth’s fleet before the Imperial attack. She had served in the fleet’s Internal Security Department, making sure that no information about the wider galaxy of Earth’s spaceborne capabilities got out to the public. With a significantly smaller need for internal security now that knowledge of the Empire was public, she now was focused on better understanding this foe and figuring out how to best defeat them.

Across were two American ex-Navy Seals, Jim and Perry Fennell. Both had a myriad of combat experiences across the globe and were certainly qualified for their positions.

There were several others, including a Chinese commando named Zhu Huang who was new to the force, Leo Virtanen, a Finnish sniper who was an expert at long-range fighting and cold weather survival. One member that Petrova found somewhat worrying was Sergeant Hans Meyer, a former member of Germany’s elite KSK special operations force. It had been partially disbanded after reports of far-right sympathies and a toxic culture, and Meyer was not very open about his role in this. All she knew of his past was that he hadn’t been let go but later joined the Extraplanetary Marines after its public revelation.

The last person in the squad was unconventional but interesting. Gerrund Bunt was an Imperial technician captured after the Empire’s second attempt to take Earth. He had been reeducated and been allowed to join the Fleet as a technical specialist. His role as a systems administrator gave him extensive knowledge of Imperial technology and how to bypass it. Skills they would need in the upcoming mission. Many objected to the use of rehabilitated Imperials in critical and important positions, but the higher ups of the admiralty found them to be useful and many had proven incredibly successful.

Three other compact boarding pods sped out of the Revenge to collide with the Interdictor cruiser, each holding eight Marines and headed to a different destination. Pod 1 was going to the port airlock, Pod 2 was the starboard one, and Pod 3 to the engineering section of the ship. . Pod 4 was Major Petrova’s and would be heading for a small utility airlock close to the ship’s Bridge. They would be landing a few minutes after the rest to hopefully divert Imperials away from the Bridge and allow for the easy capturing of the ship.

A few minutes of tension passed as they waited for their pod to be deployed. While she knew it was the best for the mission, Petrova wanted to get in there as fast as possible. She didn’t like what was effectively a sacrifice of other soldiers so that she would succeed. That wasn’t right, it should be the opposite.

When the Pod was finally propelled towards the disabled cruiser, the Major suddenly felt a tinge of nervousness. They had trained for this mission and ones like it for months, and while each one of the men and women under her command was the best this planet had to offer, plans didn’t always work. There were hundreds of things that could go wrong, and it would be her responsibility.

“If you think about everything that will go wrong, you will paralyze yourself into doing a million things at once. Then everything will go wrong.” Taylor said. The ex-MI6 agent looked over at her with a clear understanding of what she was thinking. That Brit could read people like a book.

Petrova turned to everyone else. “Keep that in mind.” Then she winked at Taylor, silently smirking at how she had turned the situation around.

The pod hit the ship with a thud and Bunt stepped to the front. After unlocking the airlock with an emergency bypass, they were in.

Petrova led them into the hall as the group began checking corners for Imperial personnel. Down the corridor was the turbolift they would use to get to the bridge. They just had to reach it first.

As they checked one of the hallways, a pair of Stormtroopers emerged. They had probably heard the airlock and were coming to investigate. Petrova shot one with one of the Americans getting the other. The group now hurried to reach the turbolift and to get out of the hallway.

Two hallways intersected at the turbolift, the one the squad was currently on and one in the opposite direction from the group. The one they were on ended with the entrance to the turbolift, but the other intersected them and kept ongoing. The Major halted the squad, as this corridor would leave them vulnerable while they entered the lift and was a great place for an ambush. She looked in one direction and Zhu looked in the other to find that they were not alone.

On her side, there was just the empty hall, and on Zhu’s a collection of Imperial Navy personnel and Stormtroopers. They let out a barrage of fire and the two ducked out of the way just in time.

Petrova ordered Jim to return fire with his light repeating blaster, placing it in the corridor but keeping himself on the other side of the corridor. Unfortunately, there was no way of aiming the thing as he could not see around a corner, but it kept the pressure on the Imperials.

Grabbing a flashbang from her belt, she pulled the pin and threw it into the path of the Imperials. The Stormtroopers would be somewhat resistant to its effects due to their helmets, but it would still have an impact. When it exploded, the squad made its way into the corridor and fired on the Imperials. Dazed and confused, they were all massacred as the group made its way to the lift.

“Anderson, Brou, Takadawa report.” She ordered over the com.

“Were pinned inside Engineering. Still alive but I don’t know how long we'll last.” Anderson, one of the other squad leaders reported.

“We're both advancing towards his position.” Brou and Takadawa, the other leaders reported.

“I’m almost to the Bridge. Be ready to put on the portable helmets if I say so.”

A few other Imperials were found and shot before they got to the bridge. Now would be the most difficult part.

Hans, now in front, tried to open the door. “They locked it.”

“Was still worth a try.” Standard Imperial procedure indicated that the door would not be locked unless the ship was being boarded. That indicated the Captain understood what was going on and likely had Stormtroopers and other personnel ready to fire at the door.

But, the ex-Imperial began overriding the locked door. After about a minute, he was successful as indicated by the hail of blaster fire that greeted the squad as the door opened.

Petrova sent another of her flashbangs into the bridge, stunning the Imperial crew. The squad rushed in, but they encountered more resistance than expected.

About a dozen Stormtroopers defending the bridge had positioned themselves away from the flashbang and were therefore unaffected by the blast. They rushed forwards, surprising the squad with their aggressiveness. In the brief melee, these troopers were cut down, but Perry and Zhu were shot dead with Leo heavily wounded.

The remaining bridge crew kept fighting but stood no chance. Soon only the ship’s Captain remained, surrounded and defeated. He dropped his blaster pistol in surrender.

“Tell everyone on your ship to surrender.” Petrova brushed the barrel of her rifle against his head. “Then you might live.”

Bunt looked over the ship’s systems and readied the comm to play over the ship.

The nervous Captain eyed the room. He could try and hold out until he was rescued by the rest of his men, but the ship was still disabled and the Imperial fleet was losing the battle. He didn’t know who these people were, but right now he didn’t want to aggravate them.

“All personnel are to stand down and surrender to…” He paused and looked at the Earthen soldiers.

“The humans of Earth. They will be treated fairly.” Taylor said.

The Captain continued, a realization dawning on his face. He was scared and confused, but also intrigued. He had heard of Earth, and while most people in the Empire would not care for such a backwater world, the people of the Zoloch sector had realized something was going on. The losses of so many ships had been reported as being destroyed by rebels, and many were still listed as being in service to the Empire.

But then his Imperial instincts caught hold of him. The only reason he was surrendering was that he had no choice in the matter. Well, he did have a choice, but the choice was between death and life.

Once the Empire struck back at this rogue and the isolated planet he would return to his command or be given a new one. But as little as he wanted to admit it, there was only a small possibility of that. The local Imperial sector forces could not afford to lose more ships in expeditions to this place, especially after the most recent rebel attacks.

He shoved these thoughts away. Maybe it would take a while, but the Empire would enact justice on this delinquent world. And in the meantime, he would learn as much about the planet as possible. Part of him was secretly elated to understand how the society, customs, and technology of a world cut off from the rest of the galaxy evolved.

“We have several other shuttles worth of troops on their way here to help secure the prisoners. You included.” Petrova said, moving her rifle away from him. One of the men, the burliest of them, grabbed some cuffs and fitted them on his hands, after doing a brief search for any weapons.

“What’s going to happen to me?”
“That’s up to Intel to decide. All I can say is that you will come out of their processes a different man. A better man.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Flag Officer's Office, UNSN Revenge

Admiral William Johnson took another sip of coffee as he typed up the after-action report. The Director of Naval Operations for the United Nations Spaceborne Navy was pleased with the forces he had commanded and the results of the battle. All of the objectives had been successfully completed; a combat test of the new battleship Revenge and the capture of an Imperial interdictor cruiser. Additionally, several Imperial corvettes and transports had been captured and several other Imperial ships destroyed. While the Star Destroyer in charge of the task force had escaped among other ships, the damage inflicted would have left the ship out of action for months.

The Revenge had performed spectacularly in battle and suffered barely any damage. There were some kinks to sort out as was the case with any new ship; the hangar doors would need to be enlarged, the armor had a few weak spots in the front of the ship, and using all of its weaponry put a strain on the power systems. But overall, it was a capable design. Especially considering it was Earth's first try with building a ship this large.

All of this information would factor into the upcoming offensive against the Empire. What had begun as a pipe dream over a year ago was slowly materialized into a doable yet ambitious plan. A full invasion of the Zoloch Sector and all the planets in its boundaries was the ultimate goal. However, support for it was far from unanimous. Many high-ranking officers and civilians alike believed it would be better for Earth to stay on the defensive or at least wait until they had built up more strength before attacking. There was certainly merit to their arguments; perhaps if they left the Empire alone they would leave Earth alone and that the fleet did not have sufficient strength or experience for an interstellar campaign.

But Johnson was sure the Empire would eventually return. They definitely had other priorities at the moment, but they would be back. Maybe it would take years or even decades, but they would likely bring overwhelming force. And right now, the sector was down to about half its previous strength due to the two failed attacks on Earth and local rebels in the sector. If there was a time to strike, it was now.

The doorbell to the room chimed, snapping Johnson out of his thoughts. Briefly looking at the clock on his computer, he realized it was well past midnight. Who would want to speak with him at such an hour? Well, it was probably important. So he decided to let whoever this person was in.

In stepped Supreme Commander of the Earth Fleet, Admiral Paul Harrington. He had served in the fleet for decades, long before it had been revealed to the public. Eventually, he had become the Commandant of the Fleet Academy, during the same time Will was being trained there. He along with Johnson had led the second defense of Earth. When most of the Admiralty died when the Empire pushed through their defenses, the now decorated officer was promoted to the head of the fleet.

"Admiral, I didn't know you were coming," Johnson exclaimed. He had several questions already. Why was he here and how did he get here without Johnson noticing? Well, he had been off duty for several hours, but it would have been standard procedure to let him know that the Supreme Commander of the Fleet was coming.

"I didn't want to disturb you, Will. You have been busy, in fact too busy." He replied, coming further into the room.

"Well sir, it's what the job requires."

"According to your staff, you have regularly been working 16 hours a day. That isn't healthy, even if it were to be required. And it isn't, you have a very capable staff that are starting to complain that you are taking all the work."

"Well, Admiral, I've been planning for the upcoming…"

"Yes, and that is important. In fact, the reason I came here was to discuss what was going to happen next. From what I have seen, you appear to have a working plan for the offensive. We both are going to present that to the Secretary-General, along with a multitude of other officials. I've been trying to convince him it needs to happen, and he is intrigued. But we need to do more to fully justify it to him. Once that happens you're going to be taking a mandatory 2 week leave, along with Allison. I'm sure you two will find plenty to do."

"But sir…"

"I can handle things up here for a few weeks. I've been doing desk jobs for almost a year now, so I'd like some sort of change. I'd also like to see how you have done running the fleet."

"Alright Admiral, if you insist," Johnson said. Truth be told, he was kind of excited for some time off. "What made you come up here to deliver this message; couldn't you just have told me through comms?" He questioned.

"I was moving camp up here. Don't worry, I won't touch your room." The two laughed.

"You should go get some sleep, Will. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

"Alright sir, thank you." He left his office to head back to his quarters.

Inside his room was Commander Allison Chipper, head of the Special Research Division. And, more importantly to this moment, his girlfriend of one year. They had both been the highest-ranking officers aboard the ill-fated cruiser Hallsey after its bridge had been destroyed by the Empire during the first battle of Earth; he the ship's gunnery officer and her the chief engineer. They soon found themselves becoming friends following the stress of that battle, and after the second attempt by the Empire to invade Earth had started dating.

Due to their demanding positions, however, both of them didn't get to see a lot of each other. Allison's position had seen her working planetside a lot, overseeing projects to improve Earth's fighting capabilities.

"You're back early." She said, looking up from her datapad. Johnson walked over to his bed where she was laying.

"Harrington is here, he wants me to give a briefing to the Secretary-General tomorrow. After that, we both get a 2-week vacation."

"TWO WEEKS!" She exclaimed.

"Where would you like to go?" He asked, moving closer.

"Let's think about that later." She said seductively. "I think a celebration is in order."

The Titanius limped into the orbit of Garnizon II, bruised, beaten, and inflamed. Its hull was scorched in many places, a testament to the raw strength of its durasteel armor. However, there were still some minor breaches that had killed a number of its crew. The internal damage this had caused was nothing short of catastrophic. Fires raged across the ship which the damage control teams were only just starting to get under control. Some compartments had to be vented into space, killing many more of the crew. Several decks had collapsed under the stress of losing their support beams, and search and rescue teams had only recovered a few people. The internal structural damage would take several months of fixing to make the ship combat-ready again.

And the once-mighty Star Destroyer had gotten off easy compared to other ships in the small fleet. One of his three Nebulon B frigates had been destroyed by the (potentially) Earther attackers. One of the ones that remained had only light damage, but the other was held together with duraglue and bonding tape. Its vulnerable midsection that connected the main part of the ship's hull with the engineering section was close to breaking, which would lead to a catastrophic hull breach that would ultimately destroy the ship.

Half of his eight corvettes had been either destroyed or left behind, presumably captured or destroyed by the attackers. Of those that got out, two had critical damage with the other two mostly being alright. The two heavily damaged ones might be scrapped or relegated to being used as hulks in weapons testing.

But most embarrassing was the fact he had lost the Immobilizer 418 Interdictor Cruiser Senaili. Interdictors were a valuable asset, and he knew it would be a major mark on his career that he lost it. Not to mention losing most of the transport and freighters. The worst thing a convoy escort could do was lose the ships you were supposed to protect in the convoy.

Captain Gerroius Vent of the Imperial Navy had a sinking feeling that he was about to receive the biggest dressing down of his career. And perhaps the last. The shuttle journey to the large space station orbiting the planet felt the largest of his life but only took a few minutes.

He was escorted by a group of Stormtroopers to the office of Admiral Kumara Picot, the commander of all Imperial Navy forces in the sector. From what Vent had heard, he mostly had taken a backseat to everything that had happened with Earth, and according to a few wild alcohol-induced theories had used it to eliminate potential rivals. Under other circumstances, he would be intrigued and interested to meet this man. But now, he cowered in fear, hoping to avoid much of his wrath.

He reached the office and was escorted in. Picot was sitting at his desk in the sparsely decorated room. "Exit." He ordered the troopers. It would just be him and the Admiral.

"Captain, I heard there was an unfortunate incident during your journey here. Please recount what happened." He asked calmly.

"Well sir, we just came out of hyperspace. It was a few minutes, and we were just starting to charge the shields when they came out of hyperspace." He proceeded to recount the events of the brief battle.

"Ultimately Admiral there was nothing I could do. We were defenseless with our shields charging and had no reason to expect an attack."

Picot considered his options. Vent was fairly young, especially considering he already commanded a Star Destroyer. All reports indicated he was a resourceful and competent officer. On one hand, he felt that he should be punished for his actions, but even Grand Admiral Thrawn would not have fared much better in such an uneven fight.

"Captain, you and your crew performed to the best of your abilities, and there isn't anything else I could ask. I'm not going to punish you since there wasn't anything else you could do. I'll get the Titanus in one of the mobile drydocks. You are ordered to oversee the ship's repairs until completion."

"Yes sir."

"Good job Captain." Dismissed.

With that Gerrios Vent walked out of the office and back to the awaiting shuttle. He felt like he had just dodged a blaster bolt. In some sense he had, a less understanding Admiral might have shot him.

He looked forward to several months in the dock while the ship was under repair. It would give him some nice time to rest and relax after his arduous climb up the ladder of the Imperial Navy.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Albert Pierre stared at the two officers, analyzing their stoic faces. The Secretary General of the United Nations was still undecided on this idea of an invasion of Imperial space. It didn’t take a commission to realize it would be a risky endeavor and would put attention on the small planet. But the fleet’s two highest-ranking officers wanted it, so he was inclined to at least listen.

The long table he sat in the front of held about two dozen other people, all watching the two officers intently. Some were high-ranking UN officials or leaders of important nation-states. Others were members of the UN’s combined forces or officers of influential militaries.

“Gentlemen, I know you are in favor of a protracted campaign into Imperial space. Why should that be done?” He would let them justify their plan to him and everyone else. In the hastily arranged charter that dictated his powers, his powers as the commander in chief of the UN forces had been clearly stated. He had the final say on whatever offensive would take place if any.

He glanced back down the table, looking at the faces that would help him make the decision. While it was technically his alone to make, all these officials had valuable insight into the matter that he wasn’t going to easily pass by. And it would serve his interests to let them know that their voices mattered, especially those of the militaries of nation-states. He knew that many were unhappy with the current state of affairs, as the UN forces had the authority to requisition whatever supplies or manpower they wanted from them. One outlier was Major Dren Janson of Alliance Intelligence and the rebel’s primary liaison to Earth.

“Well Mr. Secretary, the Imperial Forces in the sector are at half strength due to their two attacks on us and a local rebel movement. The sector has not had significant reinforcements come in due to Alliance attacks across the galaxy ensuring that sectors under rebel attack take priority. In fact, many of their worlds are close to open rebellion. We only need to kick in the door and the whole rotten building will come crashing down.”

“Why is this the case? Why are these worlds so unstable?”

Johnson flipped a few switches on a large central monitor and began showing an expertly crafted presentation that many in the corporate world would envy. He made a mental note to buy all his team of aides drinks. The screen displayed footage of Imperial subjection and brutality in the sector captured by Alliance recon missions.

“To put it simply, the Empire is being the Empire. The worlds in this sector, and others near them used to be members of the Separatists during the Clone Wars. Many of these planets are rich in natural resources; a variety of minerals, gasses, and alloys critical to the production of starships and heavy weapons can be found there. When the CIS was defeated, Imperial-backed corporations set up shop and created a large industrial base to process these resources and make them into products that would fuel the Imperial war machine. Kuat Drive Yards, Sienar Fleet Systems, Tagge Co, and others all hold a vital stake in these regions. All this development should have made the area wealthy, but all that wealth was hoarded by the sector’s elite or shipped back to the core.”

Johnson paused and then continued.
“For a while, the arrangement worked alright. The people in this sector had jobs that put food on the table, and while not completely gone, the Separatist sentiment was more a minor nuisance than a threat. But unbeknownst to the Imperials, several Separatist ships had escaped and began to attack Imperial shipping. The group calls itself the Free Confederacy and has various cells scattered among former Separatist space, and they also have helped expose the corruption in the sector. And while not fully known, their strength is significant, at least in this sector. Quite frankly, Mr. Secretary, I think that this is the best shot we have at taking the sector. If we wait, the situation may change in their favor. And that isn’t even bringing into consideration that the Alliance is counting on us to attack. ”

Pierre looked around the table. Everyone was listening intently, with various expressions of thoughtfulness across their faces.

“Well, what would an attack look like?” A seaborne American Admiral in his 60’s asked. He seemed annoyed that someone less than half his age would potentially be leading an intergalactic campaign.

“First, we would make contact with the Free Confederacy as well as land special forces teams on several worlds to help coordinate uprisings there. These will be launched when we attack, in combination with raids by the Free Confederacy. To do this I intend to send one of our newer cruisers.”

Johnson turned to the net page on the presentation. “There is only one hyperspace from the area we control into the Zoloch Sector. However, the first few systems are not well defended, and so will be easily taken. If we can be fast, the Empire will be left confused, hopefully weakening their response.

After that, he displayed a map of the sector, with planets and hyperspace lanes clearly marked.

“Our fleet then splits up, going in different directions to reach several different systems. Garnison, Dydra, Nmjok, Zoloch, and several others.” With the depleted strength of the sector forces, it should not be difficult to take many of these. He pointed to planets on the map.

“As some of you might already know, we also are in the process of training a large contingent of marines for landing on these various worlds. Most have been selected from the best of the world’s militaries and extensively trained to fight in this new type of battlefield.”

“What about supplying these soldiers? And how do we deal with occupying territory?” One of the younger UN officers asked.

“Transports and supply ships are much easier to build than warships. We have sufficient numbers of them for such a campaign.” Harrington spoke up. “As for occupation, we will have forces prepared for such a task. But I hope that we can turn over governance to the local populous as soon as possible, and have our units merely support them. We don’t want to make the people feel like we are just another Empire.”

“What if some of these people dislike us?” One of the UN’s civilian officials showed nothing to indicate his position.

“Most will want to fight the Empire, I’d assume. But if they don’t want us in their world, we will leave after we have finished with the Empire.” Harrington said.

“What about after we are done with this sector? Do we move on to others?” The Secretary General asked.

“That will probably take a while. But eventually, yes. However, while most of the surroundings have not perfectly dealt with the rebels, they are more effective and have most of their forces intact. The exception is the Tibannas sector, which has had almost no rebel activity and is widely considered to be one of the best places to live in the Empire. We might need to bypass it completely.” Harrington said, worriedly.

The questions continued, with the Secretary General and the other officials asking several more. He still did not give away his position on the matter, and Johnson wondered if.

“When would you be ready for such an operation hypothetically, of course.” The Secretary General asked them.

“About three months, give or take,” Harrington replied. “We already have done a lot of groundwork.

“What are your thoughts?” He turned back to the table. Almost all of the UN officials, both civilian and military, approved of the attack. While many were acting based on what they thought was morally and factually correct, the decision was not totally selfless. Such an offensive would increase the power of the organization significantly, especially if it was successful. The representatives of the various nations were less unanimous, but a majority still agreed.

“Then do it. This is the time to act. Use whatever resources necessary to make it happen.” Pierre looked around, watching the faces of everyone in the room.

“I will not have Earth wallow away waiting for the Empire to come back with overwhelming force to crush us. The more distance we put between them and us, the more depth we have to fall back on. I will not be remembered as the leader who did not take the low-hanging fruit in front of him.”

The Alliance is helping us for a reason. We need to honor our commitments to them.”

“I agree. They have helped us a lot, and we need to repay them.” Johnson said.

“When will this be announced to the public, and how will they deal with it?” One of the UN aids asked.

“There is going to be opposition.” Pierre looked a bit worried. “But the majority will likely still want it. People want blood after the pictures they saw.”

To ensure public support for the coming offensive and increase its opinion of them, Alliance Intelligence had supplied earth with footage of Imperial war crimes. From the rare footage of the Ghorman massacre to the enslavement of the wookies, the footage was selectively chosen for its brutality. The media took the information and ran with it, claiming that if the Empire came to earth the same would happen. And while the media of course tended to exaggerate stories to make them more watchable and therefore generate more profit, this was one time their manipulative tactics would be useful.

“And even then, it is still my decision as per the powers granted to me. ”

“Well, we have a lot of work to do. Thank you for your time, Mr. Secretary.” The two said, shaking hands with him and the rest of the group then left his office.

“Well good luck up there Admiral,” Will said to his superior.

“Enjoy your time off Will. You deserve it.” He said as he shook his hand.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

The Fais system was unimportant to the galaxy. A few hyperspace routes came and went out of the system, but they were very sparsely traveled as newer and more efficient lanes had been opened up. There were no habitable worlds in the system and while it did contain valuable minerals, the rest of the Zoloch sector was full of them in places that were much easier to reach. Only people who wanted to be avoided came here.

Which was exactly why one of Admiral Zut Gorky’s fleets was hiding there. The 62-year-old leader of the Free Confederacy had found plenty of places to hide over the past few decades, and many had gone undiscovered. In these places he had docked his fleets and exploited whatever resources were in that area, biding his time until opportunities to strike the Empire. Then, he would fade away until they let their guard down and repeat. But now things had changed, and Gorky now thought that it would be for the better.

The fleet was made up of a single Subjugator-class heavy cruiser, the Eviscerator. Built and commissioned at the end of the Clone Wars, it had barely seen service before the war ended and it became his flagship. Alongside it was two Lucrehulk battleships and a single Providence Class dreadnought. Supporting them were a dozen Munificent Class frigates and Recusant-class destroyers, supported by several smaller ships. All of these vessels had been extensively modified in the past couple of decades, to the point some looked unrecognizable when compared to their former selves.

All these assets combined were formidable for a non-Imperial fleet in this region of space, far from the Alliance territory. And this wasn’t even all of his heavy combat assets. He had dozens of other ships scattered across this and neighboring sectors.

“Sir, I have intel you might want to see.” A modified ST series tactical droid said, entering his office. Strengthen, the name adopted to this droid served as his aid and helped him command his forces. While several decades old by now, he had been constantly upgraded with the latest technologies to help him command the fleet.”

“What is it?”

“An unidentified group has attacked an Imperial convoy in this sector, and it was not one of our forces. They managed to capture an interdictor cruiser and several smaller ships, along with heavily damaging a Star Destroyer. The ships used match descriptions of one's Earth used in defending itself against the Imperial attacks. But it would appear that they have created a capital ship that is about the size of an I S D , with at least an equivalent amount of firepower.”

“This is an intriguing development. I want you to inform our intel assets to alert us if a follow-up attack occurs. And tell them to intensify their search for Earth’s coordinates.” After the reports of the rogue planet had come in, Gorky had ordered his spies to search for its coordinates. However, they had been unsuccessful in their endeavor and other operations had taken precedence. Now that would change.

Is there any information on how long that Star Destroyer will be out for repairs?”

“It will be several months, minimum.”

“How is the situation on the ground?”

“Reports of conflict have been decreasing across all worlds in this sector. But it hasn’t been long since the last major crackdown ended.”

“Good, the Empire will be in for another surprise. Contact all of the fleet’s captains and tell them to meet here in six hours.”

Six hours later the captains of the fleet had gathered in Gorky’s lavish wardroom. Most of these men and women of all different species had been fighting for him since the confederacy had fallen, and didn’t seem ready to stop. As time went on, however, a new generation of leaders was emerging, recruited from the planets in the sector or birthed from the older generations.

“I have received intelligence that what appears to be the mysterious people of earth have struck an Imperial convoy and heavily damaged it. Preliminary reports indicate that they have captured an Interdictor cruiser along with several freighters, and damaged or destroyed many other ships including a Star Destroyer. These ships were supposed to reinforce the sector’s defenses, as the Imperial’s ill-fated expeditions against Earth have resulted in almost total casualties in both attacks. And factoring in our ongoing campaign against the Empire, the Zoloch Sector Forces are at about half strength.”

He paused for a moment for dramatic effect and then continued. “An Interdictor Cruiser is unequivocally an offensive weapon, and there is no questioning its effectiveness in convoy raiding groups or first strike missions. If you are using one in an offensive you intend to stop the enemy from fleeing, which means you have a superior force. What I’m trying to say is that I think Earth is going to go on the offensive. When they attacked, they had a new ship with them. It was the size of a Star Destroyer.”

He pulled up an image, retrieved by his slicer teams from a classified Imperial document. It showed this new ship, its industrial grey form longer and leaner than a Star Destroyer, but just as if not more heavily armed. “None of the reports indicated they had anything the size of this last time the Empire attacked them.” He looked around. “How do you think they got this?”

“They built it.” Captain Tan Kenu replied sarcastically. The blue-skinned rodian got a chuckle from a few of the officers but most ignored him. “It doesn’t look like any design we or the Empire know of. And they had some sort of shipbuilding capabilities before the Empire attacked.”

“Maybe someone helped them. Perhaps they contacted the Alliance, who helped them make the ship.” One of the other Captains said.

“It would be useful if we could ask them, but unfortunately that is out of the question for now. We still have no idea where Earth is located, despite our spies extensively looking for it. I will have them put that on first priority though.” Gorky said.

“Maybe we should go on the attack.” Captain Kisto Borr, the Quarren commander of one of Providence dreadnaughts suggested. “Our forces could make a serious stand and at this point, we could probably take control of the sector. That might get Earth to help us.”

“We still don’t know anything about their capabilities, and any large-scale attack would likely mean that other sectors will come to reinforce. I would not like to cause trouble in the Tibannas Sector.” Kenu responded.

“I agree with Captain Kenu, we will wait until there is a better understanding of the situation before striking. However, I want all of our combat assets to be battle-ready at a moment's notice. And for the relocation of some to this sector.” The various officers nodded. “Good, then I think we all have some work to do.”

Major Petrova sighed as the surviving members of her squad walked into the conference room aboard the Revenge. While their capturing the cruiser had been an overwhelming success, it hadn’t been unopposed. They had lost privates, Perry Fennell and Zhu Huang, with Leo Virtanen, wounded from the brief firefight on the ship’s bridge. He was still recovering, with parts of his body being obscured by bandages. But thanks to treatment with bacta, he would be fully healed in a few days.

They had fared better than the other squads, some of which had suffered 50 percent casualties. Petrova was gloomy, despite the victory. She had expected to lose people and was prepared for it as any commander should. But after the fact, she wondered what she could have done to minimize it. And she also wondered how it affected her perception as a leader.

Her father, once a member of the Russian Spersnev and now a drill sergeant in the United Nations Marine Corps had brought her up ruthlessly. Her father had told her that emotional attachments could lead to great loss, and she had stuck with this belief throughout her life. She had only a handful of friends and was not too close with any of them. Even with her squad, she had only the barest minimum of anything outside a purely professional relationship with them.

“We did well.” She said as convincingly as possible. But those words didn’t stick. The normally cheerful Jim Fennell looked glum and confused as if looking for guidance that wasn’t there. That made sense since he had lost his brother, and from Petrova’s understanding, they had been close. Virtanen and Bunt looked neutral, though she felt the Finn was suppressing a scowl. He has good reason to, considering that he was wounded. Taylor and oddly Hans looked somewhat supportive, which gave her slightly more confidence.

They began discussing the operation in detail. Everyone agreed that the beginning seemed to be well-executed, though there could have been some improvement in the time it took to get to the bridge. However, their inability to stun the stormtroopers that were hiding there was a critical point of failure. They had counterattacks right as the Earthen squad rushed in, knowing they only had seconds before the blast wore off. This had led to the loss of two members of the squad but had not significantly hurt them further in the mission.

“So we just need better flashbangs?” Hans said, chuckling slightly.

“If we had some with better range and power we could have beached more effectively,” Taylor said in agreement.

“Or if we breached somewhere else,” Virtanen said. “Detonated a charge on the hull and forced our way in.”

“The goal of the mission was to capture the ship, not damage it. We would need some heavy charges to breach the armor and could have potentially caused significant damage.” Petrova replied.

Soon, the three other squads filed into the room and a larger breakdown of the battle began.

Squad 2 under the command of Sergeant Anderson Smith (formerly USMC) had been tasked with taking and holding the ship’s engineering section to prevent the ship from being scuttled. While they had been successful, a heavy Imperial counterattack had led to half of the eight members being killed, including Smith. Two others had been critically wounded and were receiving treatment in the revenge’s ward. While they had succeeded in their objective, it had been a costly victory.

Squad 3 under the command of Sergeant Italio Brou (formerly Carabinieri) had been tasked with reinforcing Squad 2 and had reached the area along with squad 4 in time to prevent Anderson from being overwhelmed. They had also lost three of their men and women and had an additional 3 receiving treatment for their wounds. Squad 4 had a similar story, albeit suffering only 1 dead and 2 wounded due to a slightly late entry and the skill of their commanding officer, Captain Sato Takidawa (formerly of the Japanese Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade).

Every move made was broken down and analyzed by everyone, but the results were still clear. Nothing that any of them could have done would have significantly changed the outcome. And the few things they could have done to make the outcome better such as breaching through the hull instead of through airlock were avoided for other reasons such as potential damage to the vessel. While in many ways costly, they had succeeded.

As they were finishing up the breakdown the door opened. In stepped Major General Abicus Grant, the commander of the UN Extraplanetary Marine Corps. Next to him was Supreme Commander Paul Harrington. All of the soldiers in the room jumped to attention, wondering what such high-ranking officers had come to them for.

“At ease, ladies and gentlemen,” Grant said as everyone related.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate all of you for your impressive victory today. That mission was critical to the future offensive we have planned, which is exactly why I came here to talk to you.”

“The Secretary General and other officials have decided that the offensive into the Zoloch Sector will begin in 3 months. But before that begins, we need to lay some groundwork. There appears to be a large resistance movement in the sector that dates back to the end of the clone wars, and we need to make contact with them to coordinate our actions. Additionally, some strikes deep within the sector will help sow confusion and cripple more of their combat assets. All of you are at this point the most experienced soldiers when it comes to fighting the Empire and also some of the most skilled in the world. This is why Major Petrova will lead half of you in 2 months to Garnison I I , the sector’s capital and Captain Takidawa will lead the rest of you to Zoloch Prime. In both of your missions, you will attempt to meet up with local rebels and strike at the Empire when the fleet starts their offensive.”

“How will we get there General?” Petrova asked.

“The cover story is that you are a private military contracting group that has been tasked with finding the local rebels. This will allow you to get information off of the Empire without suspicion, as well as get your weapons to the planet without complaint. Once you find the rebels you will fake your deaths and stay with them until you start an uprising. You are to report back to us regularly with your findings, especially knowledge of space-based rebels. We are sending a cruiser to try and find them, though we might not be able to without intelligence from the ground.” The General paused, more than answering her question.

“Over the next two months, you will be trained to perfect to increase the likelihood the operation succeeds. But in celebration of your victory and because you won’t be getting a lot of it going forwards, you all get a week of leave. After that, you will report to Marine Camp One for further training and exercises. Thank you for your work.” With that, both officers left and everyone eagerly left to go pack their bags for the week ahead.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

“Remember, you are a public figure Will,” Allison said as they walked down the street to her parent's house in Palo Alto, California. With the time off they had, they were both planning on bringing the other to meet their families.

“Yeah, it would be nice if the paparazzi didn’t try to find us.” He replied as they walked up the driveway. “This shirt feels weird.” He said, ruffling with the polo that she had bought for him. Allison had forced him to not wear his uniform during their time off, and to try civilian clothes.

“Maybe because it’s inside out.” She laughed and Will looked embarrassed to see that she was correct.

“I’m still getting used to this.” He sighed.

“Yeah, no shit sherlock.” She said, laughing.

“Well, I don’t spend the day trying to figure out what I am going to wear, unlike you.” He chided.

“But you did tell me that I look spectacular.” She purred. Will could not deny that the dress she had chosen fit her very well. It made her look even more beautiful than normal, and that was a difficult challenge to beat.

“Yes, so it was worth it.” He kissed her on the cheek.

They walked over to ring the doorbell. After a few moments the door opened, and a middle-aged woman opened the door and tightly hugged Allison.

“It’s so good to see you again. How have you been?” Her mother, Danielle Chipper asked as she let go of her daughter. “And how the hell did you end up bringing one of the most powerful people in the world back to meet us.” That claim startled Will, though he didn’t show it. He knew that due to his actions he had amassed a reputation after he had helped save Washington, and this had been augmented by neglecting to speak with the media. But he had never thought of himself as one of the most powerful people in the world. With a sense of both fear and dread, he realized that the assessment was correct. But he shoved those thoughts aside, he was on vacation after all.

Allison laughed. “Oh, I’m doing great.” She looked at Will. “It’s a long story.”

Danielle reached out to shake Will’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Admiral..”

“It’s fine, just call me Will.” He smiled.

They walked into the neatly furnished house. From the outside, it looked to be over a century old, but the interior was decorated with the most modern conveniences. A wiry man came down the hall and embraced Allison. It was her father, Ben Chipper. Exchanging pleasantries once again, the four of them sat down on the living room couch.

“You didn’t mention you were dating the second in command of the fleet!” Ben exclaimed.

Allison Chuckled. “I didn’t want either of you to get worried, or form the wrong impressions.”

“Well, you two have a lot of explaining to do,” Danielle said.

“It started when the Empire attacked…” They both explained everything that had gone on with them until then.”

“Well, it’s better than Twilight,” Ben said as everyone laughed.

After a bit more talking Will learned more about the lives of Allison’s parents. Her father developed software for Tesla and her mother was a professor at Stanford. It seemed her engineering prowess hadn’t come from nowhere.

“So how did Allison get recruited into the Fleet?” Johnson asked. Back when the organization had been secret, no one talked much about how they had gotten there. Everyone was too focused on their intensive training to do much of anything else.

“One of my friends at Stanford told me about an exclusive offer for my daughter. He was… eccentric and half the time he was talking to us I felt he was a conspiracy theorist. It feels like ancient history now.” Danielle replied.

“What was his name?”

“Stefan Brown.”

Johnson paused for a minute. “Yeah, that name rings a bell.”
After a bit of time had passed, Allison and her mom left to go make dinner. Johnson insisted that he could help but due to his lack of experience in the matter his offer was turned down. That left him and Ben to talk in private.

After a bit of awkward silence, Ben spoke up.

“Do you have any long-term plans for the relationship?” He asked. Johnson had predicted a question like this was going to be asked.

“Well I’m not sure if I am supposed to tell you about this yet, but the fleet is going on the offensive into Imperial territory in about 3 months, and I am leading it. Frankly, I don’t have as much experience with her as would be expected over a year since we’ve been so busy.”

“So you don’t really know.”

“Well yeah, though after the offensive I guess I’ll think about it more. I don’t want to make any commitments before then.”

After a little more small talk, the food was ready.

“You think anyone will be able to find us here?” Johnson asked as they dove into their food.

“Oh, it’s going to happen sooner or later. Our neighbors like to keep watch on just about everything in this area, so you may have a day. How long did you intend to stay?” Danielle asked.

“Only a couple of days at most. Johnson’s superior got us access to a private island.” Allison replied.

“How did he do that!” Ben said, shocked.

“He knows people.” Johnson chuckled. “So do I, but I generally don’t ask for private islands.”

“What do you ask for instead?” Danielle asked.

“Anything that can be used to help defeat the Empire. So most of the time whatever resources I can get my hands on, whether they be materials or personnel.” Johnson replied.

“Damn, you’re quite dedicated, Will,” Ben said.

“Yeah, because I’ve seen what they’ve done to other planets that weren’t so lucky.” That conversation ended and the subject changed to more light-hearted matters. After a while, the two were led to Allison’s old room, which had been left untouched since she had joined the fleet.

“Wow, these are a lot of trophies,” Johnson said as he admired the various academic and sports-related awards on the walls.

“Yeah, I was pretty busy as a kid.” She laid down on the bed. “Care to join me?”

A few days later the two found themselves walking down another street, albeit one much more familiar to Will. He was back in his hometown of Tallahassee, Florida. It had been over 9 years since he had left the place to join the fleet. But looking at the familiar houses that lined the road, it didn’t seem so long.

“This is a lot different from California,” Allison said as they reached his parent’s house.

“Yeah, it costs a lot less.” He replied as they laughed.

Ringing the doorbell at his parent’s house, he eagerly waited for a response. He had visited his parents briefly after the Empire’s first attempt to take Earth, but that had been over a year ago.

His mother was a real estate developer and his father an investment banker. Their jobs had often been demanding and led to them being gone a lot during his childhood. Especially his father, who had split his time between his office in New York and his home here in Florida. Will was perfectly fine with this, as it allowed him to become more independent and grow on his own.

The door opened and Jerrard Johnson appeared. He grappled his son in a tight hug.

“Well look at who's home!” He exclaimed. “The architect behind the planning of this planet’s first extraterrestrial invasion decided to visit his lowly parents for once.”

“Well dad, we still have three months. It isn’t fully planned yet.”

“Well enough that some important people said it would go through. And who is this special lady that you decided to bring along.”

“Captain Allison Chipper, Head of the fleet’s Special Research Department.” He produced a hand and she shook it.

“Well, let me lead you two inside. Martha is waiting.”

They soon reached the other end of the house, which held a screened-in porch. Will’s mother, Martha Johnson, was reading a magazine on the couch which she shoved aside to embrace her soon.

“It’s so good to see you again, Will. We’ve missed you so much since you last left us.” She said, “You should come more often.”

“Yeah, unfortunately, my job is just a little bit demanding.” He replied as everyone laughed.

“So who is this fine young lady you decided to bring home?” She asked.

“I’m Captain Allison Chipper, Head of the fleet’s Special Research Department.” She produced a hand and Will’s mother shook it.

“Aren't you the one who helped Will when he commanded the Hallsey?” Martha asked.

“Yes, it was the first time I interacted with him for an extended time.” She and Will proceeded to tell his parents about what had happened since then.

I was a bit worried when you said you would be bringing back a special guest… I didn’t know if you were going to bring the President or something.” They all chuckled.

After a while of talking the parents excused themselves to go make dinner. Both Will and Allison insisted that they could help, but Jerrard and Martha insisted that it was their threat.

“I’ll show you my old room. My parents haven’t changed anything since I left.” They hurried upstairs to see the place.

Inside, there was a plethora of medals and trophies being displayed on the wall. Some appeared to be academic, while others were from a variety of team sports and extracurriculars. There was also a large bookshelf that held dozens of books, along with an older but fairly respectful gaming PC.

“So I’m not the only overachiever here.” She chuckled.

“Yeah, they tended to pick the best of the best for the fleet for a while.” He replied.

“You know you could have had such an interesting life if you had never joined the fleet. You could have become almost anything.” Allison stated.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have met you,” Will replied with a smile on his face. She giggled, then slowly bent in for a kiss. After a few minutes of snuggling together, both departed each other.

“Let’s save that for later. And remember, my parents, are here, so we need to keep it down.”

“Yeah. We don’t want the level of awkwardness we had yesterday with my parents.” They both chuckled.

“Dinner’s ready!” Came the call from downstairs. The two rushed downstairs to eat with Will’s parents.

After talking some more with their parents, the two grabbed their bags and headed upstairs to get some rest.

“I have something special planned for tomorrow,” Will said as he lay down on the bed.

“Well enlighten me,” Allison replied.

“I’m going to visit my old high school. They want me to give a speech as well.”

“Well, that’s nice.” She said, smiling at him. “I’m surprised that no one has noticed you yet, considering that this is your hometown.”

“Maybe that’s because you forced me to wear these glasses.” The two chuckled.

“I assume I can come as well.” She asked.

“Of course. I’m sure some of the teachers would love to talk to you about designing ships.” Will said.

“Yeah, I think all the teachers would like to talk to us. It’s not like we aren’t some of the most powerful people on the planet, after all.” He chuckled.

“Do you have any idea what you are going to say?” She asked.

“Somewhat, but this was a little last minute.” He said, slightly embarrassed. “So I haven’t planned.”

“Maybe you should. I mean the event may very well be televised and you will be leaving a big impression on a lot of people.” She chided him, one of the few people he would allow to do that to him.

“I’ll do it later. I am on vacation, remember.” He said as Allison slipped into bed.

“Oh yes, I do.” She replied, starting to resume the activities they had begun earlier before being called to dinner.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

Major Petrova sighed as she took another sip of her vodka. Perhaps alcohol would dull the unpleasant feelings she had been experiencing. Part of her told her that she should be celebrating their victory, but who did she have to celebrate it with. Once she had joined the Fleet’s marine arm, she had all but lost contact with the few friends she had.

She looked around the small hidden bar she had found when her leave started. She had only been in there a few minutes before she noticed Corporal Taylor make her way into the alcohol establishment. She ordered something Petrova didn’t recognize and sat down next to her.

“Care to have some company?” She asked. Petrova said nothing in response.

Taylor then asked her a more direct question. “Something is not right with you, Major. Care to tell me what it is so I can attempt to help?”

Petrova nursed her drink for a few seconds before responding. “I looked hard at who I was l. Let me ask, what am I outside my life in the marines? I don’t have anything there.”

“You're not the only one. Everyone who joined before the public knew left the world behind, figuratively and literally. And the people they left weren't always ready to let them back.”

“It’s not like I had people to go back to, even if they let me.” She murmured. “Outside my career, I’m nothing.”

“Well, it’s not like you have much time for anything else with your position and all,” Taylor argued.

“I could at least have a better relationship with my squadmates. I only see them professionally, nothing more outside of that.” Petrova said quietly.

“I think you're afraid of losing them. I wouldn’t be surprised if you're running our most recent battle in your head, trying to find a way to win without taking casualties.” Taylor said. Petrova nodded. Taylor had a truly uncanny ability to understand what other people were thinking.

“Yes, yes you’re right.” She said quietly.

“You don’t need to be this way. I also think that you have… grudges… against certain members of the squad. Even if you find them to be good members of the team.” Taylor said.

“How did you notice?” Petrova responded quietly.

“It’s not difficult to see. You have a level of annoyance with some of them. And while you are more, don't let this annoyance of them get in the way of a mission, it could hypothetically get in the way in the future.”

“So what should I do?” Petrova asked.

“Hmmm, you don’t know much of what to do socially. Did you have a childhood?” Taylor asked.

“Well, yes but I didn’t have many friends.”

“Just talk to them. You are with them for hours on end, are you not?”

Before either of them could speak, Hans Meyer entered the bar. It had been sparsely populated before Petrova and Taylor arrived, and now with the exception of the two and the bartender who often disappeared it was desolate.

“Major, Corporal, good to see both of you,” Hans said.

“You mean Emily. We are off duty after all.” Taylor said.

“Ah yes, I’m so used to being on duty that I forgot how not to be on duty.” The three of them chuckled. Petrova had almost forgotten how to laugh, it is so long since she had done so.

“You could say that for me as well.” Petrova sighed.
“Yeah, we were just talking about that,” Taylor said. Hans shot her a knowing glance. Petrova wondered if they had talked about this before.

Hans ordered some german sounding beer she didn’t recognize and Taylor excused herself.

“What are you going to do with your two weeks?” She asked the German sergeant.

He took a long drink of his beer mug and shrugged. “I could go back to German and reconnect with some old friends, but I’m not sure how well that will go over.”

“Where are they from the Bundeswehr?” Petrova asked.

“Ja, we’re in my unit.” He paused and said nothing. Petrova knew he’d left the German military after one of their elite units, the KSK, was partially disbanded. There had been some neo-nazi rhetoric coming from them, but she had never really looked into it.

Hans himself had never spoken about his time there much. Considering what happened there, that made sense. All Petrova knew was that he had been offered a job by the Fleet’s marine arm back when it was still secret and hidden from the public. She indicated that he was running away from something there. Something sinister.

“What happened?” She asked. “You never told me or anyone else in the squad to my knowledge.” He remained silent for a few moments.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s just I left a lot behind. The people I served with back then were practically my brothers. They were a family I never had.”

“Then why did you leave them behind?”

“They became what we swore to defeat. The unit I was in, was the one where it started. In the force we saw things we never should have seen, did things we never should have done. But it was kept quiet and no one minded for a while because what we were doing was important. It never was bad in the beginning. A few dark references and jokes. Generic Dog Whistles that could have meant anything. And it wouldn’t be hard for men in our type of work to gain some controversial political views.” He paused for a moment before continuing. Petrova sat silently, absorbing the information he was giving her.

“But what started as a few jokes turned gradually into hateful comments. And because our society is rightfully hyper-aware of such comments, soon there we’re investigations into what was said. I managed to clear my name and did what I thought was right by ratting out a bunch of the men who made me an enemy of many more people. There was no way to continue as I had before, no way to face the men I had served with for years who I had ratted out. I knew I did the right thing, but it didn’t make it easier. When I was contemplating, a man gave me an offer I had no right to refuse, and I joined the fleet’s marine arm.” He finally finished.

Petrova didn’t know what to say. She had always assumed he hadn’t left on good terms, but never had thought it would have been this bad. She didn’t know what to say, and even if she said something it was doubtful it would help.

“I don’t know if it will help, but I’m sorry for what you went through,” Petrova said. “And I’m sorry for not asking about this earlier. I’m also sorry you don’t feel the connection here that you once did.” She said, feeling empathy for his pain.

“Thanks.” He said, taking another swig of his drink. Unexpectedly, she reached over and hugged him. It felt nice and warm in his strong, muscular arms.

Taylor was just coming back when she saw the two embraced. This night has become more interesting than I thought. She said to herself, waiting just a few more seconds for the two to part to come back into the room.
The Next Day:

The auditorium of Lincoln High School was packed with students and faculty alike, all eager to see one of the people who had played a pivotal role in defending Earth two times.
Johnson stood by the podium, waiting for the school’s principal to introduce him. Allison, the school’s principal, and several members of the faculty stood behind them. Like Allison predicted, members of the press captured the event on live TV at the edge of the room.

An exception to Allison’s “No Uniform” rule had been made for the day, as the two sported polished and cleaned dress uniforms to show their status as officers of the fleet.

“I would like to welcome Vice Admiral William Johnson, the Director of Naval Operations for the United Nations Spaceborne Navy.” The principal said to clapping and cheering.

“Good afternoon everyone. I hope you don’t mind this little interruption from your classes.” Many of the students laughed.

“While it may seem strange, about 9 years ago I roamed these halls like many of you did. I went to class, studied hard, and played sports like many of you. Some of the teachers might even remember me.” He glanced at the senior cross country coach as well as one of the history teachers.

“Plenty of people have asked how I got here. Well, I chose to join the fleet, after being approached with an offer of a lifetime. For the next four years, I spent practically every moment studying and training for what was ahead. That hard work paid off, and I got a commission aboard what was one of the newest ships in the fleet. You all know what happened four years after that, but once I was that far there was no going back. Ultimately, I got where I was through hard work and a bit of luck. But mostly hard work. You will never get far in life if you do not put in hard work over a long period of time. Whether this is in school, sports, social life, or call of duty.” There were a few more chuckles. “I hope you remember that throughout your life. Shortcuts will only lead to more frustration in the long run as you find you have not developed the necessary prerequisites.” He paused for a moment.

“Next many ask what it is like helping to command such a large fleet. First of all, it’s about the most stressful job you could ever ask for. The vacuum is about as forgiving as your ex after a fight.” That joke caused quite a stir, with laughter erupting across the audience.

“But in all seriousness, the demands of commanding a fleet, especially when preparing an offensive like now, are second to none. You must be at your peak physically and mentally 24 hours a day. There will be no real-time off, you will need to always be on call and ready to face the most unexpected situations. When in these situations, you will have to make some very difficult choices. And if you screw up or even if you don’t, lives will be lost. And these dilemmas will be faced on some level by everyone in the fleet. But ultimately if it keeps the Empire from our atmosphere, any sacrifice will be worth it.” He said vigorously, to cheer.

“Finally, I’m sure that many of you are wondering about the upcoming offensive into Imperial space. It has been a controversial decision, with many people of all walks of life believing that we need to keep our resources at home to defend against future Imperial attacks. I will say what I have said to the highest-ranking diplomats and leaders, that we have given the Empire in this region of space a bloody nose and that they haven’t even found the tissues yet! We have a chance to build a buffer between us and them, which is one of the best things we can do. And the venerable rebel alliance that has aided us so much since the Empire came requested it, and made it a condition to their aid. I believe that there is no choice in the matter. For if we wait, the Empire will one day return, bigger and stronger than we could ever imagine. And we will eventually lose, maybe not the first time, but eventually. So we fight them on our terms while we can.” More cheers and clapping followed.

“Since we have some time left, I’ll take some questions from the students. For now, you lucky bunch in the first few rows will get the opportunity to ask me anything. As I discussed with them earlier, the faculty will gather questions from the other students. Ask away, and remember that there are truly no stupid questions.”

One of the boys raised his hand and Will called on it.

“Admiral Johnson, how do I join the fleet?”

“Well right now most of the slots are going to people with previous military experience, so I would recommend joining either the US Navy or Airforce when you get out of high school. There will be opportunities to serve with the fleet if you meet the requirements. Net?”

“When that man came to offer you a position at the fleet, why did you take it?”

“I knew it was an opportunity that would allow me to grow in a way few others in this world could. And I knew I had a certain responsibility to help people, even if it was in this indirect way.”

“Admiral Johnson, are you a gamer?” There were a number of laughs throughout the audience.

“Well once I joined the fleet, I didn’t exactly have a lot of time for it. But before, I indeed was quite the teammate in Counter-Strike or Siege. I also played a lot of strategy games like Civilisation, Hearts of Iron, and Stellaris. So yeah I was a gamer.” There was a lot of clapping that followed.

“Admiral Johnson, should I ask out my crush?” There was a thunderclap of laughter as the kid’s face who asked it turned bright pink.

“Well, is she in the audience?”

“Yes.”

“What’s her name, and your name?”

“Cecilia Jones. My name is Albert Frost.”

“Cecilia Jones, what do you think?” There was more laughter until a response was recorded. “Yes.”

“Well Albert, don’t screw it up. And to many members of the press that hear this, could you please give these two some privacy.”

There were a few more minor questions, but that mostly concluded his remarks to the students. Johnson was happy to walk away knowing he had helped and probably inspired many young people, who ultimately would end up leading the world one day.

He hoped that inspiration would go a long way.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

2 Months Later:

“So this is our ride?” Hans asked as they looked at the ship in front of them. It was a generic Taylander model, one that had definitely seen better days. But it was sufficient to get them to Garnizon I I , which was all it needed to do.

“Yes. I don’t see any others.” Petrova replied. She raised her voice to reach everyone in the platoon under her command.

“Alright everyone, we’re heading out. Make sure you have everything.”

With the success in capturing the Imperial interdictor cruiser, the platoons worth of troops dedicated to special operations had been expanded to 3, all under her command. Known simply as the Special Operations Force, these troops were picked from both the new UN forces and existing militaries of Earth’s nation states. Few passed the multitude of neigh impossible tests, and those that were trained for even more extensively.

Two platoons would be going to Garnizon and Zoloch Prime respectively, with fake identities as bounty hunter groups to get past the Empire. They would then try to find and make contact with local rebel groups and help them prepare for an uprising.

Soon three dozen soldiers were boarding the transport, awaiting the long ride to begin. They could not travel the most direct way from Earth to Garnizon, as that would attract too much suspicion. Instead, they had to go a long, convoluted way around several worlds to make it seem like they hadn’t come from Earth.

After getting strapped in, the shuttle left the discreet base it had taken off from. Another one soon followed, carrying the troops that would go to Zoloch Prime. The soldiers grabbed a variety of phones, tablets, and books to entertain themselves on the long trip.

They soon left the atmosphere and through the windows could see Earth’s war machine beginning to churn. Dozens of orbital drydocks were producing the ships that would allow Earth to take control of the Zoloch Sector. Most of the fleet was still made up of corvettes, frigates, and destroyers, but Petrova could see five ships similar to the revenge fitting out, along with a number of smaller but still impressive cruisers. Several more were also starting the early stages of production, but they would not be ready until months after the operation began.

And that didn’t count the ships that had already been produced. There were now almost 350 ships in the fleet already, ranging from transports and corvettes to captured star destroyers and the revenge. It was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

The ship was mostly filled with silence once they got to hyperspace. There was a little quiet talking, but most people were engrossed in whatever entertainment they had brought or slept. Some odd noises could be heard from the bathroom, and Petrova realized two of her men and women were not in their seats. She was half tempted to go and knock on the door, but decided against it. The two lovebirds in there deserved to have a little time to themselves.

The trip was uneventful, and nothing really happened until they reached Garnizon. They got past Imperial planetary patrols without issue; their disguise seemed to work. When they reached the starport and the Major stepped out, they were greeted by an Imperial Lieutenant.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Petrova.” The Imperial Army officer was young, probably not long out of his training program. “I’m Lieutenant Jkabsoi, here to provide you information on these rebels and help you find them.”

“Thank you. I intend to make those rebel scum pay for what they have done to the Empire and it’s loyal citizens.” Petrova found herself playing the part well.

“First, here are some passes that will get you past most Imperial security on this planet. And here is an emergency comlink that will allow you to call in extraction or even an airstrike on these rebels.” He handed her the items.

“Thank you, I did not know the Empire was bestowing such power onto us.” She replied.

“Let me show you this information about the local rebellion.” He produced a data pad and handed a physical drive to her. “This drive contains the information in writing, but I’ll tell you some of it now. These local rebels are not affiliated with the Alliance in any form, they are more along the lines of a separatist holdout. They call themselves the Free Confederacy and engage in guerilla warfare like other rebel groups, and use a large number of old B1 and B2 battle droids supported by a diverse mix of species fighting and commanding them. He produced a map with highlights on his data pad. “This is where they are most active. Jgarda City is where they are most active, and while many Imperials won’t tell you this, our Stormtroopers have abandoned large parts of the city.

“That is where we will look first, Lieutenant. Is there a starport in that city?”

“Indeed. I will arrange that your docking fees are waived. And remember, the payment for one confirmed dead rebel is 100,000 credits and one dead or alive leader is 1,000,000 credits.”

The Empire must be desperate if they were paying such high prices to hunt rebels. She thought to herself. The fact that they were having such a hard time gave her more confidence in her mission as well as the upcoming strike by the fleet.

“Oh, I certainly remember.”

“Won’t all that money be a lot less split 36 ways?” The officer asked.

“It gives 36 times the firepower. We will be making plenty of credits.” She replied.

Soon the transport had moved the undercover soldiers of Earth to Jgarda City. The facilities were significantly less pleasant and parts of the starport looked to be barely operational. Most ships there were rundown and many were in disrepair.

Petrova looked around at the squad she would be leading. They were going to do a little reconnaissance where the rebels were located. It would mostly be made up of the people she had stormed the cruiser with. Taylor, Meyer, Fennel, Virtanen, Bunt, and a few new guys. The rest of the platoon would stay at the shuttle and the hangar they had been given.

It took them a bit of walking to get near the rebel-infested area. The Imperials that they passed were cleared by the passes Lieutenant Jkabosi had given them.

“I hope that Imperial leaves us alone. I can’t be sure if he believes us.” Taylor said as they walked down a derelict alleyway. Garbage and waste littered the streets and most people wore threadbare clothes.

“Ehh, he’s just curious,” Hans replied. “Considering there are 36 of us, he has good reason to be.”

They soon saw a beggar, desperately pleading for food. He was gaunt and thin, as well as being older than most of the other people.

“Major, we all have a few credits to spare. What if we ask him about the rebels?” Taylor asked.

“Go ahead. He could potentially have more information that the Empire has neglected to tell us.”

Taylor walked up and produced a couple of credits as the old man thanked her.

“Do you have any information about the Free Confederacy?” She asked as the credits were handed to him.

The old man chuckled. “Are you Imperial?”

“No, we are independent contractors. My squadmates and I have some personal business with them.” She pointed at the rest of the squad.

“Well, all I’ve seen of them has come from that alley. Or at least who I think they might be. But that’s all I know about them.”

Taylor handed him some more credits. “Thank you for your time.” She said, walking off.

“What did you find?” Petrova asked.

“They come from that alley. That was all I could get.”

“Well, it’s a start.” She replied.

They traveled into the alleyway and saw there were doors to various run-down buildings. None of them had any kind of locking on them, and most appeared to be abandoned.

“Check all these buildings for any passages somewhere else.” Petrova was thinking that the rebels eighter had a passage that ended here or they just came from somewhere else on the other end of the street. It was worth looking at, at least. “Meet back here in half an hour or when everything has been searched. If you run into trouble, contact any of us on the comms.”

The squad initially didn’t find anything in the rundown buildings. Most looked as if they had been abandoned for quite a while.

Sergeant Hans Meyer so far had had no luck in finding any routes the rebels were using to get into the alley. He was now almost sure they had just come through the other end instead of some secret passage when he stumbled on a thin sheet of metal that looked like scrap metal at first glance. Falling into a small hole, he could see a narrow, short tunnel.

“Meyer to Petrova, I’ve found some sort of tunnel here. It’s in the second to last building on the right.”

“Good job Hans, I’ll get everyone over.”

Soon the squad was creeping through the tunnel in a single file line. There were a few sporadic lamps on the walls, but otherwise, it was almost completely devoid of light. Each of their rifles had underslung flashlights, however, allowing them to see what was in front of them.

After a while of walking, they heard faint noises of talking. Continuing, they soon found that there was a door to some sort of room, and light could be seen coming in through the cracks. The talking got louder and louder as the squad got closer. As they reached the door, Petrova silently signaled for them to halt. They could now overhear some of the conversations.

“We don’t have the arms for such a strike, the last shipment got intercepted.” One voice said.

“That’s exactly why we are hitting the Imperial garrison, to get more weapons.” Another replied.

“If you intend to strike an Imperial installation, we can help.” Petrova opened the door and walked in, the rest of the squad in tow. The room had a number of basic furnishings, and there were several people of various species sitting on hastily arranged chairs. Their brown and grey clothes contrasted against the black armor of the Earth Marines. These people were of varying species, from human to twilek to duros. None of them were presently armed, but a variety of blasters were lined on the opposite wall. Petrova motioned for her squad to lower their weapons.

“Who the hell are you?” One of the humans asked. He was tall and dark-haired, and he seemed ready to reach for a blaster.

“Major Victoria Petrova, Commander of the Special Operations Force of the United Nations Marine Corps. Do you happen to know about Earth?”

“You’re from Earth?” A blue skinned female Twi'lek exclaimed?

“You know about Earth? That’s both confusing and relieving.” Hans said.

“We received a communique from our leader to send him any information about Earth. He desperately wants to know more about that place.” She continued, eager to learn more.

“Well we have good news for him. Earth is planning an offensive into this sector in a month with the goal of knocking out Imperial presence in the system. We have a ship departing to find your spaceborne assets, so we can coordinate an attack.” Petrova said.

“Then what are you here for?” The human male asked. He still seemed a bit hostile.

“We forged documents from the bounty hunters guild to make it look like we are trying to hunt rebels like you. What we plan to do is help harass the Empire and strike while the fleet in orbit advances. We can sow chaos here and cause problems for the Empire behind the lines.” Taylor spoke up.

“You did say you wanted to attack an Imperial garrison… Well we can help with that.” She said.

“But we are still under cover. We would risk our relationship with the Empire.” Hans replied.

“Bit of an understatement.” Petrova agreed, turning to the other man who apparently led this rebel group. “Can we get in contact with your leader?”

“I’ll try.” He replied. “And my name is Jul Zark, commander of the Free Seperatist forces.” He held out a hand.

Petrova shook it.“Pleased to meet you.”

She was fascinated how plenty of customs, even ones as simple as informal greetings, were similar between Earth and the rest of the galaxy. It was truly interesting, but it was a thought for another time.

“I will patch you in to my superior, Admiral Gorky. I’m sure he will be pleased to hear from you.”

“Tles, get me Admiral Gorky via the secure channel.” The female twi'lek obliged, and in no time the holoprojector was up and running. Everyone just hoped he would be available.

Chapter Text

The Eviscerator, Fais Sector

Admiral Zut Gorky wafted through the various reports he had been sent from the other ships. A few of the ships had minor, superficial repairs to be done, but there was little else that had not been already discussed.

He flipped to the reports from his forces outside the system. His intelligence arm had found no new information about the wearbouts of Earth. Considering there had been no new actions by them for a couple of months, he was wondering if the little raid they had executed was a mere anomaly. But he would still hope for something, anything more about them.

His other fleets had upon his request restrained themselves from even the most minor skirmishes with the Empire, who would be letting their guard down soon. There was little to note from them, with the exception of another minor battleground being found deep off the beaten path. It appeared to be an Imperial supply convoy that had been attacked in deep space by a squadron of old Trade Federation frigates and destroyers. With the Imperial escorts having their old Republic paint jobs barely erased, he reasoned it would have had to have been within the first year of the new order’s rise. He knew some of the Imperial commanders had been overconfident when they had first pushed this far into former separatist space, he had defeated quite a number of them himself.

Contrary to popular belief, the separatist cause had not ended when the council had been killed and their droid armies deactivated. While battle droids occupied a large percentage of the CIS’s ground forces, most of their ranks were populated by local forces made up of volunteers and conscripts from varois worlds in the confederacy. The same had applied for their fleets, but to less of a degree since most worlds did not possess a significant number of large capital ships (most lacked this capability all together). The same had largely been true for the Republic, oddly enough. Ironically, the popular tale of clones and droids fighting on distant worlds did not constitute the near entirety of fighting during the war.

Ultimately the old battlefield would be salvaged for anything of value, and what remained would be melted down to be turned into armor plating, bulkheads, gun barrels or whatever else the fleet needed. In a rebellion like this, every piece of supply helped and was far more valuable than in a conventional war. Almost everything was far harder to replace in this type of conflict, and every opportunity to acquire more would be taken.

His ground forces also had little out of the ordinary to report. Some minor skirmishes with the Empire, but nothing to cause a stir. Like the fleet, his ground forces were biding their time and preparing for a larger scale response to Imperial activities.

But something stood out from the cell on Garnizon I I . They were trying to contact him with the highest priority channel. Something important must be going on, he thought as he entered the encrypted channel.

“Admiral Gorky, I have been contacted by people who claim to be special forces soldiers from Earth.” Colonel Jul Zark said. The admiral could see other people huddled around the holotable. Some looked to be his people, but others were dressed in black armor unfamiliar to him. These were probably the soldiers from Earth.

He turned to a figure on the right. “I am Major Petrova of the United Nations Special Operations Force. I am here to tell you Earth’s fleet will embark on an offensive into this sector in one month. We are wondering if you could help assist us in the attack.”

“How can we confirm you are actually from Earth?” He asked, slightly skeptical. He wanted help from them, but he had to know the way of knowing if they weren't just Imperials in disguise.

“I have a number of extensive documents that detail my heritage and my squadmates. I also came to help arrange a meeting between you and one of our warships. They will discuss our planning for the operation in more detail, and establish more formal diplomatic relations.”

“How do I know this is not a trap?”

“We can meet in coordinates inside your territory of your choosing, and you can come after you have verified the area is safe.”

Gorky considered his options. While he didn't fully trust these humans of Earth, this was an opportunity he wasn’t going to back out of. While part of him was telling him to be more cautious, he ignored those thoughts. Fortune supposedly favored the bold.

“We can work out the details in this meeting and will assist however we can if it means the Empire is pushed out of Zoloch. ”

“Excellent. I have 36 of Earth’s best soldiers that have all posed as mercenaries, with an additional 36 on Zoloch Prime. We are supposedly searching for rebels like you to eliminate. Of course, that will not happen, but it gives us some plausible deniability for being heavily armed here. I wish to offer my help to your local forces for an uprising on this planet once the fleet begins its push.” Petrova said

“That would be good. I will give you the information of our forces on Zoloch Prime so that your soldiers there can link up and coordinate with them.” Gorky replied.

“Thank you, Admiral. I am certain that this will make our attack more successful.” With that, the transmission ended.

Admiral Gorky was happy for this critical victory and began to make plans for the meeting as well as informing all the Captains in this local fleet. He then began to contact the flag officers in charge of distant fleets, as well as his ground forces. Every ship available would be readied for their crusade into Imperial space.

Major Petrova sighed and looked around the room. They had won a victory and hopefully secured the cooperation of these rebels.

“My troops are staying at the local starport. Do you want them to relocate here?” She asked.

“I would advise against it.” Colonel Zark replied. “This facility has limited space, and packing 36 other people in here would lead to some… cramped conditions.”

“Until the uprising, none of us will be able to participate in combat against the Empire. But we can still help around here, and plan for that day.”

“That would be acceptable.” Zark turned to the rest of the squad. “I don’t think I’ve met any of you.” He and the other members of the cell began talking about their lives and getting to know each other.

Major Petrova found once again that two peoples from across the galaxy seemed to get along so well. But once again, it would be something to think about later. For the second time in a while, she found herself socializing with other people.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

Earth’s Orbit:

Captain Drofa Haffard watched as the shuttle approached his new command, the Los Angeles class heavy cruiser Moscow. It was the first of the new class, commissioned only a month ago. Over 800 meters in length, some had called it a supercruiser, or even a battlecruiser.

This last term slightly confused Haffard, as the galactic standard would make a battlecruiser thousands of meters long and larger than an Imperial Star Destroyer. But Earth had its own logic to warship classifications, which made more sense than the convoluted Anaxes system. In the old waterborne navies of Earth, a battlecruiser had been a battleship with thinner armor and therefore faster speeds. While a relic of a bygone age in naval warfare, the term became more useful as the size of Earth’s ships grew and grew.

Physically its front looked like the nose of a Dreadnaught Heavy Cruiser, with a heavily armored box-shaped forward section. Its hull spread out along both the right and left sides, however, giving it more internal volume. This spread out and narrowed in thickness even further at the rear of the ship, giving it the appearance of wings. This larger horizontal size meant that more of the ship’s weapons could provide forward firepower.

The ship carried a diverse loadout of weaponry, with a larger focus on ion and missile systems. 30 quad heavy turbolasers gave the ship half the turbolaser output of an Imperial Class, but the centerpiece of its armaments was a single forward-mounted heavy ion cannon. With a maximum power output close to a planetary defense cannon, it was capable of disabling many ships or punching through their shields for some time. To exploit that breakthrough, two dozen missile and torpedo tubes gave it the ability to cause damage to a ship’s hull. It also featured a decent network of secondary medium and light turbolasers to deal with smaller capital ships. The designers had not forgotten an array of point defense cannons to deal with starfighters and missiles. Perhaps most important, its fire control was highly computerized and automated. This allowed for more accurate targeting at range as well as requiring far fewer crewmen to man the guns.

The ship’s shielding and armor were both extensive for its size and provided it high quality of protection. The designers had borrowed the philosophy of Mon Cala shipwrights when it came to shielding, that a network of smaller, more redundant shield generators was better than a single central projector. This network contained both ray and particle shields, allowing the ship to be well protected against both energy weapons and physical objects. This would make it difficult to incapacitate the shielding of the craft. Its armor also provided another level of protection against incoming fire, though this was a secondary defense.

Many of the internal systems of the ship were heavily computerized, allowing for a crew of only about 2,000, which was low for a ship of its size. This internal size allowed it to hold 48 starfighters and a dozen shuttles and troop transports. With a fast class 1 hyperdrive, it had a faster than light speed to keep up with the fastest warships in the galaxy. All of these factors meant the ship could easily take on any Imperial cruiser and even some smaller star destroyers like the Victory Class.

While some might see the reassignment of Haffard as a demotion as he had previously commanded both the captured Imperial Star Destroyer Impassable and the newer revenge, he had been assigned to this ship to undertake a special mission deep into Imperial space. He was going to meet the leader of the Free Confederacy to help coordinate the upcoming offensive and escort the diplomatic team that would establish relations with them. Haffard would also gather intelligence on the position of Imperial fleets in the sector. Both Harrington and Johnson had not wanted to send a larger ship such as a captured star destroyer, so this would be the ship sent.

Entering the ship’s ventral hangar, the Captain was pleased with the quality of the ship’s design. Nothing looked out of place and the crew seemed to be attending their duties with all haste. The ship would be getting underway in under 6 hours, so there was a lot to be done.

“Do you wish for me to take your bag to your quarters, Captain?” A marine saluted as he stepped off the shuttle.

“That won’t be necessary, Corporal. Return to your post.”

Haffard noticed another officer who saluted as he looked towards him. He was medium height with brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

“Welcome aboard the Moscow, sir.” It was Commander Sheffield Harris, the ship’s executive officer. An englishman in his late 20s, he had formerly been an officer in the Royal Navy before being among the first of the now many air and naval personnel trained to fight in space.
Haffard returned the salute and produced a hand. “It’s good to finally meet you Commander.”

“Indeed. Same for you.” He replied as they walked out of the hangar and into a corridor.

“Is there anything to report so far?” He asked his xo.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the crew and supplies are aboard, and we will be receiving the diplomatic team in about an hour.” He replied. The team sent by secretary Pierre would be negotiating with the leadership of the Free Confederacy.

“Good, I will take my things to my quarters then meet you on the bridge.” He said, walking off to his quarters.

After unloading his stuff, he made his way to the bridge. It was clean and spartan, with a number of consoles and the computers on the walls being manned by crew members. The center of the ship had a large console and a holoprojector for the senior officers to strategize and discuss the ongoing events of a battle.

“Captain on the Bridge.” One of the officers called and the remaining crew saluted and stood at attention. Haffard dismissed them and told them to get back to work. There were several other officers he hadn’t met standing in at the central projector. They all began to introduce

“Commander Stacy Greene, CAG reporting for duty sir.” (commander air group) A medium height blond haired woman said.

“Captain Nathanile Brown, marine commander.” A tall dark skinned male reported, with an accent that Haffard guessed was Australian.

“Lieutenant Deluge is in engineering making sure all the ship’s systems are in order and ready to go.” Harris said.

“I can meet him later. It is more important that the ship is ready.”

For the next hour the ship was readied for departure as last minute preparations were finished. Calibrating the internal compensators, securing ammunition for the missile tubes, and a divisional roll call to make sure everyone was present and accounted for.

“Captain the diplomatic team’s shuttle is approaching, estimated time to arrival is five minutes.” The ship’s communication officer reported, expressionless.

“Thank you for the information, Lieutenant.” Haffard turned to Harris and Greene. “Let’s go meet our guests.”

Once arriving in the ship’s hangar bay they waited several minutes, observing the complex operations. Flight personnel helped guide fighters and shuttles to smaller bays on the sides of the hangar where they were kept for maintenance. Cargo recently offloaded from shuttles was moved to specialized bays for it to be stored. The bay ray horizontally across the entire ship, meaning a fighter or shuttle could hypothetically fly right through each end.

Soon the diplomatic shuttle arrived. It was a modified version of the new MKI I shuttle suited for high-profile diplomatic guests. Two men and two women got out, with three of them appearing to be aides to the women in the lead.

Sophia Lyon stepped out of the comfortable shuttle with her three aides in tow. The young french woman had personally served as an aide and later advisor to now Secretary General Pierre when he had been an internationally renowned political advisor. This service had continued once he had become the Secretary General, with the frequency and challenge of his assignments only increasing. She had found herself traveling across the globe, speaking with leaders of nations from Japan to Botswana and convincing them to support giving their national resources to help fight the Empire. She had been present when Earth had negotiated with the rebel alliance, but this would be the first time she led the effort to gain the support of a leader outside Earth.

Despite having only a modicum of knowledge of the operations on this hanger, she strode confidently up to the senior officers congregated near the corridor out of there. She was by all accounts attractive, with sun-tanned skin and piercing blue eyes. An advantage that she had often used in her negotiations, but one she never fully gave in to. She was more content to have the bids for her service and the multitude of thoughtful (but often eccentric) gifts increased. The higher everyone else offered for her diplomatic services, the more Pierre would give her.

“Captain Haffard, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She said with a soft smile while reaching out her hand. The file she had read on him had been fascinating and much of the information extracted during his interrogation about the inner workings of the Empire had been unparalleled in accuracy especially when backed up by information given by the Alliance.

He shook it as well. “It is good to meet you as well.” He then proceeded to introduce some of the senior officers, who all exchanged normal pleasantries with her. She and her aides then brought their bags to their quarters, ones that had been specifically prepared for them.

A few hours later after the ship was underway, she was invited to come to the Captain’s quarters to discuss the upcoming mission. Arriving at the room, she found herself in an organized but spartan living area. Haffard sat in one chair, motioning her to another next to him.
“Would you like a drink Ms. Lyon.” He offered her. Since she didn’t have a formal role, s is he could not be addressed by any kind of rank.

“No thank you, Captain. I believe you wanted to discuss the upcoming mission with me.” She knew that Haffard was an all business type of person, and decided against trying to make any kind of small talk with him.

The captain moved over to a computer and pressed a few buttons, showing a map of the Zoloch sector with parts of others littered about as well. Some of the lines were colored, showing a path.

“To avoid the Empire, we will be traveling on these yellow lines. Due to this it will take about four days to reach our destination. I do not know anything about the Free Confederacy or it’s leadership that is not in their file, but I can unequivocally say that there is some suspicion about us.”

“Such suspicion is natural. They are meeting us for the first time.” She replied.

“What do you intend to pursue during the negotiations?” He asked.

“Establishing diplomatic relations will be first. There will be some planning for the upcoming offensive, which I hope you can take the lead in as I am not an officer. Once the territory is occupied we will need to come up with a way to divide it, and figure out which one of us will be controlling it. If we need additional bargaining power I intend to offer them arms.” She stated neutrally.

“That seems like a good start, considering we know little about their capabilities. Do you anticipate any problems with them?” He asked.

“Everything and nothing. We could be walking in a trap or establish a long lasting partnership. In diplomacy we generally know a lot more about who we are negotiating with and how we can do this.” Lyon said, sighing.

“Well we will have to see what is presented to us. Make yourself comfortable ma’am, since it will take us a few days to get to our destination.” Haffard said. “Are there any other concerns you have?” He asked.

“None currently. Thank you for your time, Captain. She said, departing the room.”

Lyon was intrigued by Haffard. There was a reason why he had risen to become one of the senior most captains in the fleet, He was efficient, hardworking, and had the dI S D ain for internal politics that Admiral Johnson had. It was natural for him to be where he was.

But there was something else to him that worried her. Besides his morals and ideological conviction against the Empire, what kept him motivated to fight for Earth. Duty, honor, discipline, and maybe money, but money could be gained at a higher rate elsewhere. If things went south, she was worried about what the ex Imperials would do if given the chance. And he didn’t have any real connections to this place that would make him stay, like a family, spouse or close friends. He needed to become more invested in this planet.

And she knew just who could make him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

Orbit of Mars

The mood aboard the frigate Morgador was quiet but tense. Rear Admiral Valentina Rosa paced around the vessel’s small bridge, eyeing the consoles hopefully. This just might work. She thought to herself, finally sitting down in her centrally located chair.

The exercise they were engaged in was relatively simple. Retaliation, One of the star destroyers the Empire had used to attack Earth the second time had been declared unsalvageable due to it’s heavy damage. Stripped of every useful component, it was now going to be unused in a combat simulation with fake turrets placed around its hull. These turrets would fire tiny laser blasts that would be run through a computer program on the Morgador to track damage before the ship was destroyed. She and her fellow ships would have to destroy it first.

Three other frigates of the same class also participated in the exercise, the Adamant, Busan, and Emden. All had been modified for this task, carrying a larger complement of missiles and torpedoes than normal. This exercise would hopefully demonstrate how a group of smaller ships could cripple or potentially destroy a much larger ship such as a star destroyer.

“Ma’am we’re coming into the maximum range for our missiles.” The ship’s chief gunnery officer said, staring at his console intently. “Should we launch a first strike?”

“Not yet. But keep them hot in the tubes and ready to fire at a moment's notice.” It wouldn’t be long before all the ships made it into the maximum range for the Star Destoyers’s guns. But that would not be significant, as their guns would not be very effective against smaller targets like her’s at this range.

“Tell all ships to execute the flanking maneuver.” She ordered the comms officer and the helmsman. They were going to plunge right into the unprotected heart of the I S D .

The Imperial shipwright and designer Lira Wessex had designed the Imperial Star Destroyer with large amounts of forward and broadside firepower, but had only a few guns firing rearwords. If you went to the ventral end of the rear, the amount of guns became even smaller. But the rear of the ship housed the ship’s massive ion engines, an area of the ship that was less well protected than the rest of it. This was something rebel starfighters had used to their advantage during many confrontations, but these small crafts could only carry so many munitions. A larger frigate may be easier to hit, but it could carry much more firepower.

With that, the four ships approached the rear of the I S D . Soon, the simulated rear turbolasers and ion cannons were trying to hit them, but they only scored a few glancing hits due to the frigate’s nimbleness.

“Tell all ships to fire the first wave. Then reload tubes 1-10 with anti-ship missiles.” A moment later, 10 ion torpedoes flew out the tubes of each ship, 40 in total. A few were shot down on the way, but the Imperial heavy turbolasers and ion cannons were poor point defense weapons. But most hit their target, disabling the rear shields of the ship. In moments, the missile/ torpedo tubes of all four frigates were reloaded, and a wave of heavy anti-ship missiles began approaching their target.

Like the previous wave, a few were shot down, but most hit their target. The wreckage collapsed into dozens of pieces, and the computer program concluded that even if the ship had been at full strength it would have been disabled with critical damage. There were cheers and hollers across all four ships in celebration of their victory, but this was not the end of their trials. Rosa still had to convince the rest of the admiralty that what she had done would be a viable strategy going forwards.

Soon she found herself in the Revenge’s conference room, faced with the other members of the Admiralty currently present. The supreme commander of the fleet; Harrington and the director of operations; Johnson. Both of their faces portrayed neutral expressions. Rear Admirals Davis Stuart and Fei Hong both looked a bit skeptical, probably unsure of the methods she had used in the simulated battle.

“Congratulations on your victory, Admiral. We may need to reevaluate our opinion on your small ship tactics.” Harrington said.

“Perhaps we should take a step back. The parameters of this simulation were incredibly favorable to Admiral Rosa.” Admiral Hong said with a slight demeanor of annoyance.

“Why do you think that?” Johnson asked.

“Well, there was one star destroyer with no fighters and no supporting fleet. It was completely unmaneuverable and besides the simulated laser and ion fire could not respond in any way to the Admiral’s attacks.” Stuart said, looking a bit angry.

“It doesn’t matter,” Rosa replied. “Almost all Imperial fighters will be ineffective against frigates unless used in overwhelmingly large numbers like the ones used as they lack heavy weaponry. And this would be done as a surprise attack when they would only be able to deploy a limited number of fighters. As for other Imperial ships, they are often deployed in only limited numbers to Star Destroyers for escort, if at all. And we can always bring in other ships, or use it in conjunction with other maneuvers. And the Imperial Star Destroyer is not exactly the most maneuverable vessel in the galaxy.” She retorted indignantly. This got a chuckle out of Harrington and Johnson, with Hong and Stuart looking annoyed.

“What changes do you believe we should make, both on an equipment and technical level and on a doctrinal level?” Johnson asked.

“Some engineers I’ve contacted have drawn up modifications for several of our current corvette and frigate designs to increase their missile capacity and fire rate. On a docternainal level, I believe that we should use some of these smaller ships in a flanking maneuver to launch a strike against large Imperial ships in a similar manner to what I have done.”

“A good idea, Admiral. I will make sure that your recommendations are to be implemented.” Harrington said.

“Perhaps this tactic will be useful when the enemy is occupied with our main force. If their flanks are exposed, we can use this to devastating effect.” Stuart said, conceding to her positions.

“I believe that this can also be useful as a first strike force before the main fleet comes to battle.” Hong said and Stuart nodded in agreement.

“I also think you should command a mission similar to this once the offensive begins.” Johnson said.

“I would be honored to, Admiral.” She replied.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Unknown location within the Zoloch sector:

Captain Haffard, Commander Harris, Commander Greene, and Ms Lyon all stood in the Moscow’s hangar as the cigar shaped RC10 long range probe droid fired up its engines and exited the ship. After several moments, the craft vanished into hyperspace as another drone was readied for launch.

“How exactly does the drone work?” Lyon asked, looking at Haffard.

“Well it is essentially a small hyperdrive with thrusters, fuel tanks, long range sensors and cameras designed to scout and to perform reconnaissance missions. It will jump out of hyperspace far from an Imperial installation or fleet to avoid detection, then silently move towards them. It will transmit its findings back to us where we will relay it back to command.” He explained.

“What if the Imperials or other hostels find it?” She asked.
“It is monitored constantly by a member of the crew here, who will take direct control of one if a problem arises. If it cannot escape, the vessel will self-destruct to avoid capture.” He replied.

“Fascinating.” She said as another one launched. “How many do you carry?”

“Our standard complement is only four, but we are carrying 20 because of the upcoming offensive. They are only 8 meters long, so making room for them is not difficult and does not require us to sacrifice any of our fighter wing or utility craft.” Greene said.

“Speaking of that, we should be arriving at the agreed-upon coordinates in about an hour.” Haffard looked at Lyon. “Are you prepared, Ma’am.” He asked.

“Indeed I am.” She replied.

About an hour later the cruiser reached its destination. It was a completely wild space, with no other objects as far as the long-range sensor suite could see. The only light outside the ship came from the glow of stars far off into the distance. A perfect spot to be hidden in.

A few moments later a ship of a similar size appeared. It was an old Munificent Class Star Frigate, a venerable design that had served large corporations and later the Separatists in the hundreds of thousands. Haffard had heard that on some days during the clone wars, dozens had been commissioned on the same day. But as time went on, they began to be lost in the hundreds each day, until the confederacy’s war effort had collapsed with the shutdown of the droid army.

This particular ship had been heavily modified, with more facilities to accommodate more living crewmembers. Its armor was reinforced and now almost fully enclosed the interior space of the vessel, which had been left exposed under the original model. Dozens of turbolaser and ion emplacements lined the hull, more than had been in the original design. The general shape and size were the same, but besides that, it was almost unrecognizable.

“This is the star frigate Minotaur to an unidentified ship, please transmit clearance codes.” The comms officer quickly transmitted the requested codes, and they were approved. T the Free Confederate ship.

“Moscow, you're authorized to land your team in hangar bay two. Seconds later the diplomatic shuttle that had originally embarked Lyon and her aides were doing so again, this time with Haffard Harris, and Brown. Four marines were also coming to stand guard around the shuttle.

Touching down in the hangar bay, Haffard could see a large number of old vulture droid starfighters suspended from the ceiling. Other small ships littered the bay, such as old and almost obsolete CloakShape fighters to newer Z-95 headhunters that looked to have dozens of aftermarket additions and modifications. Several shuttles and landing craft could also be seen. Droids and some living species were bustling around, tending the ships. Some appeared to be old B-1 battle droids reconfigured for manual labor, while others seemed to be dedicated maintenance units.

As he stepped out, he saw an old man with a large, ragged beard step forward. He looked old, perhaps in his 60’s, with grey hair. Behind him was another person, a much younger man who looked like he was in his 20s.

“I’m Admiral Zut Gorky of the Free Confederacy. Welcome aboard the Minotaur.” He held out his hand and Haffard shook it.

“Captain Drofa Haffard, it’s good to meet you Admiral.” He said, returning the handshake.

Harris, Brown, and Lyon shook hands with the admiral as he introduced the other person at his side. “This is Captain Codore Gent, commander of this ship and our best diplomat.” Everyone shook hands with him, and Gorky led the group out of the hangar and into a wide corridor.

“This ship is different from the history books.” Haffard remarked.

“You learned about the Confederacy during school?”

“I’m originally from Carida. I was part of the Imperial Navy’s first operation to take Earth, and I defected after that battle. I was ready to go by then, and I took the opportunity to fight for a cause worth fighting for.” Haffard said.
“Where did you serve before then?” Gent asked.

“The I S D Impassable as their executive officer. It was far from a pleasant experience.” He replied.

“I heard many poor things about Admiral Ketchlow and Captain Made. It seems that they were significantly worse than most Imperials.” Gent said.

“I can indeed confirm that it was most detestable.” Haffard replied as they entered a spacious conference room.

“The information I and my intelligence opportoves gathered on Earth and the Imperial attempts to subjugate it were far from satisfactory. I want to hear the whole story.” Gorky said. For the next half hour, the group explained all the events ranging from Earth’s discovery of galactic civilization to the recent raid into Imperial space and the upcoming offensive.

“Fascinating.” Gent murmured. “How the hell are you building ships so fast?”

“Because they are our planet’s best chance at survival. We have to stop the Empire somehow, and we’re dedicating a massive amount of resources to it.” Haffard said.

“How was the decision made to attack Imperial space? What was the rationale behind sending your fleet deep into unknown territory against an Empire with near unlimited resources?” Gorky asked.

“The Empire took severe losses, especially in Star Destroyers during their attacks on Earth. Combined with your attacks, it has cost them half of their Star Destroyers and dozens of smaller ships. And they have been slow, very slow to reinforce and are nowhere close to regaining their original strength. We weren’t going to get an opportunity that was this good potentially ever, so we’re going to take it. It puts more space between Earth and the Empire. And remember the treaty Earth sighed with the Rebel Alliance? Well in exchange for all the stuff they were giving us as well as all the technical support, we had to attack the Empire.” Haffard said.

“Interesting.” Gorky said. “It takes tremendous courage to fight against the Empire in an offensive action like you are. Something I admit I haven’t always had.” Gent chuckled. “How do you plan to attack the Empire?” He asked

Haffard produced a data pad and pulled up a map of the sector, with some other areas such as Earth included. After a few more taps, the pad showed a line starting from Earth and branching out into multiple systems in the sector.

“These are the tentative plans for the offensive. There is only one hyperspace from the area we control into the Zoloch Sector. However, the first few systems are not well defended, and so will be easily taken. If we can be fast, the Empire will be left confused, hopefully weakening their response.” He said, with everyone else nodding at his plans.

“Our fleet then splits up, going in different directions to reach several different systems. Garnison, Dydra, Nmjok, Zoloch, and several others.” With the depleted strength of the sector forces, it should not be difficult to take many of these. He pointed to planets on the map.

“So then what do you want us to do?” Gorky asked.

“Do you have a rough estimate of your forces and where they are located?” Haffard asked.

“Are you planning to attack me?” He laughed. There were a few chuckles throughout the room as he spoke.”

“I think we will eliminate you later.” Lyon said, a smile appearing on her face. “You will have plenty of time to change your composition before we attack.” More chuckles followed, as everyone could tell it was a joke.

“I have 16 large capital ships, including Lucrehulk battleships, Providence dreadnaughts, a Subjugator Heavy Cruiser, Bulwark Battlecruisers and more. Several dozen smaller but still respectable capital ships. Munificent Frigates and Recusant light destroyers. And over 150 hundred smaller ships, Class 1000s, Fantail Destroyers, Lupus missile frigates, a few old Dreadnaughts, a couple Sabaoth Destroyers, and plenty more.” Gorky said. “As for fighters, most are old rebuilt vulture droids and some new ones that we have managed to produce. They are significantly better in almost every category than the originals. Faster, more agile, with better programming and a longer flight time make them dominate in dogfights with T I E fighters. We also have modified and upgraded all our other ones, both droids and non droids.”

“What about ground forces?” Brown, the commander of the Moscow’s marine detachment asked.

“We have completely fazed the old B1 units out of frontline combat service, though they are still used in support roles. They have been replaced with upgraded B2 Super Battle Droids as well as BX series Commando Droids, Droidekas, IG-100 Magnaguards, and Lr57 combat droids. These are supported by regular units manned by sentient lifeforms. These troops are backed up by tens of thousands of vehicles including upgraded models of AAT tanks, Multi Troop Transports, OG-9 homing spider droids, DSD1 dwarf spider droids, and many others. We have about a million combat ready battle droids with hundreds of thousands in reserve, and about 50,000 live soldiers of various different species, mostly as officers and their staff as well as special forces units and small groups of insurgents on the planets under Imperial occupation . But there are some brigades of live soldiers, ” Gorky said.

“Impressive, most impressive.” Brown said. “It will complement our ground forces well during combat.” He said.

Gorky produced a data pad that showed a map of his fleets.

“We will begin attacking and liberating these worlds, before eventually linking up with your forces here.” He stated.

“You intend to attack Garnizon I I ?” Haffard asked with surprise.

“Only after your forces get closer. The place still has a large number of defenses including half a dozen Golan Defense Platforms as well as the Imperial fleet in orbit. The area is also the main headquarters for the Imperial Army in the sector, as well as about a quarter of a million troops not counting local auxiliaries.” Gorky said.

“That will be difficult to win against, but not impossible. I believe that both of our plans are satisfactory.” Haffard said. “If there is nothing else to note, I think we can move on.” He said.

“You have my agreement, Captain. What is next on your agenda?” Gorky asked.

“There seems to be a high chance of victory against the Empire in this sector.” Lyon said to nods of agreement from the small group. “So we need to figure out what we are going to do after that.” There were more more nods.

“I understand that you claim the entirety of this sector, Admiral. How do you intend to govern and control all of it?”

“Well to be quite frank, ma’am that wasn’t exactly something we were thinking of before this. We thought it was a pipe dream at best.” Gent said.

Haffard brought up a map with a line dividing the sector in half. “Once we finish conquering the area, I recommend splitting it in half for now. It will be within both of our resources to each occupy this land.”

“That would be acceptable, Captain,” Gorky said. “At least for now.”

“Do you have the resources to occupy that land?” Lyon asked.

“We have a large number of battle droids as you might remember, and many of the people on these worlds are supportive of us. We hope to hand power to them as soon as possible.” Gent said.

“Good, we intend to do the same thing,” Lyon said. “Are there significant numbers of Imperial loyalists on planets in this sector?”

“Yes, mostly in the areas near large Imperial installations on both the ground and space. I am not sure if they will resist us when we find them.” Gent said.

“I think they should be looked after but not outwardly treated differently than anyone else. We do not want to treat someone in a certain way just because of their political views.” Lyon said.

“Alright, I think we have that settled. What else?” Gorky asked.

“Earth's varied industrial base has largely transitioned into a war economy. We’re building as many things as we can, but we don’t have enough people to use them. Armored vehicles, aircraft, and starfighters, blasters as well as food, medical supplies, and spare parts. Once we can link up with your forces, we can start transferring supplies to you.” Lyon said.

“That would be excellent. We already have trouble finding a steady supply of those resources.” Gorky said.

“We also have dispatched some probe droids to gather intelligence on major Imperial operations in this sector. They are surveying some planets with a large Imperial presence. We will give you the ability to access the probes and gather information like we are doing.” Haffard said.

“Good, that will be very useful, ” Gent said.

Haffard looked at Harris, Brown, and Lyon. “Then I believe that concludes our discussions for today.” There were nods of agreement from the people present. “Unless there was anything else you wanted to discuss, Admiral, Captain.” He looked at the two.

“Nothing else of note from us. Do you want a tour of the ship?”

“Yes indeed.” Haffard said as the delegation from Earth got up. The two soon began showing them around the large ship. Harris, Brown, and Lyon were all interested and respectfully listening, but Haffard was the most interested.

“It is fascinating that this ship is in such good condition after so many years.” Haffard said, walking through the halls of the Minotar.”

“We have had only limited assets, so we must be sure to take extra care of them.” Gent said.

“I believe that we should head back now, Admiral, Captain.” Haffard looked at them and reached out his hand. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“The pleasure is ours.” Gorky said, shaking it.

“I have a few other matters I would like to discuss with Captain Gent later if that is alright.” Lyon said.

“That is perfectly fine, ma’am.” Gent said.

As the delegation walked back to the hangar unescorted, Lyon pulled behind to talk to Haffard.

“What did you think?” He said.

“So far everything is good, but I want to find out more information about them. I intend to come back and speak with Gent a bit more later.” Lyon said.

“Contact me when you are ready to come back. I’ll send a shuttle to pick you up.” He said as she turned around and walked the other direction.

A few hours later she returned to the Minotar, ditching her more formal diplomatic clothes for less formal dress. She silently noticed a number of the crew looking at her, but ignored it as she traveled to her destination.

She coincidentally found him walking down the hall in the opposite direction she was going. He looked intrigued to see her again, especially since the group had left. For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words. Had she just intimidated him?”

“Captain, it’s good to see you again.” She smiled warmly at him. He nodded and led her to his quarters, and offered her a chair.

“Shall I offer you a drink, Ms Lyon?”

“Indeed, I have not had the luxury of tasting any alcohol outside Earth.” He grabbed a bottle from a concealed fridge and opened it, before grabbing two glasses.

“This is very strong.” Lyon remarked.

“It’s from Coreallia. Their alcohol is particularly strong.” He replied. “So what exactly did you want to ask me about?” He asked.

“How did you become the main diplomat for this organization?” Lyon asked.

“Because no one else was willing to do it.” They both laughed. “It really is a side job, only used on special occasions.”

“So there aren’t any other diplomatic personnel in the Free Confederacy?” She asked, intrigued.

“Well, a couple.” He said nervously. “But it’s only a side job. We don’t have enough people to do this full time.”

“Well maybe you should start. Because Earth will certainly not be the last faction you will establish relations with.”

“Well yes, but we still have a war to fight.”

“The Alliance is fighting a war, and scoring major victories. They have a full diplomatic core.” She insisted.

“Well we don’t have the resources for that.” He retorted.

“Maybe not now.” She said, “But later you might need one.”

“Alright. You have a point.” Gent said. He caught himself staring at her nimble, elegant form once again. He shook himself out of his hornyness.

“Is Admiral Gorky the only flag officer?” She asked, taking another sip of the Corellian ale.

“No, there are others. Most are stationed in other fleets spread across the sector.” He replied.

“Based on his age, he looks like he served in the Clone Wars.” She remarked.

“Apparently he was a Captain in the Garnizon Guard when the war broke out. The planet had people aligned with both sides, and he ended up supporting the separatists. Made his way up the ranks, eventually became an admiral as the war was going south for them. Won a good number of victories fighting all across the outer rim, but never was as brutal as some would want him to be. When the droid armies got deactivated, he got enough reactivated quickly and launched a guerrilla war that leads to this day.”

He sighed. “As far as he’s concerned the war never ended. After losses mounted in the first couple years he scaled back, and focused on building up his forces. What’s about to happen here is two decades in the making.”

“How did you end up here?” She asked, her voice now a much softer tone.

“My parents both served in the Seperatist Fleet. They stuck on past the deactivation and kept fighting. I was raised on Garnizon by my grandparents, and they died a year after the Empire rose. I wanted to continue their legacy, so I joined what was left of the fleet once I got old enough to be secretly whisked away. It’s been 16 years now…” He trailed off.

They sat in silence for a bit, looking at each other. Gent found himself staring once again into her face, studying her beautiful features.

She finally decided to break the silence in a mischievous fashion. “Are you looking at something, Captain?” She said with a smirk. You could see what he was looking at and what he wanted from a hundred miles away.

His face became a bright shade of pink as he failed to respond. The smirk on Lyon’s face turned into a smile. She was having some unexpected fun.

“Sorry Ma’am.” Gent stammered. “I was ummm, just lost in my thoughts.”

“First of all you don’t have to call me ma’am in public.” She responded. “And what exactly were you thinking about?” Her smile widened as she drew herself just a little bit closer to him.

His face got an even deeper shade of pink. “Well, I’ll just have to guess what you mean.” She said, kissing him.

“Tell me more. I want to know more.” She said. This was all part of her plan. One that had a very intentional goal, but one that had some positive side effects.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Admiral William Johnson looked out from the observation deck aboard the Revenge, watching the mighty fleet that had been assembled over the last year and three months. Just under 400 combat warships, ranging from small nimble corvettes to massive battleships like the Revenge and captured Star Destroyers like his original flagship, the Impassable. That didn’t count the over a hundred support vessels such as fleet tenders, ammunition ships, and massive interstellar transports for several hundred thousand ground troops. In just a few hours, Operation Vengeance would begin. The full invasion of the Imperial held Zoloch Sector.
It was

Supposedly they would be facing about 200 Imperial warships, but the vast majority of them would be small systems patrol craft, corvettes, frigates and light cruisers. Still there were supposedly a dozen large Imperial Class Star Destroyers and some larger cruisers and lighter models of star destroyers like the Victory Class. But they would have the assistance of the Free Confederacy, which had many ships as well and could probably force the Empire from the sector alone. If they could make significant gains before the sector was reinforced, then they would be able to gain a sizable buffer to help protect Earth.

“We’ve accomplished so much in so little. It felt like yesterday that we were trying to salvage the Impassable.” Allison had crept up on him. Will checked and saw they were alone in the room.

“Think about what we could do in a decade. Or a century.” He replied.

“Or if we didn’t have to fight this war.” She said wistfully, looking at him.

“I wish.” He said. “But I’d rather die free than live under the boot of the Empire.”

“What would you do when the Empire gets defeated?” It was perhaps an unrealistic question.

“I never thought about it. I have no idea. Maybe I will continue serving here, though unless Harrington retires I don’t exactly have much of a career to advance. Whatever happens, we are still going to need the fleet.” He smiled. “Or I could retire and settle down with you.”

“That would be nice. But let's win this war first.” Allison mused.

“Harrington and I have been talking with Admiral Fisher. He’s a good engineer and scientist but an even better organizer and supply chain manager. I was a bit reluctant at first since I didn’t want it to be seen as favoritism, but Harrington took control of that. You’re getting promoted to head of R & D so he can take control of fleet logistics.” He smiled and pulled out the rank insignia of an Admiral. “You’re getting promoted as well.”

“Aww thanks Will. Quickly checking to see if nobody was in the area, she kissed him as he pinned the new insignia onto her uniform.

“I think you're the right one for the job.” He looked at a clock hanging on the wall. “Let’s get going, we don't want to be late for my speech.

The orbital defense platform and command station Indomitable had been constructed after the Empire’s second attack on Earth to coordinate a network of defense platforms and satellites. While all these systems could easily be controlled from ground based installations, it would make coordination with an orbiting defense fleet much easier and also served as a mobile base for fighters. Today, however, a number of high ranking civilian and military officials were aboard to commemorate the beginning of the operation, with dozens of reporters broadcasting the event across the globe and to the warships in orbit.

One of the large hanger decks had been cleared of all traffic with rows of seats and bleachers facing a podium. Johnson, as commander of the operation, would be delivering a speech to the attacking forces. The event was also being broadcasted to civilians, and anyone else who wanted to hear it. Standing tall with his dress uniform impeccably ironed, he looked at the masses of people he would be addressing. And there were probably millions, maybe even billions watching down on Earth.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, sailors and soldiers alike from the United Nations Spaceborne Navy, United Nations Extraplanetary Marines, and the United Nations Planetary Assault Army, we now stand poised to begin the most critical military operation in this planet’s history. Since the Empire came to try to take the independence and freedom of our nations and our people, we have taken an almost completely defensive posture, building up our forces to protect our world and hit back when the time was right. But now that all changes. We are going to charge into the Zoloch sector and put as much space between this planet and the Empire as possible. It won’t be an easy task, and every single one of you will be challenged in ways you never thought possible. While we may hold an almost two to one numerical advantage against the Imperial sector forces, our planet has no experience with offensive operations of this magnitude. And if we fail, it may give the Empire a clear shot of invading Earth. This has led many to question the choice to go on the offensive, and at one time I did myself. But the answer I found was a definite yes for the attack. The Empire’s failed attacks against us have cost them dearly in ships. They have lost half of their Star Destroyers and many smaller ships not just from combat but from a rebel movement local to that sector. This is potentially a once in a lifetime chance that we are taking. And we signed a treaty with the Rebel Alliance that stated we would attack the Empire. So maybe we should have written that treaty differently back then. And finally a buffer between us and the Empire will mean they may never have the chance to strike directly at us again. If that is a possibility, I and the fleet will do everything in my power to ensure it.”

He paused. “There are no illusions as to what the Empire would do if they got their hands on Earth. They would force us to surrender and live under their boot for the rest of time. If that failed, their ships would bombard us from orbit until we finally cave to their demands, or our world has been turned to slag. This is a reality that everyone in the fleet will not allow under any circumstances. But while I would have done everything to never be in this situation, perhaps we have oddly enough benefited from this looming threat. Humanity on this planet has fought itself from the moment we could walk. As time went on, we developed better methods of fighting and new technologies to allow us to kill more effectively. When peace came, it was only temporary. We only stopped fighting when we saw that the price would simply be too high, and then we decided to find ways of fighting that would allow us to fight without suffering these consequences. But let me ask you this. What happens when we stop fighting amongst ourselves and turn our attention to fighting those outside our world? What happens? We start to think less about our nations and more about each other and the task at hand. In the grand scheme of the galaxy, our little nations are irrelevant. Some would say even combined we are as well, but our offensive will change that. We shall be a small world, unheard of no more. If we take the Zoloch sector, we will have done something no one in the galaxy has done before. This will be the first time a supposedly primitive species invades an entire sector of Imperial space. And once we take one, more and more will fall into our grasp. The name Earth will be spoken with fear by Imperials, and with joy and excitement by the free people’s and species of the galaxy. So let’s get going before the Empire gets any ideas.” As Johnson finished, a chorus of clapping and cheers rang out.

He soon found himself pulled aside by Harrington, in the deck chiefs' office that had been temporarily cleared.

“Well Will, good luck out there. Cause if we screw up it won’t be long before the Empire comes back.”

“I have it under control sir.” He replied. “Everyone is ready to get going. No issues have been reported.”

“You’re ready for this Johnson. Good hunting.” He shook his hand. “It’s been an honor serving with you this past year.”

“Thank you Admiral. Same to you.”

“I’ll show myself out. I think there is another guest that would like to speak to you in private.” He smirked as Allison came in. As soon as the Admiral left, she grappled him in an embrace.

“Stay safe out there Will. And come back as soon as possible.” She didn’t say anything else, but her sad expression conveyed all her feelings. He could see tears welling in her eyes. While they had been dating for over a year now, the constant demands of the service meant they had less time to interact than most other couples. Even if they were on the same ship, they both were working a lot and rarely had the time to spend together. Just as they were starting to spend some more time together in the past few months, they would be torn apart as Will led operation vengeance. And they both knew that him returning alive was not a certainty. Many things could go wrong in space, and in many cases they were deadly.

“I’ll be home for Christmas.” He tried to lighten the mood a bit with the joke, but he found himself on the verge of tears. It felt agonizing, and Will found himself momentarily doubting if he should still lead the offensive. But he snapped out of it, knowing it was something he needed to do. “And I’ll send comms as much as I can.” He said, holding her tighter. After a few moments, the two left the embrace and made their way to one of the operational hangars to depart the station.

The public did know the two were in a relationship. Both had initially tried to keep it secret, but as an old galactic saying goes, rumors travel at lightspeed on a starship. So it wasn’t long (but longer than they initially thought) before the media got a leak from someone who knew aboard the ship.

There was no reason to hide it, as their relationship was completely legal and not against regulations. When the fleet had been secret, there had been no contact with the outside world allowed so members had essentially no chance of forming a romantic relationship with someone on the planet. Therefore there had never been any regulations preventing relationships between members of the crew, as long as it didn’t interfere with their duties.

However, the two acted like everyone else did when in public. To both of them, public displays of affection while off duty were weird and uncalled for in their environment. Both knew their behavior needed to set an example for the fleet. If you asked most people if the two were in a relationship just based on how they acted in public, most would answer no. So it was quite a break from normalcy when Allison decided it would be a great time to plant a big sopping wet kiss on his lips as he approached his shuttle. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds of other people in the room, many of which watched silently as it unfolded. Will was taken aback at first but he eagerly pulled in for a few moments before parting.

“You’d better come back.” She muttered under her breath as they let go.

“I shall return.” He replied. An unexpected cheer rose from the crowd as the two parted, and Will scurried away. Part of him wondered what the tabloids and gossip magazines would think, but he pushed those thoughts aside. For once, he didn’t care what others thought of him and his relationship with Allison.

He just wanted to kiss his damn girlfriend.

Minutes later he found himself back aboard the Revenge, it’s large industrial grey form about to be tested just like all the others in the fleet. Enlisted and officers of all ranks saluted him and stood at attention, but he mostly waved them away. While he appreciated the respect they gave him, he had work to do. The thoughts of loss and agony of seeing Allison for the last time for a while were replaced with his usual duty first mentality. He had an invasion to command.

Around him the over 6000 enlisted and officers that crewed it bustled about, finishing the last minute preparations for departure. Bulkheads were secured, explosives checked to prevent accidental detonation, and toilets were polished, among other small actions. Crewmen checked to see if their loved ones had received their latest messages and waited for responses from people they knew they may never see again.

Across the world, from the metropolises of New York and Tokyo to the vast steps of the Gobi desert and the Amazon rainforest (or at least what remained of it after the wildfires a few years ago) people watched. People flocked to their television sets and computers to watch the speech, with delivered pizza and takeout delivered to watch what would be another watershed moment in the history of the world. Even those who did not watch at the moment would be bombarded with clips and recordings now sprinkled across the internet.
Some with telescopes watched the fleet preparing to leave, trying to identify the different types of ships in orbit.

As Johnson reached the bridge, the on duty crew all paused and stood at attention once again. watching the crew prepare to depart. There was a sort of frantic, chaotic efficanty that developed on the bridge or CIC of a starship, with constant communications and orders being relayed and given. There was no doubt that at times it could be an extremely stressful environment, akin to a professional kitchen during dinner or the capital building of a country. However, the crew could more than handle the environment. Only the best would get the chance to serve aboard the Revenge at all, and only a few of those would have the honor of serving in it’s command center.

This was made clear in the ship’s condition. No errors or warnings of any kind had been reported throughout the ship, and if they had existed in the first place they had already been solved.

“Anything to report, Drofa?” He asked the ship’s commanding officer. He had been transferred back from his stint in command of the Moscow while they had been meeting with the Admiral Gorky of the Free Confederacy and dispatching recon drones to scout major Imperial worlds. These scout drones had transmitted constant footage back to the intelligence arm of the fleet, allowing constant monitoring of Imperial operations throughout the Zoloch sector. They were several steps ahead of the Empire, and they would be able to exploit this intelligence opportunity to make smart choices as to when to attack.

Sofia Lyon, the diplomatic official who had been dispatched to lead the negotiations had been pleased with the results. Afterwards she had spoken a lot with Codore Gent, and now believed that the rebel group would not be hiding anything. Honesty would be important for both parties.

“All ships are ready to depart, sir. No issues to report.” He stated.
“All signs indicate the crew is ready for this.” Indra Sing, the ship’s new XO said. Formerly the first captain in the Indian Navy, she had joined the fleet quickly after it had been revealed to the public. She had traded the option of commanding one of the older Halsey class cruisers to become XO of the fleet’s flagship. So far she had performed her duties in an exemplary manner.

“Good, let’s get underway.” Johnson replied. “Signal all the ships in the first and second battle group to jump in exactly one minute.” He ordered the young comms officer, who quickly relayed the message to other ships.

Only a few ships would be participating in the initial stage of the attack, the ones that made up the first and second battle group . If the Empire caught on to the full force of the operation in the beginning, they might be able to call in reinforcements from other sectors or perhaps a dedicated oversector fleet. The intention was by the time the Empire knew the full scale of the attack that it would be too late for them to stop the invasion.

The first target of the invasion would be the Grostme system. The system was small, made up of a few gas giants with only one habitable world, Grostme VI. It was a small mining colony under heavy Imperial occupation, with a population of only a few hundred thousand. There were approximately 10,000 Imperial personnel at several major garrisons across the planet.

The first wave would consist of the Revenge, as well as one of it’s newly commissioned sister ships, the Bismark. (there had been some controversy over the naming the ship off of one of Nazi Germany’s predominant warships of the time, but most didn’t mind due to the protocol for naming these ships being for old seafaring battleships). Two Indomitable class multirole supercarriers and four regular cruisers with the interdictor cruiser Senail to prevent the Imperials from fleeing into hyperspace. Additionally there were eight destroyers, 12 frigates and 18 corvettes. There were also three heavy landing ships and two medium ones that would help land troops on the surface of Grostme VI.

The seconds ticked down, and an eerie silence wafted throughout the bridge. Some prayed and others stared at each other nervously, lost in thought as the true magnitude of the moment set in. This action would determine the course of an entire planet and it’s seven billion inhabitants.

“One minute is up, the hyperdrive is ready sir.” The ship’s helmsman said quickly.

“Let’s head out. Operation Vengeance is a go.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Orbit of Grostme VI, Grostme System

Captain Gorden Gorky of the Imperial Navy sighed as he took another swig of caf. It was another boring day in command of the old Dreadnaught Class heavy cruiser Virgha, a ship that was even older than him. With heavy armor and many old (but still powerful) weapons emplacements, cruisers like the Virgha had served the Judicial Forces, republic navy, Imperial Navy, planetary defense forces and pirates for almost a century. Thousands had been built, and many still served in the Imperial Navy and independent governments like the Corporate Sector Authority, though they were steadily being replaced by newer designs and had been mostly relegated to remote and less important posts.

Gordon had served with the ship for years. When the Clone Wars had begun he had been a recently commissioned junior officer aboard a younger version of the ship. It had been the flagship of the Garnizon Guard, with his older brother Zut in command of the ship.

When the war began he and a number of others attempted a mutiny to bring after word reached them Garnizon had left the republic and joined the confederacy. It had been a failure, with the survivors such as himself forced to escape to the planet’s surface in escape pods. By then a civil war was in full swing across the planet as pro republic and pro sepeartist forces clashed. Men and women who had once been neighbors, friends and comrades fought one another in the name of ideological zeal. It was not the first, and certainly not the last time this would happen.

As the planet fell to the superior pro seperatist forces, Gorky and others escaped and were offered commissions in the newly formed republic navy, a force that was lacking a substantial officer corps. By the end of the war, he had been promoted to Captain and commanded an Arquitens Class Light Cruiser.

The Virgha had been docked at the Seperatist shipyards above Garnizon when the world was retaken by the Empire. It had been under refit to modernize many of its hopelessly outdated systems such as it’s fire control as well as reduce it’s required crew complement from over 16,0000 to about 2,000. The ship was unable to defend itself due to it being in port, and the crew surrendered without much of a fight. The refit would continue after the ship was seized by the Imperial Navy, and it would be recommissioned into it shortly thereafter. Several years later Gorden was promoted and became its Captain.

But a number of factors prevented him from ascending past that rank, or even gaining command of any other ship. His brother’s position as a former separatist admiral and current resistance leader certainly played a role. His political views were also a major factor, as he had been openly critical of some Imperial policies and reluctant to heavily condemn the rebellion, especially on speciesism throughout the Empire. There was no denying he was a competent officer, however, so he had been placed in command of the Imperial space assets in the Grostme system, which was the last occupied system before wood space.

He had spoken with Moff Illustrious of the neighboring Tibannas sector, and she had offered him command of a newer Vindicator class heavy cruiser at the least, and potentially a Star Destroyer at most. She did not care who his brother was and believed that who he was should not play a factor in where he was assigned to, and she shared some of his political views about some Imperial policies. And she led one of the most prosperous sectors in the outer rim, no in the entire galaxy outside the core. He would be transferring there in about a month, but until then he still had the Grostme system to defend.

His assets included the Virgha, a more modern Strike Class Medium Cruiser, an Arquetens light cruiser, two Nebulon B frigates, and six CR90 and Raider corvettes. This was backed up by half a dozen sublight IVP1 Systems Patrol craft, a class of small fast patrol ships that lacked a hyperdrive and were meant to be carried to systems attached to larger freighters. There was also a Cardan I space station in orbit around the world, which held 48 T I E fighters. This augmented the 72 others aboard the two frigates and the Dreadnaught. Not an insignificantly sized force for the remote region of space it was in, and larger than the ones in the nearby planets.

He knew all too well why this was. When Imperial expeditions for Earth had set out, they always had from here. And none had returned alive. While most believed Earth would not dare to go on the offensive into Imperial space, it was better to be prepared for the possibility. And this system would be first in the line of defense if that attack was to happen.

Privately Gorky was not sure if he would be able to hold off an attack. When the Empire had first found Earth, they had over 50 ships. That had been a year and three months ago. Who knew how many they had built since then, since they knew the Empire had hostile intent against them.

Snapping back to reality, he stared at the bridge crew going about their duties. There was nothing for him to do unless something showed up or needed attention in the next three hours. Looking over at Commander Hess Ygalo, the ship’s new XO. She had only recently been assigned to this ship after only a few years out of the Anaxes War College, but had already proven to be a skilled officer. Her dark skin and green eyes looked as bored as he was feeling.

Suddenly an alert popped up on the screen of the sensor officer. No multiple alerts. Something was going on.

“Report. What is going on Lieutenant?” He asked.

“I have 41 contacts inbound. None can be identified at this range.” He replied.

“Begin transmitting this data to the sector headquarters at Garnizon.” Gorky ordered the comms officer.

“Sir I can’t get through, these ships must be jamming the transmission.” He said in a worried tone.

“Bring weapons and shields online, and order the other ships to do the same. Launch the alert TIEs and send them to investigate the unknown ships. Notify the ground forces.”

“Sir I’m getting a hail from one of the unknown ships, should I put it through?” The comms officer asked.

“Do it.” He replied.

“To all Imperial assets in the Grostme system, stand down and surrender and no harm will come to you.” A voice said over the bridge speakers.

“Who the hell are you and what gives you the right to ask ships of the Imperial Navy to surrender?” Gorky replied.

“The fact that you are completely cut off from reinforcement and that we outnumber and outgun you.” The voice paused.

“As for who we are, I am Admiral William Johnson, the Director of Naval Operations for the United Nations Spaceborne Navy of Earth and commander of Operation Vengeance. And if I don’t see your ships powered down in one minute you will be reduced to molten slag.” Johnson said.

Gorky looked at Commander Ygalo, his second in command.

“What do you think?” He asked her.

“What choice do we have?” She replied. The fact was that they didn’t.

“Alright Admiral, you win. I am signaling all the ground and space forces to stand down.” He said glumly.

“Good, we can avoid needless bloodshed like civilized people. You and your XO are to come over to my flagship unarmed in a shuttle. We will discuss matters there.”

Several minutes later he laid eyes upon the mysterious flagship of William Johnson. It was a large ship, at least 200 meters longer than an Imperial class but somewhat thinner. It appeared to be bristling with weapons, and had a large hangar on each side of the ship that his shuttle soon entered.

Unlike the hangars of Imperial vessels, it had less clear space for launch and retrieval of fighters and more space dedicated to maintenance and service of the small craft. The fighters were unlike any he had ever seen, sleek and grey and slightly longer than a rebel X wing, but with folding wings that when folded gave the ship the width of a T I E fighter. Dozens of flight deck personnel were milling about, performing various duties. Each branch of hangar operations wore a different color uniform, making them easier to see than their Imperial counterparts (he would later learn this had been a practice developed on waterborne aircraft carriers.)

Five armed men were waiting for them as they exited the shuttle, rifles held firmly but not pointed at them. But based on the looks on their looks, that could change easily. They were patted down for weapons, but none were found and the men sent to escort them looked pleased.

“Come with us Captain, Commander.” The lead man said firmly. The two were led down a number of corridors and turbolifts. Other crew members of the ship looked suspiciously at them, but said nothing.

Finally they reached their destination, the ship’s bridge. It seemed typical of any other warship command center, with banks of computers and monitors being manned by the best of the ship’s crew, with the senior officers congregated on one end of the room, watching a display. They turned, and Gorky saw a face he was sure was dead.

“Drofa Haffard you son of a bitch. What the hell are you doing here.” He exclaimed as everyone looked at him.

“It’s a long story. A very long story that I will tell you in another room.” Haffard replied, as he and two other figures led both Gorky and Ygalo into a wardroom on the side of the bridge. The guards did not follow them in, but he saw that all three of his captors had holstered sidearms.

“Allow me to welcome you two to the Revenge. I am Admiral Johnson, this is Captain Haffard and this is Commander Sing.” He motioned to the man and women besides him.

“You two already knew each other?” Sing asked Haffard and Gorky.

“I was assigned to his ship as a junior tactical officer as my first post out of the academy. He was basically my mentor in my first years of my service. Influenced my views in a lot of matters. I can vouch that he is far from a fanatical Imperial and has even openly opposed some Imperial policies. Very few are brave enough to do such a thing.”

Johnson looked at Gorky. “I assume this is the truth.”

“Indeed it is. My distaste for the Empire was growing to the point I was considering retirement or transfer to another sector. In fact I had already spoken to Admiral Illustrious of the Tibannas sector about being transferred there. She shares many of my political beliefs, and is more concerned with the prosperity of her sector than the rule of some faraway tyrant.” He said.

“That is good to know. We might have someone you might know of.” Johnson pressed a few buttons on a central holotable and a hologram appeared.

It was his long lost brother, Zut Gorky. Leader of the rebel group known as the Free Confederacy. Several times Gorden had considered defecting to his forces, but had rejected the idea due to the fact he had no idea where his brother was! He was a master at staying hidden, and he had done so despite the best efforts of the Imperial Sector Forces.

“Gorden, it’s been a long time.” Zut said.

“Too long.” Gorden murmured. He was still shocked that he was seeing his long lost brother. Everyone stood for a few moments in silence, letting the two men have their moment.

“So what are you going to do with us?” Ygalo said.

“We are going to give you the full story of how Earth got itself into this position.” The four officers explained everything from Earth’s first discovery of the outside galaxy to Operation Vengeance, as well as some of what was going on with the Free Confederacy. The two captured Imperials were amazed at what happened.

“As for you and your crews, we have defined protocols for what to do with members of the Empire. With some exceptions such as yourself, they will all go through a several month long re-education course to remove the Imperial brainwashing and propaganda they have been exposed to. Then they will be evaluated and have the chance of becoming a civilian on Earth, or joining the fleet under probation.”

“Isn’t that just brainwashing of a different form?” Ygalo said.

“No, it's unbrainwashing.” Johnson said. “We are simply resetting everything so that they are not brainwashed.

“What are you going to do with my ships?” Gorky asked. “And me.”

“They will be crewed by new Earth crews for the time being until their crews have finished their re-education.” Johnson said. “Then we will see. As for you, you won’t need to undergo re-education and will revive a commission in the Earth fleet in command of your old ship. There will be a probationary period of course, but you have already shown a lack of loyalty to the Empire, which is a very good thing.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

Major Petrova crept through the small tunnel, 15 of her men and women behind her along with several members of the Free Confederacy. The path had been dug a while ago and led to the basement of the Imperial Headquarters, which they intended to assault soon.

“How are you doing Hans?” Petrova asked over her comlink.

“We’re in position. The explosives are set, and we have five minutes left.” He replied.

“Go ahead and start. We got into position early.” She said. Already she had heard that Johnson and his fleet were charging across the edge of the sector. It was time to start the uprising on Garnizon.

In front of the ground based Imperial Sector Headquarters were 12 new buildings, offices and housing for some major Imperial officials. They were large and tall, and even better, uninhabited and unguarded. Thousands of Stormtroopers and dozens of walkers marched down Imperial Street (this was one of the most common street names in the galaxy) in between the new tall. buildings.

Early in the morning under the cover of darkness, members of Petrova’s platoon had planted explosives on eight of the buildings and scouted the remaining four for good hiding spots. Later in the day, the explosives would be detonated, sending the eight buildings down on to the unsuspecting Imperial troops. The members of the platoon and the free confederacy would wait in the remaining buildings and open fire on the surviving Imperials. They would also target a large outdoor banquet with many high ranking Imperial officials in the region, such as the sector’s Moff Hjentis Flag.

They were in position, and now Hans had permission to begin the attack.

“Snipers get your targets. On my word, fire on your targets and blow the buildings.” He said, giving the soldiers under his command a few moments to prepare themselves.

“Fire.” He ordered as a louch thunderclap could be heard. His binoculars were trained on the podium where the banquet was being hosted. He could see multiple Imperials dead on, including Moff Flag. Looking elsewhere, he could see the buildings collapse into rubble. The explosives had been placed so they would fall into the street, killing the marching Imperials.

He could see their well organized formations dissipate in fear as the stormtroopers fled imminent death. Some got lucky and avoided the falling rubble, but most would be crushed under it. But even those who escaped soon found themselves under fire from the members of the platoon and the free confederacy.

Petrova heard the blasts from the secret tunnel, which entered into a maintenance shaft below the road. After a brief walk, they reached the underground access door to the base. Bunt unlocked it, and they entered the headquarters.

Their goal was to head to one of the hanger armories to detonate the stock of proton torpedoes and bombs. This explosion would heavily damage, if not outright destroy the entire base. Once that was done, they would join the rest of the uprising on the main street.

They move silently through the lower levels of the base, undetected by the Stormtrooper patrols. Most were responding to the commotion outside. Petrova smiled as she heard the explosions and blasterfire outside. The only good Imperial was a dead Imperial (or a surrendered one).
Only a few troopers were encountered on their journey to the hangar, and they were all completely defeated before they could call for backup. The hanger armory was in a separate room, and therefore they could sneak in undetected. However, it held an alarm that would sound when they would enter the room, so they had to protect the room as long as possible without being killed in the upcoming eposion.

“Bomb is set for five minutes. Let’s get the hell out.” Taylor said. She had hidden between four boxes of proton torpedoes. It would be a hell of an explosion when it went up.

The group ran to the nearest stairwell that they had planned to escape through which was blocked by Imperials. By the time they would be able to defeat them, they would be dead.

“Come this way.” Taylor said. She fired several shots from her rifle and then hit the window. It broke and Petrova looked out. There was a sliding roof that was about ten feet above a to a deserted street.

“You got to be fucking kidding me.” Petrova uttered.

“You got a better plan?” Taylor said sarcastically.

Petrova tossed a few grenades down the roof so they would hit the ground, hopefully eliminating any Imperials that were down there. With only a few minutes left before the explosion, the soldiers jumped off the roof onto the ground and took off running away from the headquarters.

By the time the Imperial installation went up in a fiery mess, they were safely out of the blast.

“Wow. That’s huge.” One of the free confederacy insurgents said.

“Thank you for finding that path. We’d probably be dead without it.” Petrova said to Taylor.

“No problem.” She replied. “Just doing my job.”

“Let’s find the rest of the force and kick those Imperials seven ways from Sunday,” Petrova said to sheets from the rest of the soldiers.

The orbit of Jkilia I I , Zoloch Sector

Admiral William Johnson sighed as he sat down at the desk in his quarters. He would be meeting with Harrington and Zut Gorky about the progress of the invasion. The screen soon lit to life and he joined the secure video call with the leaders of Earth and its allied forces.

He was soon greeted by both of them and they exchanged pleasantries before getting down to business.

“So what’s your progress Will?” Harrington asked.

“We’ve taken four systems without firing a shot. Grostme, Hecan, Conder, and Jkilia. Everyone has surrendered when we meet them with our superior forces. So far, we have captured a Dreadnaught heavy cruiser, a strike medium cruiser, a carrack class light cruiser, four arquitens light cruisers, five Nebulon B frigates, 18 various corvettes and 30 systems patrol craft. That doesn’t count the several orbital stations we have captured as well. On Grostme, Hecan and Conder, all the Imperial army installations have surrendered, but several garrisons are refusing to. I will likely need to send in the marines.” Johnson said.

“I’m sure they are ready for that.” Harrington chuckled. “What else?”

“Several civilian ships were in the sector while we attacked, and some entered the system while we were here. They are being told they are not allowed to leave until we strike our next targets, but otherwise they will be left alone. There were a few Imperial auxiliaries, which have been captured as well. And I heard Major Petrova and Captain have begun their uprisings on Garnizon and Zoloch, aided by local free confederacy units. Already it has been rumored that a large Imperial banquet on Garnizon was shot up and several high ranking sector officials, including Moff Flag.” Johnson said.

“A major victory and a critical objective neutralized. What is your next move Will.” Harrington asked.

“The hyperspace lane we have used to get this far splits here. I’ve been massing forces, a total of eight task forces with two others in reserve that will stay here. That doesn’t count the forces still defending Earth as well as some special units and detachments. I’ll be leading four task forces to the Nmjok system, the first major system we will take during this campaign. The recon drones that were dispatched indicated that there were two Imperial Star Destroyers as well as an older Venator Star Destroyer and Victory Star Destroyer, along with over two dozen other ships. The information that I gathered on the commander of the system forces was that he was an Imperial hardliner, and likely won’t surrender. Additionally our electronic warfare superiority will be lost, as the Golan Defense platform has a specialized suite for that. We might be able to temporarily jam comms, but it won’t last long. Additionally, there are over 100,000 Imperial personnel on the planet, though we don’t know how many are combat maneuver units. It is going to present a challenge, but one we are ready for.”

Johnson paused before continuing again. “The other four task forces under the command of Hong Admiral will continue to Fygilia. It is lightly defended, but more so than the systems we have encountered. However, it will be a walk in the park for those four task forces. Next they will head to Hvant, which is a similar deal to Fygilia. After that, they will attack Dydra, which is well fortified, even more than as well as Nmjok. It has two Imperial Star Destroyers and three Victory Star Destroyers. It won’t be easy, but they have fewer escorts than Nmjok. That should give us an advantage. Then each fleet will continue a few more systems until they reach Garnizon I I or Zoloch, which have the highest concentration of Imperial units. It will be difficult, but definitely not impossible to defeat them. Once we have secured those systems, it is only a matter of time before the sector falls completely to us.”

“Impressive.” Gorky said, pulling up a map of free confederacy assets in the sector with lines marked and displaying it. “We intend to attack these locations. I won’t call them out since you can already see them, but suffice to say you will have help at Garnizon and Zoloch prime.”

“Good. That will be useful to have help with.” Johnson said.

Chapter Text

Admiral William Johnson paced across the bridge of the revenge, waiting for it and it's supporting fleet to come out of hyperspace. They were about to arrive at Njmok, the first major Imperial world they would be attacking. There were two habitable planets with a combination of six billion people between them, with over 100,000 Imperials on the surface. In space there were two Imperial Star Destroyers as well as an older Venator Star Destroyer and Victory Star Destroyer, along with five cruisers, an escort carrier, 12 frigates and 20 corvettes and fast attack systems patrol craft. A formidable force, one larger in firepower than the ones on the past three planets combined.

At his disposal he had three revenge class battleships and one captured Imperial Star Destroyer, the Impassable. That ship had been the one to lead the Empire's first expedition against Earth, and ironically would be fighting it's creators. He had four carrisers, nine cruisers (including the Senali to prevent the Imperials from fleeing into hyperspace). This was rounded out by 21 destroyers, 49 frigates, and 16 corvettes. The largest offensive space force in the history of Earth. Over 150 warships, with dozens more of non combat and support vessels ready to jump in once the system was clear. This fleet constituted over 1 / / 3 of earth's entire fleet, and could probably win against any Imperial fleet in the sector, though some would give a quite a fight before going down.

"One minute until return to real space." The helm officer said."

"Bring weapons online and raise shields to full strength. Copy to the rest of the fleet." He ordered.

Soon they emerged in the Njmok system, ready for battle. There would be no demands of surrender in this case, it would waste time. The Imperial in command of the fleet was a fanatic and would not surrender, so there was no use asking.

"Tell all fighters to start launching and give Admiral Rosa's assault group the go ahead to begin their attack runs. But not to get top cocky, those corvettes and frigates only have so much armor." Johnson ordered. "And tell Commander Davis to suppress Imperial TIE's."

Aboard the frigate Morgador Rear Admiral Valintina Rosa received her orders and told her ships to accelerate.

Under her command were four frigates and 16 corvettes, including the Morgador. They had all been modified for the role of fast attack, with more powerful engines and more missile launchers with a larger missile magazine.

"How long until we are in range of the first Star Destroyer, helm?" She asked.

"Two minutes until maximum missile range." The helmsman reported.

"Tell half of the ships to target the first Star Destroyer and half to the other Destroyer and fire ion torpedoes when they get in range. Then reload with proton torpedoes." She ordered her fleet.

This would be the first real test of her tactics in battle.

The next couple of minutes felt longer than they should be. Rosa looked calm on the outside, but inside she was almost a nervous wreck. What if something went wrong and the plan failed? If she didn't die, her tactics would be relegated to secondary battles and flanking maneuvers supporting other movements rather than a decisive first blow. At worst they would be completely abandoned and she would find her career in a dead end, perhaps even being demoted.

She pushed those thoughts away. She needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

"We are in range sir." The helmsman said.

"You know what to do." She ordered the gunnery officer.

A moment later each of the ships launched ion torpedoes at their respective targets, with over a hundred hitting each target. Alone or in a much smaller group those weapons wouldn't have done much, but in these numbers both ships were temporarily disabled. Cheers could be heard in all 20 ships as they celebrated their first victory.

"Relaid the tubes with proton torpedoes. Fire as soon as they are loaded on the same ships." Rosa ordered.

Several moments later a number of proton torpedoes were fired on the two helpless Star Destroyers. With their shields down, the impacts heavily damaged them. Neither would be rejoining the fight anytime soon, and even if they could retreat they would be spending months in dry dock.

"Ma'am we have incoming contacts, some of the Imperial corvettes are coming to intercept us." The sensor officer reported.

"Take us back to the fleet's battle line." She ordered and the ships turned around. "And fire a salvo of ion torps at that Venator. " She could see it's large dorsal hangar doors that ran almost the length of the entire ship open to allow its large complement of fighters to exit.

"Scratch that. Tell all ships to fire proton torpedoes, concussion missiles, whatever will cause damage to that ship. Target the open hanger." She ordered. The old clone wars vessel would have to lower its shields in order to allow its fighters to depart. And the interior of the hangar was less armored than the rest of the ship, and filled with fuel and munitions that would go up in an instant.

Some of the point defense guns aboard the ship tried to shoot down the oncoming munitions, but were mostly unsuccessful. The assortment of missiles and torpedoes impacted the ship, causing a massive explosion. When the dust cleared, the entire front of the ship was gone, and the remainder was drifting powerless through space. The impact would have likely superheated the entire ship, killing everyone aboard. A Nebulon B frigate that couldn't get away fast enough was destroyed when the hull hit it.

There were more cheers onboard the ships as they retreated back to the battle line. Rosa couldn't help but smile, she had helped win an undeniable victory with these attacks. Her tactics and ideas would not fall to the sidelines or be discarded, they would be instead studied, refined, and embraced.

"Good work Valentina." She could hear Johnson over the comms. "You just made our job a lot easier."

"No problem, I am always happy to kill Imperials." She replied.

Commander David Davis, callsign "Deadlock" sped through space in his F-1500b fighter, approaching the mass of Imperia fighters. The commander, air group (or CAG for short) of the revenge would be in command of all of Earth's fighters during the battle, which constituted well over a thousand space frames, the largest collection of Earth's space fighters in battle. \

"This is Deadlock, we mostly have clean skies today. Thos 's and that Venator didn't get many fighters out before being disabled or destroyed, so we don't have nearly as many bogeys as expected. But still watch out and don't get cocky. Good hunting." He said, ending the communique to all the fighters.

He could see a dozen TIEs in front of him by one of the disabled Star Destroyers. They must have gotten out before the mass of ion torpedoes them.

"Let go get those TIE's ahead." He said to his squadron mates under his direct command.

"Copy that, are we using missiles or doing this the old fashioned way?" His wingmate, Captain Vanessa "Redeye" Sundrey said.

"Why get close when you can kill them from afar." Deadlock said. "Everyone go pick a target and get them out of our sight." The internal networking of the fighters would make this a lot easier, and ensure they would not fire on eachothers target, making the most efficient use of their limited missile supply.

Each of the 12 members of the squad fired their anti small craft missiles, and all hit their mark. The bas fighter completely lacked electronic countermeasures, which made them especially vulnerable to guided munitions.

Davis could see on his sensor system that most of the Imperial fighters were being destroyed with little issue, inflicting very few casualties on his fighters. This meant he could focus his attention on the smaller Imperial ships without having to worry about being attacked by TIEs.

He noticed an Arquitens light cruiser nearby and contacted the rest of the squad. "Let's take that cruiser out." He said, moving to intercept the target.

"Are we using the anti-ship missiles?" Lieutenant Paul "Corndog" Dawes asked.

"Only half of us are going to, at least in the first wave." He replied. "We don't want to be overkill. We do have later cannons as well, remember."

The fighters launched anti-ship concussion missiles held in their underslung bay. These impacted on the 315 meter cruiser (though by the anaxes system it would be a frigate)!, causing some damage but nothing critical. As the fighters got closer, they fired with their forward facing laser cannons, dodging laser fire. The F-1500b had three laser cannons, a heavier one in the nose similar to an A-10 warthog and two medium ones on the wingtips.

Their shots also had some impact, but didn't cause any critical damage. The group kept circling the ship, making attack runs with various degrees of success.

"We're not doing much damage. Should we use the remaining ship to ship missiles?" Lieutenant Penny "holdup" Garrison asked.

Davis thought for a moment before replying. "Do it. All fighters with anti-ship weapons are to use them."

The rest of the missiles were launched at the ship. Combined with a few more strafing runs, the ship was destroyed. A number of cheers from the squadron could be heard as the 12 pilots began to identify other Imperial targets. But these were few and far between, and most were already engaged.

Admiral Johnson stood on the bridge of the Revenge, watching the battle unfold. Vice Admiral Rosa's attacks had been an overwhelming success, neutralizing or destroying 3 / 4 of the Imperial's Star Destroyers. His forces were making short work of the remaining Imperials, suffering only a handful of casualties.

He looked at the comms officer as a Vindicator Class Cruiser went up in a fiery explosion, one of the largest ships remaining in that fleet. The rest of the Imperial fleet would probably be dealt with within the half an hour.

"Tell General Grant he is free to bring his troops here and to prepare for landfall." He ordered over the comms officer, who transmitted the message to the net sector where he was waiting.

"Are you sure that isn't a little preemptive sir?" Haffard asked. "The Empire could call for reinforcements?"

"They might but I don't think they would push us out of the system. Speaking of that, have the intel teams check the footage from our recon drones across the sector. If there are any major Imperial movements, notify me." Johnson ordered.

He allowed himself to smile. This campaign has been going well so far.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

Jkenna System, Zoloch sector

Captain Fepra Gondra of the Imperial Navy looked out the central window aboard her command, the Imperial I I Star Destroyer Damnation. It was a mostly normal day, with the crew going about their daily business and her supervising them. The rebels hadn’t attacked in a while, and everything was running well.

That was until the comm officer received a priority one message for her. She took it into her office on one side of the bridge and read the brief communique to herself.

This is Admiral Kumara Picot of the Imperial Navy to all Imperial commanding officers in the Zoloch sector, forces believed to be from the planet Earth as well as fleets of the Free Confederacy have attacked multiple installations of the Imperial Army and Navy. The strength of their forces cannot be determined at this point, but it is likely that they possess both a numerical and qualitative edge against our forces in the region. So far it is believed that the Grostme, Hecan, Conder, Jkilia, Njmok, Vamos, Kleas, Asrsa and several other systems have been successfully taken by these ruffians, with others under attack or in periel of being taken. These rebels have also successfully launched uprisings on various worlds, with one particularly successful one on Garnizon I I confirmed to have killed Moff Flag, Vice Admiral Kolaski, and Generals Cain and Hicks. As the senior most officer left within the sector, I have taken emergency control of this region and has declared martial law. Watch out for more upcoming orders, until then stay in place and lock down all nonessential civilian traffic between the systems.

Captain Gondra’s face went pale as she read the message. The biggest issue was that she didn’t know what the enemy forces were composed of, and when they would hit the Jkenna system. It was next to the Kleas and Vamos systems, so an attack could come soon. As she rushed to inform the crew, alarms sounded across the ship. She rushed back to the bridge to see what was happening, though she already had a good idea.

“More than two dozen contacts have just edited hyperspace!” The sensor officer reported. “They look like they are from the free confederacy!”

She could see the central ship in the formation of rebels was almost 5 , 0 0 0 meters long with a distinct shape. It was a Subjugator Class Heavy Cruiser, and if it were under other circumstances she would be fascinated. As far as she knew, all of them had been destroyed by the time the war ended, as they were very rare, and any that had survived had been broken up for scrap.

She knew their capabilities, how they had disabled then destroyed entire Republic fleets during the Clone Wars.

“Scatter all the ships!” She yelled in desperation. “Have each get the hell away from each other.” It was a frantic attempt to stop the inevitable, but it was too late and would have little impact.

Several moments later when the ship fired it’s massive ion cannon, Gondra could only watch in horror as certain annihilation approached.

Admiral Zut Gorky stood on the bridge of his flagship, the Subjugator Class Heavy Cruiser Eviscerator. The almost 5,000 meter long warship was perhaps the last of its kind, as few had been produced during the war. It’s large ion cannons on each side could disable entire battle groups with one lucky shot, a tool that would come in handy very soon.

The fleet he commanded here was large, with the Eviscerator, a Lucrehulk Battleship
, a Bulwark Battlecruiser and a Providence Carrier / Destroyer. This was supported by eight Munificent Frigates and Resurgent Light Destroyers, as well as 18 smaller ships such as Captor Class Cruisers, Class 1000s, Fantail Destroyers and several others. This fleet was even larger than the one he had assembled for his attack at Garnizon several months ago, and that had still been over half the size. Even alone, it was not an insignificant part of his total forces, and under other circumstances he would not have committed so many ships to one action.

Facing him were two Imperial Class Star Destroyers, along with an old Victory I I Star Destroyer. This was complemented by three cruisers, seven frigates, and 24 corvettes and systems patrol craft. There was also a Golan Space Defense Platform in orbit of Jkenna I I , the only habitable planet in the system. A formidable force, but one he could handle.

“Does the cannon have its target?” He asked the gunnery officer.

“Almost. It will be in approximately a minute.” He replied.

“Fire when it’s ready.” He ordered.

About a minute later when the gun was charged, it fired on the main mass of Imperial ships. In a single move, he had disabled 1 / 3 rd in the Imperial fleet in orbit. An impressive first move.

“Should we launch boarding parties sir?” Major Ghana Fazil asked. She was the commander of the sizable marine contingent on the Eviscerator, which was made up of a sizable number of battle droids as well as some smaller units with sentient life forms.

“Not yet, it would lead to unnecessary casualties.” He replied. “I want to see if they surrender to us first. But until then, we still have other ships to destroy in this battle.

The fight wasn’t a battle however. It was a massacre.

The remaining Imperial ships wouldn’t have stood a chance against the Eviscerator and its air group on its own, but with a larger fleet protecting it the fight was almost comically imbalanced. Soon the Imperial ships that had resisted had been destroyed, with most of the disabled Imperial ships surrendering. Even the mighty Golan Space Defense Platform fell silent after being hit by an ion cannon blast from one of the Eviscerator. A frigate and two corvettes jumped out of the system as the battle started to look hopeless for the Imperials, so their presence here would be known soon.

“Major Fazil, you can start your boarding operations now.” Gorky said. “But leave some troops in reserve so that we can start landing troops on the surface.

“There should be more than enough forces to complete both objectives.” She said. There were over a million B2 battle droids with thousands of armored vehicles on the Eviscerator alone, with countless more in the other ships.

As the Free Confederacy fleet approached the upper atmosphere of Jkenna I I , the net faise of the operation began.

The landing of troops on the planet’s surface.

Njmok I I I, Zoloch Sector

General Augustus Marks of the United Nations Marine Corps stood on the bridge of the heavy assault ship Juno Beach as it descended into the atmosphere of Njmok I I I. The large landing ship of the Omaha Beach Class had been inspired in concept by the Acclamator Class Assault Ships, a large warship capable of defending itself in combat but primarily designed to hold large amounts of troops as well as the vehicles and supplies to back them up.

Each of these over 800 meter long ships could carry 18,000 soldiers and depending on their size, up to 300 ground vehicles as well as dozens of fighters. It was designed to fully support a small or medium sized invasion itself, and a few could make up an even larger one. There were four being here today, as well as a half a dozen smaller landing ships that ranged from only a couple hundred meters long to others that were over 600 meters in length.

Together, they carried over 100,000 troops, about equal to the total number of Imperial Personnel in the various garrisions and installations on this world. Already many of these places had been bombarded by turbolasers in orbit, though they couldn’t do this to all of them as it would risk collateral damage. Airstrikes from the plentiful starfighters in orbit had helped when more precise targeting was needed, though they were less efficient than a giant turbolaser. But ultimately the ground had been cleared and the way paved for his landings.

He would be in direct command of the largest force, two of the heavy assault ships that would be landing troops near the capital city of Gbreen, where they would advance into the city. Some of the orbiting ships had sent out smaller dropships to land within the city, to assault the smaller Imperial Installations within the city. His main force would be splitting up with some of his soldiers going to the city. But a good chunk, as well as most of the heavy armor would be attacking the garrison and main Imperial headquarters located a bit outside the city.

A few minutes later the large ship touched down on the ground. With a massive forward ramp touching down in the front of the ship, soldiers and their vehicles rolled down to be organized on the large flat green space that had been selected as a landing point.

Many of the vehicles Earth used didn’t look very dissimilar to ones used before the Empire came style wise, at least on the outside. But there were definitely differences. Laser cannons and turbolasers were now used as the primary method of dealing damage, instead of physical shells and bullets (though some artillery pieces still used more conventional shells). Missiles and rockets were also used, primarily for anti armor onboard I F V s (infantry fighting vehicles) or in guided M L R S (multiple launch rocket systems) for long range bombardment of enemy positions.

Vehicles also had to be under a certain wait so that the ship could safely and successfully take off from and leave the planetary atmosphere.

Most of the armored vehicles used repulsorlifts to travel, though some still had wheels and tracks to serve as a backup.

He looked at the assembled troops and armor in the field in front. 72 Charger MBTs (main battle tanks) were mostly tasked with destroying enemy armored units, or as infantry support platforms when there were no armored targets. 120 Kestrel I F V s would also have some effect against armored targets, but would primarily be supporting the infantry with its fast firing medium laser cannon and secondary blaster cannons. 36 AT102 Self Propelled Artillery Guns and 24 ML200 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems provided direct fire artillery support. There were also eight Sky Streaker SPAAG (self propelled anti air guns) to provide air defense, though this wasn’t a priority since Earth held unquestionable air superiority. These were only half of the combat vehicles he was in command of, the other landing ship had almost the exact same complement.

The rest of the force was made up of logistics and utility vehicles. Some were non combat un armored cars and trucks for transporting personnel and supplies to the front, while others were more clearly meant for logistics, with large tankers for refueling and cold storage boxes for providing fresh food. In the words of the famed American general Omar Bradly “Amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics.”

Ground forces weren’t the only assets the Juno Beach brought to the table. The ship also carried 72 atmospheric aircraft, 36 multirole fighters capable of both air superiority missions as well as ground support, and 36 close air support craft that were solely focused on attacking ground targets. The ship had the ability to carry smaller drop ships for precise aerial insertion, but that was not necessary for this mission and would take away capacity to carry fighters.

He watched as his forces began advancing towards the Imperial base. They had landed about two dozen kilometers away, out of range of the Imperial base’s hypothetical gun emplacements. Soon, the artillery came into range, firing at the already bombarded Imperial base. The installation deployed some T I E fighters, but they were quickly shot down by dozens of Earth’s dedicated atmospheric fighters. The T I E was a poor fighter in a planet’s atmosphere, lacking any sort of aerodynamic features or shields that could replicate those features. It’s maneuverability in space, one of it’s greatest assets and defining features, was not possible in the atmosphere. Add in shields, missiles, electronic countermeasures and many other features on Earth’s atmospheric fighters and it fared hopelessly against the attackers. They were all dispatched within minutes, allowing the close support platforms to rain havoc down onto the Imperials below.

The few fighting vehicles the Imperial base mustered were plain and easy targets for these aircraft and were mostly destroyed before they could come into range of Earth’s armor. Soon the base was under a full siege, with most of the Imperial defenders hiding in caves and tunnels beneath the ground, only delaying their inevitable demise. Earth soldiers equipped with explosives and flamethrowers flushed them out into carefully prepared kill zones. Soon almost no Imperial was left alive, with the few survivors surrendering when the battle turned from desperate to absolutely hopeless.

None of Earth’s vehicles and only one fighter had been destroyed (this was due to an accidental friendly fire incident) and only a handful of soldiers died, mostly in trying to flush out the hardened Imperial defenses. It had been a massacre, not a battle.

Most of the other attacks on the planet against the Imperial installations had gone in a somewhat similar fashion to this one. Some had slightly more casusatiles, especially the ones that were performed partially by air assault, but the general result was the same.

The mighty Empire had rolled over when faced with a determined, well organized foe who understood how to fight on land. Earth had been doing it themselves for millennia, after all.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

Orbit of Tibannas I I I, Tibannas Sector

Moff Karla Illustrious of the Tibannas sector stared out the window of her quarters. She was on her flagship, the Bellator Class Star Dreadnought Decisiveness. Over 7,000 meters in length, it was by far the largest warship in this or any of the surrounding sectors. It was an unmistakable sign of the sector’s wealth, with most of the the poorer surrounding sectors only having Star Destroyers and the occasional battlecruiser.

She observed the various ships coming and going from the planet, both military and civilian. She also watched her fleet stand guard above the world, protecting it from all that would threaten it.

Karla had always liked looking out at space, trying to see the ships and stars bustling about. It had been what spawned her interest in starships, and eventually what had gotten her into Anaxes War College as she dreamt of commanding one of them.

And her dreams had become a reality a lot sooner than expected. Several months before graduation the Clone Wars began, which changed the fortunes of every candidate on Anxaes. The burgeoning Republic Navy needed officers fast, so she was graduated early and placed in command of the newly commissioned Venator Star Destroyer Inconceivable. Many joked that it was inconceivable that she would get command of such a ship right out of war college, and Illustrious believed so as well.

Despite her inexperience, she quickly found herself fighting against the seperatist forces. Over the next three years she would find herself growing in reputation and skill. One of her greatest triumphs was at the Battle of Coruscant, where she helped lead a counterattack that paved the way for the Jedi general’s Anikan Skywalker and Obiwan Kenobi rescue of the chancellor. This brought her to the attention of Sheev Palpatine, who had her promoted to Admiral in the final days of the war thanks to her actions.

For the next few years, Illustrious led Imperial forces to victory against seperatist holdouts, early rebel groups and pirates deep in the outer rim. While she could have advanced further into the ranks of the admiralty, Karla had other plans. She managed to secure the position of Moff of the Tibannias Sector, a major producer of Tibanna gas that supplied many of the Seperatist’s offensives in the region. It was controlled by the Commerce Guild during the war, and many of its people had suffered under the brutal corporate government, which cared more for its profits than people.

Upon taking control of the sector, she seized the assets of many prominent seperatist collaborators and nationalized the Tibanna mining industry, creating the state owned Tibannacorp. The products from both these actions created credits that were reinvested in infrastructure and civil services that helped people in the sector. Some of the capital was invested into promising startups throughout the sector.

This created economic growth, and with state subsidies the economy was diversified into a variety of sectors. While Tibbana was the primary export and the most well known, soon foodstuffs, other minerals, ores, and gasses, and industrial machines from droids to entire starships.

This economic growth led to massive boosts in wages and quality of life for the average citizen, who soon became far wealthier than the average in other sectors. With a few exceptions that were mandated by Imperial powers outside the sector, aliens and nonhumans had full legal equality with humans. There was even a form of local democracy and while Illustrious still held all the power this show of power in the people’s hands helped with popularity. Due to this prosperity and an almost unequivocal support for Illustrious, rebellions and uprisings became a thing of the past. Neither pro separatist groups like the Free Confederacy, nor independent groups like Saw Gerrera's partisans, nor even the Rebel Alliance itself dared to conduct operations within the Tibannas Sector. This was even the case if they were extremely active in neighboring sectors like the Zoloch Sector.

While some might call her stuck up, Illustrious believed she had found the answer to stopping the rebellion. It would not lay in building more Star Destroyers or going to a full wartime total mobilization, but by making the populis support the Empire. The Tarkin Doctrine had been an absolute and total failure. A ruler who ruled by fear would find himself turned on when his power looked to be in question. The mass defections of Imperial personnel after the distraction of the Death Star were unequivocal proof of that.

To make an empire popular, you need more than vast displays of military might to sway the people. While these certainly helped, nationalism was one thing and material conditions was another. You needed to give them economic, political, legal and social stability, and in some way or another the Empire lacked them. Unless of course you were an executive at Sienar Fleet Systems or Tagge Co, then you had stability. The galactic markets had constantly been in flux since the Clone Wars, with corporations rising and falling at the whim of the Empire, who made sure that well connected entities got all the major contracts and let them destroy competitors without a thought of fairness. It was cronyism through and through.

This prevented startups from becoming successful. At best the owners sold their companies at a fair but forced price to a larger intergalactic megacorp. At worst if the entrepreneur refused to sell, they would mysteriously die in a hover car or shuttle accident. Not to mention access to capital and loans was significantly more difficult in this day and age, and established companies had a massive advantage in that field.

On a more personal level, the power of Imperial institutions over the average person prevented the stability that the Empire claimed to possess. A family did not know if a group of stormtroopers was going to seize their home and belongings for no reason, and this was an all too common occurrence in areas with significant rebel activity. And whatever trial the person might have would be some sort of sham, if they even had one at all. Just so the district attorney could brag to his friends how many criminals he or she had locked up. And apparently friendly neighbors were all too willing to report family and friends for suspected rebel affiliation, meaning no one could know who to trust.

Despite what rebel movements claimed, there were still good Imperials who did their best to protect the people of the Empire. There were stormtroopers who called for medics when the old lady fell and protected them until the medical personnel arrived. Or the faithful Imperial Navy crewman who made sure pirates didn’t prey on civilian freighters. These were the men and women who she had made sure get into her sector. The ones who cared about the people of the Empire and not their own self interest.

A chime at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She let in as one of her aides and trusted confidants, Lieutenant Dravon Jent, J a native of Tibannas I I I who had grown up in poverty before the economic reforms implemented by Illustrious. He had then joined the Imperial Navy with a command track in mind, but ended up taking her offer to serve as an aide.

“Moff Illustrious, there is a priority 1 message from Admiral Picot of the Zoloch Sector. They have come under attack by rebels, and Moff Flag, Vice Admiral Kolaski, and Generals Cain and Hicks have all been killed.” He said, handing her a data pad.

Illustrious read the same message that Captain Gondra had read hours ago, and then read it again to make sure she hadn’t misread anything. She was utterly shocked, but part of her realized it made sense. Picot had been an incompetent foul to lose half of his Star Destroyers to ill fated expeditions of and rebel attacks. No wonder why there were so many uprisings on so many worlds, the sector was stretched so thin.

However the most unexpected part of this story was Earth. She had heard rumors, but mostly thought little of it. She cared little for the affairs of sectors outside of hers unless they were directly affecting the Tibannas sector.

But if a planet on the edge of the galaxy with no outside contact with civilization was charging into Imperial space and successfully invading it, there was something special about them.

Right now she needs information. About the strength of the invasion and the disposition of Picot's forces. With his under strength fleet especially in heavy assets, she doubted he could stop the invasion. So she would have to prepare a border defense.

“Is there any more information?” She asked.

“Yes, there are numerous reports on the next page. I didn’t get a great look but none of them looked good for Picot’s forces.

She flipped to the next page and read the startling reports. They detailed the invasions of several worlds, including Njmok, Vamos, Kleas, and Jkenna. The invasion fleets were always in the dozens of hundreds of ships, and many of them appeared to have happened simultaneously, indicating that both Earth and the Free Confederacy had several hundred combat warships. They would have to have sizable logistics and support fleets, and they were likely not committing all of their combat assets to offensive operations.

One alarming report from the invasion of Jkenna hours ago indicated that the Free Confederacy had come into possession of a Subjectator Class Heavy Cruiser, the same type of 5000 meter ship as the Seprrstist Malevolence. Such a vessel had been used to great effect against Republic Navy forces in the region.

The details of these invasions had confirmed Illustrois’s suspicions. Against such a combined force, it would be difficult for Picot to muster an effective defense. He simply didn’t have enough ships to stop these rebels on a large front, and if he were to try and successfully defend a world he would probably let several others fall around him, exposing his flanks and allowing him to be encircled and the system to be cut off.

He might be able to hold if other sectors poured their ships into his to help, but that was something Illustrious definitely wasn’t going to do. This wasn’t her war to fight unless Earth or the Free Confederacy made it hers. But unless attacked, she did not want to assist the incompetent Picot in his lauphable defense.

“Lieutenant, I want you to keep me informed of new developments in the Zoloch Sector and send me any new reports from there. There is also a mission that I wish for you to undertake that knowledge of must not leave this room. Do you understand me?”

“Yes Ma’am.” He replied.

“I want you to see if you can get into contact with either the Free Confederacy or Earth or both. I will explain further my intentions later if this succeeds, but suffice to say the fortunes of the Empire are changing and I want all options on the table. If you are able to get contact, you are to tell them that a high ranking member of the Tibannas sector wants to talk to them and has some useful intelligence. Anything you need to accomplish this task will be given to you.” She said.

“But Ma’am that’s treason…”

“I know fully what this is, but do you care more for some administrative sycophant on Coruscant or the people of the Tibannas sector. Like I said before I never said we were going to necessarily join them, but you can see what is happening in the Empire. I want to have an option if things go downhill for the New Order.” She said.

“Understood ma’am. I will get to work immediately.” He said as he left the room.

The boy was right to be skeptical, but even those with impared vision could see the empire was in decline all around them. The rebel alliance was gaining ground and support on an unpresented scale, with many Imperials defecting to this fledgling organization. They were successfully holding territory against the Empire, and so far Imperial attempts at reconquering it had failed miserably. While the Alliance could not hope to win an attritional war, especially in the long run, their fighter and bomber raids were disrupting industrial and logistical systems.

The Rebel Alliance was far from the only rebel group in the galaxy however. While they had succeeded in unifying many smaller cells, many groups remained separate or even just loosely affiliated with the larger alliance and given great autonomy in their operations. There were also numerous pirate and criminal organizations such as the Black Sun and Zann Consortium who often raided Imperial shipping. And there were also plenty of bitter Separatists who continued to fight after so many years, though over the years their threat had been reduced as they had little ability to procure new ships. However, many Imperial officers suspected that they had refused to show their true strength, which had until recently been the case with the Free Confederacy. Even the remnants of Saw Gerrera’s Partisans still were known to cause trouble from time to time, with their brutal tactics condemned by the wider rebellion.

The Empire was under siege from many directions, and while many might call her cynical, she was starting to believe its days were numbered. As the fires of rebellion grew larger and spread further, they would be harder to stop.

So she thought it wise to be prepared, whatever happened.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

Njmok I I I, Zoloch Sector

Admiral William Johnson stared at the numerous reports arrayed on his desk. The invasion was proceeding spectacularly, with the Grostme, Hecan, Conder, Jkilia, Njmok, Fygilla, Vamos, Kleas, Asrsa, Jkenna, Skddja, and Unfrond systems all controlled by either Earth or the Free Confederacy. Their orbit was fully controlled by either of the two parties, and the ground was either partially or fully controlled by both groups. Several pockets of Imperial resistance on the various planets that were conquered, but most had already been dealt with and the remaining had no chance to survive in the long run.

So far six Imperial Star Destroyers had been either destroyed or captured in the campaign, with several older classes of Star Destroyers also neutralized. This was half of the large assets in the sector. Dozens of smaller escorts had also been destroyed or captured, cruisers, frigates, corvettes, patrol craft and logistics and support ships. Not yet half of the sector’s ships, but still not an insignificant number.

Losses on Earth and the Free Confederacy’s side were minimal. Between the two factions less than two dozen escorts and less than a hundred fighters had been lost to enemy action. The largest, a Destroyer (not to be confused with a Star Destroyer) had been rammed by an fatally wounded Imperial Frigate in a last ditch attempt to cause damage to the enemy. This rate of losses could easily be sustained.

Now the road to Garnizon I I was wide open. Johnson would be leading the charge with the same troops and ships he had taken Jkenna. While the force at Garnizon was stronger, as it was the capital of the sector and held the command facilities for operations in the area, it was still under strength. Only three Imperial Star Destroyers, a rarer Tector Star Destroyer that sacrificed it’s hanger deck for more firepower and two older Victory I I Star Destroyers made up the active heavy assets protecting the planet (the Titanius, the first ship that the revenge had attacked several months ago was being repaired but had little combat capabilities) ship that had been. It also held eight cruisers, 20 frigates and 36 corvettes and systems patrol craft. To back this up, there were two large Golan Space Defense Platforms in orbit, supported by a large orbital drydock and command center. There were also a myriad of smaller installations throughout the system, ranging from unarmed or lightly armed to having dozens of large guns installed on them.

This was still the largest force they had encountered yet, but it could be broken. The fleet would have been larger if the second expedition against Earth had never been attempted, but that was neither here nor there. Johnson still had a superior force, though one that was less so when compared to the one he was up against.

The door chimed and Captain Drofa Haffard stepped in. He was carrying another tablet that probably held more reports on it. Can’t you just send it to me. Johnson thought to himself.

“Admiral the Free Confederacy has successfully overrun the Saod System.” He said.

“Good, that brings us to about half of the systems with a noticeable Imperial presence if I’m correct.” Johnson said. “The drones in the Garnizon system have not noticed any changes in the Imperial disposition I assume.”

“All of the ships that were there before have been accounted for. I believe we are ready to proceed.” Haffard replied.

“Is there an update on Major Petrova and the uprising there.” Johnson asked.

“The Empire has made only minimal counter attacks against her location, all of which have been repealed. They are dealing with planet wide uprisings and attacks against their forces by people of all kinds. Captain Takawida has reported a similar situation appearing on Zoloch Prime, but progress of the uprisings and the Imperial response appear to be going over all more slowly.” Haffard said.

“Good, tell Major Petrova that we will be there soon. She should get support from more ground troops then.” Johnson paused. “I want to leave for Garnizon in an hour. Have all of the fleet notified so they can begin last minute preparations.”

Ghralia VI, Ghralia Sector

Moff Vincent Kleen heard the door chime as he sat on the glamorous observation balcony of his large estate. It showed a view of a beautiful waterfall that ran down from Lathesis Mountain Range far above and that eventually traveled further downstream to create a source of hydroelectric power for several of the planet’s major cities.

Kleen himself had grown up privileged as the only son of a banker and the commander of the local defense forces. While his family had money, Kleen had not been spoiled as many other children in his position would be, as his parents wanted him to develop on his own without the influence of big money.

This influenced his attitude on the great wealth he would eventually inherit; he didn’t spend it flagrantly like other members of the upper class would. It also forced him to develop a strong work ethic that would get him the grades needed to enter the Anaxes Collage.

He had followed in the footsteps of his father and eventually joined the plenary defense forces seven years after the Naboo Crisis. When the Clone Wars broke out, he had helped hold the world against Speerstist Incursions despite all odds and made sure the world didn’t fall to them. As time went on he eventually rose in rank to Captain, with his command being an old Dreadnaught Heavy Cruiser. After the Empire came to power he was transferred to the Ghralia Sector Fleet when the planetary defense forces were disbanded.

He had slowly and methodically risen through the ranks of the sector forces, becoming an Admiral and eventually the commander of all space based forces in the sector. A few years later he acceded to the position of Moff of the entire sector through some political backstabbing after the previous Moff died of a heart attack. By now he had solidified his power and eliminated all political rivals in the sector.

Rebel activity hadn’t been very significant in this sector, despite being in the outer rim, an area that was known for such activity. Most of the activity had been due to a few scattered groups of pirates and some assets of the free confederacy. They had recently significantly reduced their activity in the region, even though they mostly operated within the Zoloch Sector.

“Come in.” He said. This had better be important.

One of his aides appeared, a young lieutenant. “Sir, there is a priory one message from the Zoloch Sector. They are under attack by rebel forces. You need to see this.” He said despite his tone of voice being somewhat out of line.

Kleen read the same report Gondra had read hours earlier. He was not really surprised that it was happening, but not on the scale it was. Moff Flag and his lapdog, Picot were both incompetent fouls who had lost half of their I S D s to ill fated expeditions into unknown space or to rebel attacks. It had left the sector less defendined, it was absolutely no surprise what happened next.

The appearance of Earth was very surprising. He had heard some rumors about these people, but hadn’t paid much attention to it. A skeptical part of him wondered if it was even true, or just made up to disguise some other reason the fleet disappeared. In both the unknown regions and wild space there were supposedly secret Imperial fleets and facilities, though if this was actually the case was unknown.

But even if this planet did in fact exist, it’s choice to attack the Empire was unexpected. Why would they do that? It would put a regional target on their backs, but based on the fact that the Empire was mostly concerned about the growing threat of the rebel alliance it made more sense.

The Free Confederacy’s disappearance from the Ghrailia Sector now also made a lot more sense than previously. But the size of their forces was most unexpected. The fact that they had access to a Subjugator Class Heavy Cruiser would have been fascinating in other circumstances but concerning here. Unless the Mon Cala were in the business of building dreadnoughts or the alliance had somehow captured an Imperial Assertor or Bellator Class it was probably the largest ship in rebel hands within the entire galaxy.

He decided to wait for a bit. The Sector would not fall immediately, though much sooner than many might anticipate. But if he could intervene and help push back these attacks, it would give more influence to him within the region. Especially since the Zoloch Sector had lost more than half of its fleet and many key members of its leadership. He might even be able to annex some land into his sector within the long term. He would be facing a determined enemy and likely face losses, but if he could gain more influence within the region it would be absolutely worth it.

“Make sure the sector’s senior officers see this, especially Admiral Erebrus.” He said to the aide, referring to the Admiral in charge of the sector’s fleet.

“Yes sir.” The aide replied, exiting the room.

This crisis at the border might present some challenges and potentially be harmful to him, but could also be used to his advantage to grow his power.

In every crisis there was opportunity. And Kleen would be taking advantage of this new opportunity.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

Garnizon I I , Zoloch Sector

Another stream of blaster fire impacted on the tall building as Major Petrova returned fire. This was the fifth attack against the building that day, and the most intense yet. Luckily most of the Imperial forces in the area had been wiped out, as there was no chance the small band of special forces soldiers, free confederacy insurgents, and civilian volunteers would be able to hold off a large Imperial force. But something a bit more than a hundred strong they could deal with.

“Are they going to stop already?” One of the civilians asked as he fired several poorly aimed shots, missing his targets completely.

“Probably not.” Hans said, accurately hitting a group of stormtroopers advancing down the street. Several others were advancing down the road, but they had mostly succeeded in killing them beige they could get in range.

The tall building provided a good vantage point in which to attack the advancing stormtroopers. Due to the uncoordinated nature of their attacks, they lacked the ability to overwhelm the smaller force that was perched on the building.

“They should be sending reinforcements soon.” Virten said. “It’s taken Johnson long enough.”

“He’s on his way I’m sure.” Taylor chided. “But it would be helpful to know when they got here.”

“How long can we even hold out?” Jim Fennell asked as he fired another burst from his light repeating blaster.

“We have plenty of ammunition and enough food and medical supplies for several days.” Perova said. “Blaster ammunition is smaller and can be held more easily than kinetic rounds.”

“Bit of an understanding” Hans said, reloading his blaster rifle. The standard magazine for his weapon held 500 rounds. “We’re going to run out of rations before we do ammunition.”

“What about intel? Have those recon drones hit their mark? Or the vulture droids?” One of the members of the Free Confederacy asked a asked.

“They have kept us up to date on the approaching Imperials. The vulture droids have also helped destroy some groups of Imperial troops, but their coverage could still be more consistent.” Gath Jorkan, a lieutenant in the Free Confederacy’s army said. He was responsible for coordinating and managing the droids and drones. “The smaller recon drones mean we have a fairly consistent image of Imperial movements in the system.”

A couple of minutes later the small handheld holoprojector buzzed, indicating an incoming call. Petrova exuded herself and went off the roof into the top level of the building. Everyone else could hold the line while she was gone.

Unsurprisingly it was Colonel Zark, the commander of the scattered Free Confederacy assets on the planet.

“Colonel, what can I do for you?” She asked his holographic figure.

“I have both good and bad news for you. The good news is that Johnson is about to launch his attack. He should be here within an hour.

“Finally. We haven’t been doing this just for him to show up weeks after he launched his first attack.” She said sarcastically. To be fair, she wasn’t exactly giving her the benefit of the doubt. He had managed to conquer multiple systems in only a few days. Perhaps the uprising should have been launched a few days later, but the rationale behind when it currently had been launched was so it would distract from the fleets moving across other parts of the sector.

And the results hadn’t been bad, in fact only a few of the troops under her command had been lost. Attacks across the planet were mostly successful, with Imperial forces on the planet were significantly disorganized to the point they were unable to respond in a major fashion to many of the attacks.

“He has relayed to me to be prepared for reinforcements. He’s bringing in about 100,000 troops, which when landed should cripple what remains of the Empire.” Zark said.

“What about the bad news?” She asked.

“The Empire has plans to initiate an orbital bombardment of several major areas under our control.” Zark said. “The area you are in will likely be a target.”

“Is there anything else?” She asked, slightly annoyed. “The Empire is launching another counterattack and I would like to help my troops.”

“No, that was it. Good luck Major.”

“Good luck Colonel.” There was a pause and suddenly there was a number of loud crashing noises. The feed shuttered, and to Petrova this didn’t look like a technical glitch.

“Colonel?”

“They have started the bombardment, I shouldn’t have come to the area we secured.” He said, his voice and image crackling and crinkling. “Evacuate the area and get to…” The feed finally cut out, indicating Zark was likely dead or if he was lucky heavily wounded.

Not pausing for a second, Petrova raced for the roof. When she got back up there, she told everyone the news. There was a sigh of relief after telling them the first of the part two reports, as they knew their job was going to get a lot easier.

“Took them long enough.” Hans muttered.

“We should be able to hold out…” Taylor was about to say as she got interrupted by Petrova.

“The Empire has started an orbital bombardment of known rebel locations on this world.” She said angrily. “We need to get out of here and somehow get ourselves to a place that can survive such a bombardment. Even if it isn’t for long.” She looked around at the ragtag group. “Does anyone have any suggestions?” She asked.

“I looked at the schematics and noticed there is a network of underground tunnels beneath the Imperial that lead to a secure underground bunker. The base we blew up. They are supposedly deep enough to survive a heavy orbital bombardment. But they are also likely inhabited by the remnants of the Imperial garrison.” Taylor said.

“I thought you blew up the thing.” Hans said.

“The underground bunker is a hundred meters below the surface. It should have survived any explosion that we would have hit them with.” Taylor replied.

“Good. Then we will go there.” Petrova replied.

“We might have to fight our way in there.” One of the civilians said.

“That’s why we are here.” She replied.

“It looks like the Imperials are retreating.” Virtanen said. “They must have received the news of the bombardment as well.”

“Well let’s get going then.” Petrova said, looking at the group around her. “Get as much supplies as you can. Prioritize food and medical supplies, but get lots of ammunition as well.”

“Should I blow this place up?” Jorkan asked. While his main specialty was controlling squadrons of drones and droids, he also had skills in the area of explosives.

Petrova considered his point. It was valid, but she had other concerns.

“If this place survives I don’t want some civilian or person who has no idea this place is mined to kill themselves here. Besides, we need to get out of here.”

Orbit of Garnizon I I , Zoloch Sector.

Four of Earth’s task forces excited hyperspace above the world. It was a large force, with almost the same numbers as the attack on Njmok. Six ships had been lost in that attack, but the effect on the force’s firewoper was negligible.

Today the tactics that Earth would use would be iterative rather than revolutionary. Like Njmok, fighters under the command of David “Deadlock” Davis would suppress the Imperial Ties while also helping strike their fleet. Corvettes and lighter frigates under the command of Admiral Rosa would play a similar role, getting in close to the fleet and delivering a deviststing barrage of torpedoes and missiles. Then Johnson along with all of the fleet’s larger assets would use their now superior strength to win the battle.

The Imperial force they were up against was larger than the one at Njmok, with three Imperial Star Destroyers and a Tector, which held more firepower at the cost of having no star fighter complement. There were also two older Victory I I Star Destroyers that while older still had significant firewerpowe for their size.. Earth was only fielding four of the Revenge Class Battleships in this battle, as they were still too valuable to lose until more could be produced.

Admiral Picot stared out the window of his command, the I S D Temperance. It was a massive fleet he was facing, but he had several advantages up his sleeve that these people of Earth didn’t know about. Several golan space defense platforms, quietly reactivated from a hidden reserve, had been hastily ladened across the orbit of the planet. This was complemented by dozens of lighter satellites that while low tech could pose a danger to ships if they were not detected or expected.

He had his fleet positioned near the planet’s orbit, away from where the Earth fleet came out of hyperspace. His goal was to wear down that force through probing attacks by fighters, satellites, defense platforms, and whatever else he could throw at the invaders, such as space rocks and debris before they reached him and his fleet.

Already, several squadrons of T I E fighters were placed along the route of Earth’s fleet. Powered down and hiding behind debris, T I E Bombers would try to launch ordnance at larger targets.

This was far from standard Imperial doctrine. In most other circumstances the Empire would not resort to such an unconventional defense strategy. But right now he did not have the local superiority needed to win the battle outright. That was the biggest flaw with Imperial fleet doctrine. It never imagined it would deal with an extended case of local numerical inferiority. While Picot had certainly partaken in this view, he may be considering it after this battle.

Inside he was somewhat nervous, considering he was still outnumbered and Earth’s offensive had so far been an overwhelming success. None of the systems they had attacked so far had been able to fend off their attacks. Garnizon itself was under siege by many of the local rebel forces. They had overrun several major Imperial installations, including part of the capitol and main garrison. It would take a sustained campaign to drive them out, and while his fleet had been preparing for an orbital bombardment of rebel held areas on the world, that had been delayed by the arrival of Earth’s fleet.

But outwardly he still projected his usual confident self that had helped him in many situations. He was an example of the Imperial Navy after all. And his charisma was having at least some effect on the crew. Any current doubts the men and women on the bridge had were being suppressed by his presence.

“Major, what is the status of your bomber wing?” He asked over the comms to Major Filipe Leward, the commander of the 976th Imperial Bomber wing. They were hiding behind a mass of debris, waiting to strike at the incoming forces of Earth.

“We are in position Admiral.” His voice replied. “The intelligence you are providing us is very valuable.”

“Good, continue on your duties.” He ordered.

Across the layers of wreckage that had been hastily strewn hundreds 72 T I E bombers awaited the advance of Earth’s fleet. Every power source had been turned off except life support and a short-way encrypted communicator on Leward’s fighter that would allow him to contact Admiral Picot.

Leward was somewhat skeptical of the plan. While it might be effective at knocking out some of Earth’s larger ships, it would likely lead to the death of most of if not the entire wing after they were discovered. Perhaps more might survive if they were fighting a smaller force, but such a desperate tactic would not be used if fighting a smaller force.

He had suggested laying mines, and some of these were used, but the Empire did not have many that could even come close to damaging a capital ship. They were mostly used to enforce blockades on worlds against fighters, civilian ships, and small corvettes. Additionally, space was so large that most ships would just go around the field, meaning to cover any effective entrance to a place you were mining you needed a number so great that large anti-capital ones would be prohibitively expensive.

His opposition to the mission was not from a place of misgiving to the Empire, it had been an honor to serve within the Imperial Navy. The issue he had was more that he would be throwing away the lives of veteran pilots, with each one having thousands of hours of flight time invested flying their craft. From a crude, pragmatic standpoint it would have been a much better idea to send a group of green pilots, who had barely made their way out of flight school.

But while he might have personal objections to the mission, and due to his position relay these concerns to Picot orders were still orders. The men and women of his squadron had been silent as they had flown to their designated locations. This was not just due to protocol, but he had felt an eerie silence when he had told them what they were going to undertake.

He didn’t have to tell anyone this was a sucide mission, they already knew.

During the brief journey he had reflected on what would likely be his last hours of life. 33 years ago he had been born, he and his parents survived the clone wars that mostly stayed away from their lives on Garnizon. T

The planetary conflict known as the Garnizon Civil War at the outbreak of the Clone Wars had been fairly swift, with the Republic sympathizers quickly fleeing to other parts of the galaxy as the world fell into Seperatist hands. Years before, when the Republic cared for this planet there might have been a different outcome. But as the republic began to focus more and more on the large corporations and core worlds that filled the coffers of its senators, these same corporations began to rule with unchecked authority over the region. The Trade Federation, Commerce Guild, Intergalactic Banking Clan all took hold of the backwater worlds of the galaxy and for a time improved the conditions on the worlds, which most were thankful for. They began to blame the Republic’s shortcomings for the bad economy, turning the citizens against it while lining the pockets of the planetary governments, making them dependent on them. The companies might have helped in the beginning, but they only did so enough to make the world thankful and dependent on them.

So when the planet succeeded from the republic like thousands of others, no one was surprised. And due to this, the Separatists mostly kept the world away from the conflict of the war. Leward had grown up in what was comparatively a comfortable time. Sure, the prices of everyday items had gone up, but both of his parents had well paying jobs. He never thought this distant conflict, being raged on a scale not seen for thousands of years, would come anywhere near him. Oh, how naive he was.

The deactivation of the Droid armies spelled the end of the Confederacy. While some units were eventually reactivated, the decapitation of the movement’s leadership as well as the transition of the republic to the Empire stopped any hope of peace until the Confederacy was defeated. The panic caused by these events led thousands of worlds to surrender, and soon the CIS was a true shadow of it’s former self (not counting that the republic had started to gain the upper hand in the war beforehands). What remained of the Confederacy became desperate, using any tactics it could to survive the Imperial onslaught and control its population, many of which demanded it’s surrender.

The lies told by the Confederacy angered the population. Soon tens of thousands marched in protest against the new order, with brutal reprisals as the local Confederate government clung to power. His parents had been among the protesters many times, surviving each encounter and eventually helping lead a major part of the movement for peace.

They were hunted down by a squad of commando droids, which led to their deaths as they resisted the authoritarian rule of confederacy. They bought him enough time to escape, sacrificing themselves for him. A sacrifice that would make them a myter to the people of Garnizon, and one the Empire took advantage of. Linda and Don Leward would become celebrated across the world, especially on Liberation Day which marked the end of major hostilities on the planet as Confederate forces retreated and surrendered.

His position and fame as the son allowed him to live a comfortable life if he so chose. Leeward could have chosen to become many things in life if he so chose.

But he decided to join a humbler path, one within the Imperial military. Hw saw it as natural, in their infant days they had liberated his world. His hard work and skill soon allowed him to rise through the ranks, and his quick thinking and reaction time from a childhood of sports gave him the skills necessary to command a T I E fighter. He now was one of the best pilots of the T I E bomber outside the core. He commanded some of the best pilots of that craft outside of that region as well, and he was honored to have his position.

As he let himself drift into his thoughts, Earth’s fleet got closer and closer. It was one of the largest fleets he had seen outside the core regions of the galaxy, and he wondered for a moment how they had managed to acquire such a big fleet. From the reports he had heard, this wasn’t even half of the total that had been seen, though he was sure it was a significant force.

First, fighters swept through the small field of debris, not seeing the powered down bombers. They were of a design he didn’t recognize, but were nonetheless sleek looking with several missiles strapped to hard points on the bottom of the craft. He could see the utility in doing it that way, but hardpoints would be impractical on almost every type of T I E fighter.

It was a minor miracle that none of his bombers had been detected, but it was mostly due to some very good placement and what looked like Earth’s fighters' preoccupation with getting somewhere else. If they had been searching for him, he would be dead.

Next a line of smaller ships, corvettes and frigates traveled through the wreckage. He could see some going around the field, but that was not the path the larger ships would be taking. Which meant fewer escorts and more large ships, and that was definitely a good thing for him.

It didn’t take long for the larger Earth ships to arrive, but it seemed to take ages. But when they were finally in close range, he sent a small signal to the 71 other T I E bombers. It contained an artificial targeting algorithm to tell them what to fire at. This would distribute their ordnance and ensure that the ships being targeted would be evenly hit.

With the bomber's ordnance arming rapidly, he uttered what would likely be his final message over the comm.

“Men and women of the 976th Imperial Bomber wing, it has been an honor.” He said, pulling the trigger to unleash a fury of proton torpedoes at the nearest large ship.

All around him, massive flashes of light exploded across the vacuum of space, temporarily blinding him. After his vision returned, he flew his fighter as far away as he could from the battle, not turning to look back.
Maybe he could get away, but that was still uncertain.

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

Aboard the Revenge, there was a massive crash as the lights flashed off and everyone was sent flying to their feet. It was by far the largest amount of damage the ship had endured.

Admiral Johnson got to his feet quickly and surveyed the situation as some emergency power returned. Most of the bridge crew appeared to be unharmed, but several seemed to be incapacitated. Looking over at where the Captain had been sitting, he noticed Haffard was out cold. Reaching down to see if he was ok, Johnson found that he had a severe bump on his head, and there was blood coming from his mouth.

He rushed over to the comm and called for a medic, and Commander Indra Sing was soon at his side, busily working at one of the comm stations.

“What the hell is going on? Set condition one!” Johnson demanded.

“What footage we have shows we were attacked by at least several squadrons of T I E bombers. Maybe a wing. They were hiding in there, and I don’t know how we didn’t see them.” Sing said in a concerned tone of voice.

“Tell our fighters to search for any TIEs. I don’t want them to launch another attack run.” He said as medics finally arrived at the bridge, carting away the wounded on stretchers. Good thing the bridge was deep within the ship, and therefore much harder to destroy. Looking around at the various consoles and workstations, he noticed that unless an object hadn’t been secured (like several cups of coffee) they gave no indication of any sort of incident.

“Do we have a damage report yet?” Johnson demanded of the young Lieutenant who was manning the damage control station. He was pale at the sight of the mess, but also looked to be confident at his station.

“Admiral we have dozens of impacts across the ship, mostly on the aft section. We were mostly hit by torpedoes, though there were a few concussion missiles as well. The shields got some, but we weren’t expecting an attack there, so some hit the armor and got through it.” He showed some footage of the Revenge’s undersized that had been taken on an escorting destroyer.

“We’re going to have to replace some of that.” Johnson said. The armor looked to have held in many places, but there were some clear holes.

“Weren’t those bottom sections mostly used for storage of consumables and medical supplies.” He asked. Johnson didn’t have a perfect memory of the space, but he knew the general areas of the ship and what they were used for.

“Indeed, it was good that we didn’t hit the fuel line or anything of that nature. It would have been a lot more destructive sir.” The officer looked a bit relieved. The problem is that some of the warheads didn’t explode immediately upon impact. We have several incoming reports of warheads that detonated a bit within the ship, with one of them close enough to the main power grid that it must have knocked it out sir.”

“Good, Lieutenant.” Johnson turned to Sing. “What’s the status with the rest of the fleets?”

“The Iowa took a hit to one it’s secondary aviation fuel tanks. We still are only getting early reports, but the damage is starting to look more severe than ours. The Bismarck has reported only minor damage, their Captain had kept the ship’s PDC’s on standby...”

“Admiral, we have a torpedo that failed to demonate lodged six with decks below us!” The Damage Control Officer reported. “It could go off at any moment!”

Johnson looked around, at the ship's crew, just getting on their feet again p.

“Let's get the hell out of here!” He yelled, letting the crew get out of the bridge. “Go to the upper observation deck.” He gave orders to them.

“Sir?” Sing asked. After less than 30 seconds, the bridge crew of about two dozen members had evacuated.

“Go!” He ordered, as she complied and he followed her. While running, Johnson ordered the areas surrounding the warhead evacuated over his small handheld com link. Preliminary reports indicated that several people had died of a lack of oxygen in either rooms penetrated by the torpedoes or which had lost atmosphere as a result. A few had been lucky to get out by dodging the closing bulkheads or finding a vacuum suit. It was tragic that people had died that way, but more would have been dead if the bulkheads hadn’t closed so rapidly.

“Get the bomb squad to the torpedo as fast as they humanly can.”

A massive thud had knocked Sergeant James Cooper out of his well deserved rack time. Looking at the clock, he could see he had only been asleep an hour. In theory he should probably be up, as the fleet would be going into combat soon, but he had been preparing and drilling his men the past few days.

The Australian was the leader of Squad 7 onboard the revenge. He and his squad specialized in boarding spacecraft and disarming explosives, which was an important skill to have when facing a hostile ship. During the second battle of Earth, one of the damaged Imperial raider corvettes that had been boarded by Earth Marines after surrendering and had been intentionally scuttled by its crew in a last ditch attempt to cause some damage to the fleet. While they might have succeeded, it only led to the loss of a single damaged corvette, a loss that itself would not have much impact on the conflict.

While ships would normally scuttle themselves through more normal means such as blowing their reactor, it was not an option for the wounded corvette. It’s reactor offline, it’s Captain deceived to detonate the vessel's supply of warheads to destroy it. The possibility that a similar strategy could be attempted even with a ship’s bridge, main engineering, and reactor room under control was worrying. Along with the fact that explosives may need to be disarmed onboard both ships and on the ground led Earth’s marines to develop a number of bomb squads to disarm whatever explosives were encountered.

As he got up and slipped into his uniform, he tried to turn the lights on to no avail. He couldn’t figure out why, perhaps it had to do with that big explosion. Soon some emergency lights came on, and his comm buzzed.

“Sergeant Cooper, can you hear me?” A voice said over the comm. He instantly recognized it as that of Admiral Johnson. He had only spoken to the man on a few occasions, but those few times had left a good impression on him.

“Yes Admiral, is everything alright?”

“Not really, we got attacked by some T I E bo,bets that were hiding in some old wreckage. A torpedo is lodged in deck ten section 29 and it has failed to detonate. You and your squad will need to disarm it in your vac suits, if you fail it will cause catotrapic damage to the ship. We’re all counting on you, Sergeant. Do you understand?

“Yes sir.” He replied. “I’m on it.”

“Good. Tell me when you have finished.” Johnson said, ending the comm.

Quickly he rounded up the other seven members of his squad, and within five minutes they were in their armored vacuum suits. When the torpedo had lodged itself in the ship, it had left a hole behind that extended all throughout the ship, opening that part of the ship up to the vacuum of space.

“That’s a big one!” Exclaimed Corporal Carmen Wright, one of the senior most members of the squad when it came to disarming explosives. He walked over to the Imperial topreado to get a better look at it.

“Be careful Corporal, we have no idea what sets those things off.” Cooper said, activating the scanners in his suit. He looked intently at the proton torpedo that was wedged across the wall. It was a miracle that it hadn’t detonated yet. Perhaps it was a dud.

“Looks like it's armed.” He said, getting closer to it. He recognized it as a MG6 Mark I I Proton Torpedo, the standard starfighter launched proton torpedo of the Imperial Navy. Many had been captured aboard the ships that could carry fighters and had surrendered to Earth after the two battles there. He and the squad had practiced working on weapons like these.

He moved over to the torpedo. “Alright, we’ve practiced this many times.” He moved his hands over a small console on the warhead, trying to disarm it.

“Fuck, it’s encrypted.” Cooper said. This was going to make it harder to crack. Quickly, he grabbed a small tablet attached to his waist. Hopefully the empire hadn’t updated the codes it used for these torpedoes.

As he did that, a small thud could be heard. The large shelf the torpedo had been laying against collapsed, with the torpedo falling down with a thud. Cooper closed his eyes and prepared for everything to end, but death did not come.

The torpedo even though it had been armed didn’t detonate. That was an even bigger miracle then the previous one, one that had saved their lives this time.

“Holy shit we're alive!” Private Alissa Bund said, looking around.

“It doesn’t work. If it didn’t explode when it hit the ship, it certainly wasn’t going to explode right now.” Corporal Wright said.

“Let’s just get this fucker defused.” Cooper’s tablet finished the work it needed to so that the torpedo could be defused.

After several heart wrenching moments the torpedo was defused. Everyone in the bomb squad breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sergeant Cooper to Admiral Johnson, we got the torpedo. It’s disarmed.” He said.

Johnson heard the message just as the evacuation of the nearby decks.

“Good job Sergeant. You saved many lives and prevented what could have been catastrophic damage to the ship.

“I was just doing my duty sir.” He replied.

“That’s what I want to hear, Sergeant.” Johnson said, smiling to himself.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

Major Petrova and the ragtag group of soldiers under her command found themselves walking through the rubble of buildings they had detonated earlier. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of dead stormtroopers and Imperial personnel littered the path, killed by falling rubble and blaster wounds.

“Eerie, isn’t it.” Hans said, walking over a dead stormtrooper. “Was only a day ago,but it feels like weeks have gone by.”

“Yeah.” Taylor replied. “But it was worth it.”

They soon reached the two large buildings that some of Petrova’s platoon and the Free Confederacy forces had used to ambush the Imperials on. They had retreated so that they could consolidate their forces in one area instead of being split up and vulnerable to defeat in detail.

“Could anyone be in there?” One of the civilians asked.

“If anyone is, they aren’t on the roof.” Jorkan said. “The drones didn’t see anyone on the balconies either. If anyone else is there, they are probably hiding and don’t want to be found.

“If any Imperials were in there and knew we were here, they would have shot at us by now.” Perry stated.

“We don’t have time to clear them out either. Let’s get as far away from that place as possible.” Petvrova said.

After some more walking, they reached the shot up stage where many high ranking Imperials had been killed by Virtanen and the other snipers. Moff Flag, several Admirals and Generals, and a number of top civilian officials had been confirmed as dead. Some lower ranking officers and minor officials had escaped, but most had fled back into the Imperial base which had been blown up shortly thereafter.

“According to the schematics there should be an underground entrance right over there.” Taylor said, pointing to a partially destroyed door with a small sewage shaft behind it.

“We are going to go through the sewer?” One of the civilians asked.

“Not really. There is a pathway on top of the sewer pipes that should be dry. It will take us into the base, and hopefully we can get down into the bunker.” She replied.

“How many entrances are there to the bunker?” Asked Petrova.

“Four, there are two staircases and two turbolifts. The turbolifts won’t work unless a lot of the supporting infrastructure is still intact, which means we will have to walk. When we get out of the tunnel, we should be close to one of the lifts as well as one of the staircases.” Taylor said.

Soon the group made their way thru the sewer and into a clearing filled with rubble. It looked like someone had tried to dig up the turbolift area but was unsuccessful, and had instead turned their attention to the staircase. There was a clear path to go down when it came to the staircase, something everyone was happy for. Some of the civilians started down the stairs but Petrova halted them.

“We’re sending this little guy in first.” She produced a small drone in the shape of a small barbel and threw it down the stairs. The drone hit one of the steps and kept going down until it could not be seen.

“We don’t know if it’s safe down there. There is a good chance there are surviving Imperials there, and we want to go in prepared. This little guy has a camera on it so we can tell what is going on in the bunker.” She produced a small tablet that would broadcast a live feed of the data the droid was transmitting and allow her to control its movements.

The drone soon reached the bottom of the stairs and crept under the door that led to the bunker. The first section was deserted, but there was a group of stormtroopers in the net section with a E web heavy repeating blaster set up to block the doorway.

“That's going to be a problem.” Hans said. “We can’t hit them with a flashbang at that range and they can lay down a constant stream of fire with that E web.

“What if we smoked the area?” Perry suggested. “We could roll that grenade in under the door, open the door, and I can suppress them with my light repeating blaster. Then we take the situation from there.” He said.

“That might actually work.” Taylor said.

“We’ll try it.” Petrova said, leading the group down the stairwell.

Perry rolled a smoke grenade down under the door and into the first section. There was silence, then he quickly opened the unsecured door once he was certain the Imperials were not immediately returning fire. He let his squad automatic blaster lose, undoubtedly killing several of the Imperials as he moved forwards, followed by other members of the platoon, free confederacy insurgents, and armed civilians.

When they emerged from the smoke several of the Imperial stormtroopers returned fire, but didn’t manage to hit anyone and were quickly killed by the group under Petrova.

She grabbed the drone she had retrieved and sent him under the net door to scout and report who was on the other side. They found several other stormtroopers taking up position behind the door, prepared for an attack. They had almost certainly heard the sounds of blasterfire from the net room.

This time, they were in a small enough space for a flashbang grenade to be effective. One was rolled by Hans into the small room, blinding the stormtrooper defenders. A normal thermal detonator or frag grenade could have also been used in this situation, but the impact of either of those could have caused unintentional damage to Petrova and her group. Additionally they had no idea how secure the walls or ceiling of this underground tunnel was. They didn’t want to collapse the bunker they were trying to capture.

With the stormtroopers blinded, the group opened the door and rushed in. The stormtroopers never had a chance.

The rolling drone was sent under the door once again. It found a much larger room than any of the previous ones, with several dozen stormtroopers and other Imperial personnel ready to defend the place. This was not going to be easy to take.

“A flash bang will not be nearly as effective here.” Taylor said.

“We could always throw in two.” Hans suggested. “Or a thermal detonator?”

“We still don’t know how much damage one could do. We should wait until we know more about this facility or are very desperate.” Petrova said. “But we can use several flash bangs. That would improve our chances of victory when we burst into that room.”

Several moments later the flashbangs had been rolled under the door, and after everyone on the other side of the door had been stunned Petrova’s group had burst in. Some of the stormtroopers returned fire, but only hit one of the civilians. Before they could do any more damage, they were all dead.

That room seemed to house the majority of the defenders, as the remaining rooms of the bunker were cleared, few other stormtroopers were found. A small cadre of officers were captured in one room that appeared to be some sort of command center, but otherwise Petrova took no prisoners. It wasn’t like any had surrendered, all of the remaining stormtroopers and other Imperials they encountered had tried to resist their inevitable demise.

As they finished up securing the premise, massive thuds could be heard above them. The orbital bombardment that Colonel Zark had warned about had come true. Now the surface above them was churning, and there was no knowing what would be left after that point.

“We got down here just in time.” Hans said. “If we had been much longer, I don’t know if we would have made it.

“I don’t know if we would have either.” Taylor said. “Can we still communicate with anyone on the surface?”

“I don’t think so.” Petrova had tried checking her comms a few minutes ago. “All I heard was static. The Empire might be jamming them, especially if the transmitters the Free Confederacy set up were destroyed in the bombardment.”

“We should probably get some rest.” Hans said. “I’ve been up for over 30 hours straight.”

“I’m surprised we haven’t collapsed sooner.” Taylor said. “I really need to sleep.”

Petrova looked around at the gathered group. She could see many were very tired, including herself.

“Who has slept most recently?” She asked. There were a number of murmurings from the civilians and free confederacy members who said that they had slept anywhere from 12 to 8 hours ago.

“I want you to stand watch.” Petrova said to several of the Free confederacy members and civilians. If anything happens or once eight hours have passed, wake me up.” She said. Petrova looked at the members of her platoon, and some of the civilians and free confederacy insurgents that hadn’t recently slept. “Everyone else can get some sleep for now.”

Soon everyone was filling out into the rooms that made up the bunker. Someone had found a supply of cots in a storage locker, and they were distributed around those who were planning on getting some sleep.

Looking to find at least a modicum of privacy, Petrova found a small storage closet hidden away next to the command center and put her bedding down. She was eager to catch some rest after all she had run into.

A few moments later she saw Hans enter, a cot dragging behind him.

“Do you mind?” He asked. Petrova considered his question for a moment. The small room was just big enough for the two of them. Under other circumstances she definitely would have cared, she would want at least some privacy if possible. And she also didn’t want to give off the wrong impression to other members of the platoon or anyone else. Both of them entering a small room together and not emerging for hours would make even the cleanest mind ask questions. Questions that Petrova hadn’t considered before (at least with Hans) but now were becoming a little more receptive to finding an answer to.

But now she didn’t care. She just wanted to get some sleep.
“No I don’t.” She said.

The two both lay there for a few minutes, both having some trouble falling asleep. Both were having a bit of trouble with that due to the explosions from the orbital bombardment. The uncomfortable cot they were sleeping on also didn’t help. Each one could hear the other turning and tossing, and eventually Hans broke the silence.
“Do you think this will ever end?” He asked. “This war. Can we even defeat the Empire?”

“I’m not sure. But it’s more likely that we will end up losing in the long run.” Petrova said. She normally wouldn’t say that to anyone else, but Hans was at this point one of the few people she might be able to call a friend.

“What would you do, if you didn’t have to fight? If we defeated the Empire.” Hans asked.

“I honestly have no idea. I’ve never thought about it.” She replied. “I have never lived a life without war or preparation for it since I was a child. What about you?”

“I have no idea. From when I was just a kid I wanted to be a soldier. But now I am not so sure if it was the right call.”

“You have been successful, you wouldn’t have gotten to be second in command of this squad without skill and hard work.”

“Yes, in many ways it was worth it. If my actions contribute only a little bit towards ensuring it is harder for the Empire to attack Earth, then my actions were worth it.” There was a pause for several moments and then he asked. “What about you?”

“I do not know either.” She said. “This conflict and preparing for it has occupied my entire past few years of life. I wouldn’t know what to do without it.” Petrova paused for a moment. “But I know I still made the right choice. Even if it meant a life or luxury far away from this war I would choose this.”

“Why would you choose this?” Hans asked.

“I have a purpose here. My life has been one of sacrifice, and I don’t know what I would do without this conflict.” She replied, rolling a bit closer to him so that their faces were pointed directly at one another.

They sat in silence for a few moments, just looking at one another. Both could sense a sort of tension in the air, one that they had not experienced like this since high school.

Finally Hans broke the silence. “Do you ever feel alone, despite being surrounded by so many people?”

Petrova waited a bit before answering, contemplating if she should lie about how she was feeling. He definitely had a point, and she was drawn back to the conversation they had had with Taylor back at that bar before they had left for this world.

“Yes.” She said quietly. “Since I was a child I never had many friends. My father did not want me to socialize, and therefore I only did a little. He thought it created weakness.”

“Then why did he get married in the first place?” Hans asked.

“He was horny like all other men.” She replied. Hans chuckled, partially because he thought the statement was funny and partially because he was nervous. He was feeling something he hadn’t felt, much less given into, for a long time.

“What about you?” Petrova asked, turning the tables on him.

“Somewhat. When I was in the KSK back when I was in the Bundeswehr I had a lot of friends. They were people like me, and people I identified with. Then after the stuff about Nazism came out I left all of them. I just couldn’t stand to see myself being with people like that anymore. Ever since I got the offer I got from the fleet, I’ve made it almost my sole focus.” He said, a far away look in his eyes.

“Do you wish you had made a different decision?” She asked.

“No, I am helping save people.” He said. “And while I might not be very close with all of them, I’ve found some amazing people here.

“Who would you be referring to?” Petrova asked, smiling. She was sure he was playing her. And she would play along.

“Well one of them is lying right next to me.”

“I wonder who that could be.” Petrova said sarcastically. She didn’t think out her next action she would take as was typical for her. She reached out and kissed Hans without much thought.

The touch of their lips on one another felt electric, a feeling that she had all but forgotten to time. They both rolled closer to one another, continuing to move their lips across each other’s.

After a few minutes of passion, the two settled down in each other's arms and fell asleep rapidly. For a few moments both had contemplated tearing off their clothes, but neither felt they were ready for such an escalation this early in their relationship, whatever it was. And they were both very tired, and none of them had the energy required to undertake what each was now dreaming about.

As she was about to fall asleep, Petrova just hoped that no one would walk in on them. It would raise too many questions that they were only just starting to ask themselves.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22

William Johnson stood in the Revenge’s main wardroom, with holographic displays portraying the fleet’s admirals and senior captains. They had to discuss the recent attack and figure out what to do next. This was going to unequivocally change the plans for the mission.

There were two other admirals within the fleet. Vice Admiral Davis Stuart, commander of the second task force and Vice Admiral Valentina Rosa, commander of the first special task force. There were also a number of senior captains, the commanders of all the battleships, carriers, and heavy cruisers.

“Thank you all for being here, I first want to go over the damage each ship has suffered.” Johnson said. “Captain Haffard unfortunately is in sick bay with a concussion, so I will be reporting the state of the Revenge for him. We were hit on the forward aft section on frames 12 to 30 by dozens of Imperial torpedoes. Most were stopped by our shields and armor, but a few managed to penetrate and cause damage. One of the main power conduits was hit, causing a temporary loss of power, but most of the hits impacted on our food and medical storage. There was a warhead that failed to detonate but lodged itself in one of the storage compartments not far from the bridge. It was luckily disarmed by our bomb squad before it could detonate, and they determined it was likely a dud. We currently have 26 dead and 7 injured, mostly due to a lack of oxygen.” He paused. “The damage is minimal and should only require a few holes being patched. It won’t reduce our combat effectiveness. Who wants to go next?”

“The Yamato got hit in similar areas, though a fuel line was also hit.” Admiral Stuart said. “Unfortunately it seems there is an electrical fire in several compartments, though it will soon be under control. We have more casualties though, 37 dead and 43 wounded. Besides the fire, the damage shouldn't take long for repairs, and our combat capabilities have not been affected.”

“The Iowa took a hit to one of it’s secondary aviation fuel tanks, which caused a big explosion and fire.” Captain Matthew Kissinger, it’s commanding officer said. We have about 69 dead and 113 wounded. Several of our main and secondary guns have been knocked out, as they were close to the fire. Extensive repairs are going to be needed. We’re still combat capable, but probably about 80 percent of what we used to be.”

“The Bismarck has taken only minimal damage, as we had our P D C ‘s undergoing preparation for combat.” Captain Hunt Godfrey, the ship ‘s commanding officer said. “Between them shooting down many of the torpedoes and our escorts doing the same, the few that hit didn’t penetrate our shields or breath through our armor. We are fully combat capable. Because of my ship’s status, I’d recommend trading places with Iowa so that we can take more damage instead of them.”

“The Implacable took several torpedoes, but not as many as any of the battleships.” Captain Zeng Hong said. “There were only a few penetrations past the armor and shields, and those have been very minor. We don’t currently have any casualties and our combat capabilities have not been affected at all.”

“Same with the Invincible. We haven’t taken much damage, and so far have no casualties. We are fully operational and ready for combat.” It’s captain, the commander of the sister Implacable’s sister ship said.

“The Hong Kong had several torpedoes impact on it, but none of them caused any damage.” The captain of the heavy cruiser said.

“The Senali took a volley of torpedoes to her rear engine block. It’s down to ten percent of it’s normal thrust, making it several times slower than the slowest of bulk freighters when fully loaded.” It’s captain said. “We might need to sit this battle out. Her hyperdrive is still functional though, so we will not have any trouble relocating.”

Johnson winced at that statement. The captured Interdictor Cruiser would be effective in stopping the Imperials from fleeing the battle.

“The São Paulo had several impacts on it’s aft sections near the main engine block, which lead to heavy damage there. We still do not have casualty reports, but it is likely to be steep. Three of our main engine blocks are offline, and it will likely take an entire dry dock to repair them. That’s almost half of our sunlight acceleration gone. We lost a few guns, but most are still operational.” The Captain of the Hong Kong’s sister ship said.

“The Los Angeles has taken several hits, also all minor. No casualties have been reported yet.” The heavy cruiser’s Captain reported.

“We have reports of damage across a number of other smaller ships, about a dozen in total. Two frigates and one corvette have taken critical damage and likely will be forced to withdraw.” Sing reported. She looked at Johnson. “Our fighters have found and destroyed over half of the attacking TIE’s with no losses, and more are being discovered as we speak. What do we do next?”

“We continue with the attack.” Johnson said. “All told, our losses have been minimal.” He looked at the nervous captain of the São Paulo. “Is your ship still combat capable?”

“Yes sir, though it might have a hard time keeping up with the fleet due to some of the engines being disabled.” He replied.

“Move to the rear of the fleet, Captain.” Johnson ordered. “Same for the Iowa. I don’t want either of those ships taking more damage than they can handle. Have the Senali and the three smaller ships withdraw, they are only going to be sitting ducks if they stay here. Unless anyone else has any other concerns, we will continue with the attack.

No one else had any other issues, so Johnson moved back to the bridge. He moved over to the comm stations with intent.

“Patch me through to Commander Davis.” He ordered the comms officer. He wanted to get information from the C A G about what was happening out there away from the fleet.

“Deadlock here. What can I do for you Admiral?” The pilot asked.

“How many of those T I E bombers have your people caught so far.” Johnson asked.

“So far almost 50… scratch that, sir we have caught 50 of those bombers. This didn’t look like a mission that a lot, or any of them, would be surviving on.” He reported.

“Commander, I want you to keep tracking down those bombers and to scout the space in front of the fleet for anything suspicious. We don’t want to repeat what happened earlier.”

“Yes sir. Should I engage other TIEs if the opportunity presents itself?”

“Go ahead. That’s one less T I E we have to worry about later. I won’t hold your attention any longer commander. Go make sure nothing gets back to the fleet.”

Davis continued flying, searching for the rogue TIE’s that had attacked the fleet. Not many were still alive, and the few that were would likely be shot down soon. T I E bombers were not very maneuverable and would not survive a serious dogfight. It appeared they had also been armed with anti-ship weapons, not missiles designed to be capable of attacking fighters. He had ordered that missiles not be used on these bombers, as doing so would be a waste of resources.

“Coroner to Deadlock, two of my guys just got hit by something out here, never mind, it looks like a small satellite.” One of the squadron leaders reported to the C A G.

“What the hell?” He said to himself. If the Empire was using small defensive satellites, they must be desperate. Very desperate indeed. He had never heard of them using such irregular tactics when defending. They never had the resource issues that would convince them to do such a thing. It just simply wasn’t like them. He’d have to ask some members of the rebel alliance, they might have seen something like this as they had been fighting the Empire much longer.

“All birds, apparently the Empire has had the grand idea of using low tech defensive satellites. I have no idea why, and we aren’t paid enough to speculate. We’re paid to destroy those bastards. They don’t have very large power signatures, so make sure you see them before they see you.” He said over the comms to all the fighters in the fleet, which were all under the command of him.

As he flew towards the distant Imperial fleet with his squadron in tow, he noticed a number of small rocks on each side of him. They were only a few meters large at most, and the vast majority were smaller.

Suddenly he heard a crash over the comm and noticed the rocks exploding. The explosions were not very big, but it spread a lot of very small rocks that would impact on the fighters.

Diving out of the way and avoiding most of the exploding rocks, Deadlock dodged the few that were nearby with ease. But some of his squadmates were not so lucky.

“Holy shit! Incoming! What the hell are these.” Lieutenant Paul “Corndog” Dawes said in fear as his fighter dodged the exploding rocks.

“Oh fuck, my engines are fucking gone. I’m going to have to eject.” Lieutenant Udloy “Krisper” Jennings said.

“I’ll get a S A R (search and rescue) shuttle out to come get you.” Deadlock said. “Same for anyone else who needs to eject.

“I’m going to need to eject as well.” Lieutenant Ellen “Blitzjob” Carter said.

“These must be debris mines, they're an old type of mine that hasn’t been used by anything but low tech navies for millennia.” Captain Vanessa “Redeye” Sundrey, the squadron's X O said. “They have a proximity fuse that detonates whenever an object comes close, and spreads a load of rocks on whoever is nearby. Can be nasty if they hit close to you like has happened here.

“That’s cool and all, but I need to eject as.” Said Lieutenant Bob “Party Boy” James. A number of the other members of the squadron could be heard agreeing with the two who needed to eject.

Deadlock changed his comms from just his squadron to the entire strike force of fighters he was commanding. He could hear reports of similar incidents, with dozens of fighters reportedly destroyed or heavily damaged to the point their pilots needed to be abandoned. Soon, it would likely be over a hundred lost. This was not an insignificant loss, but also one that they could survive due to their sheer numbers and the very high kill to death ratio between them and Imperial T I E Fighters.

He needed to reaffirm his leadership and provide guidance to the pilots under his command. They were out here dying, and he needed to help.

“All pilots, be advised, the Empire has strewn a mass of small rocks in space to try and stop us. They must have some sort of proximity fuse on them, they detonate when anyone gets too close. Already dozens of our fighters have been taken out by these things, and I doubt they will be the only ones to be destroyed. S A R birds are leaving their motherships now and will rescue the surviving pilots. Be safe and keep killing Imperials.”

As he and his squadron moved closer and closer to the Imperial fleet, he saw several large objects on his sensors. They were over a kilometer long but weren’t large enough to be Star Destroyers. What were they? He asked himself.

After a few moments of guessing, an answer appeared. These large objects were golan space defense platforms. Earth and the Free Confederacy had encountered several others so far within their campaign. They were large, over a kilometer long and bristling with all kinds of weapons and fighter bays.

Additionally Earth and the Free Confederacy had encountered several varieties of the smaller Carden class, which came in a number of variants that ranged from only a fraction of a size to almost as large as the golan platforms. They also were heavily armed, but not to the degree that the golans were.

His sensors showed 6 of the golans and five of the cardens in a defensive perimeter between him and the Imperial fleet. They must have been put in a blind spot for sensors, as otherwise they would have been detected already.

“Do you all see those platforms?” He asked the surviving members of his squadron. A murmur of agreement could be heard. He turned on the comms to all the fighters under his command, repeating the question. Many answered yes, and the ones who didn’t would be led in the general direction of the platforms.

“I don’t want to see them, and neither does Admiral Johnson.” Deadlock said. “We didn’t bring anti-ship missiles for nothing.”

The mass of fighters accelerated towards the static space stations. After a few moments, more contacts appeared, a large number of them. Deadlock could tell the stations and the Imperial fleet were launching T I E fighters to protect the defenses. If they wanted to get to the stations, they needed to go through the mass of T I E ‘s.

“All fighters clear those T I E ‘ s out. Use missiles and let the targeting algorithm tell you who to fire at.” Most of his fighters carried six anti fighter missiles that could take out a T I E in one hit. All his fighters had a networked targeting system that ensured that each fired a missile to different targets, which prevented an uneven distribution of fire and long delays incurred by trying to determine which pilot would fire at which target.

Each of his fighters fired one of their missiles at the approaching T I E ‘s. Since the Imperial fighters lacked any form of E C M (electronic countermeasures) they would have little chance of evading the incoming missiles. Perhaps a select few might, but the vast majority would die an inescapable death.

That was exactly what happened when the missiles impacted the T I E ‘s. Over a hundred and twenty fell in the first wave of attacks, the vast majority of the defending force. In the net wave, the remaining few dozen survivors fell. None of the T I E ’s made it to gun range.

“All fighters fire anti-ship missiles at the platforms.” Deadlock said, pleased with the results so far. Each of his fighters carried two anti-ship missiles, deadly weapons when used against capital ships both large and small.

Moments later several hundred missiles were fired. A few managed to be shot down by the point defences of the stations, but most hit the targets.

A massive explosion followed, a fireball that could be seen from both Earth and the Empire’s fleets. Four of the five Carden stations had been instantly destroyed with only the fifth, a larger 800 meter model surviving. Though surviving was about all that had happened to the station, entire sections of the station were gone and the surviving parts scarred with some of them venting the atmosphere.

Two of the Golan platforms were destroyed, with four surviving.Two of these Golan platforms looked awful, while the two others had looked only moderately to lightly damaged. Their larger size had allowed them to survive better than their smaller counterparts, but this was relative. They still had entire sections of which only rubble remained, and their armor was scarred with hits and holes where missiles had broken through. Whatever combat capabilities it had were heavily reduced if not outright gone.

“Wooooohoooo!” Yelled redye as they passed by the damaged platforms. Deadlock couldn’t help but smile at the victory he had just helped win. His comm beeped, and the pilot could see it was from Admiral Johnson.

“Good job Commander, you’ve taken out a critical objective in this fight.” The admiral said.

“Thank you sir, do you want me to attack the Imperial fleet?” Deadlock asked. “They are launching what looks to be the majority of their T I E ‘s, and we have only used 1 / 6 of our anti fighter missiles and 1 / 2 of our anti-ship missiles.”

“Go ahead and launch the rest of your anti-ship missiles against the Imperial fleet, and mop up as many of those T I E ‘s as you can from B V R. After that, head home to the barn for reloading. Those missiles are keeping you in the fight, and it would be stupid for you to lanuch strafing runs against the Imperial fleet.” Johnson said.

“Understood sir.” Deadlock said, switching his comm to cover the entire fleet of fighters under his command. “All fighters, we are going to attack the Imperial fleet. Prepare to launch missiles at both the T I E ‘s and the capitol ships. Don’t touch any of the remaining orbiting stations, we want to take those intact. Focus on the Star Destroyers and other large assets.” He said over the comm.

He could already see the waves of Imperial T I E ‘s departing the various ships they were embarked on. He ordered the first wave of anti fighter missiles fired. All impacted spectacularly against the T I E ‘s shredding them before they have even come close to weapons range.

Next he ordered the launching of the fighter force’s anti-ship missiles, which were primarily aimed at the three Imperial Star Destroyers and the lone Tector Star Destroyer. There were a number of secondary targets as well, two older and smaller victory class star destroyers and a few cruisers.

The networked targeting algorithm did its job well. Although a few of the missiles were shot down, the Star Destroyers had notoriously bad point defenses, forcing them to rely on their escorts and surviving T I E fighters. Hundreds of missiles broke through the defenses and impacted against their targets.

One of the Star Destroyers was outright destroyed, obliterated after being struck by a hundred anti-ship missiles on its aft section near its hangar bay. Another, the Tector, looked to be drifting in space, disabled. The two others revived moderate damage, enough to make an impact but not nearly enough to take them out of the fight. The two Victory’s and the cruisers had all taken moderate to light damage, and were still in the fight. The remaining T I E fighters were cleared up with anti fighter missiles launched by Earth's fighters as they turned around to rearm.

There were sounds of cheers as Earth’s pilots celebrated their victory. They had destroyed a Star Destroyer, disabled another, and damaged many other Imperial ships. They had also knocked out almost the entire Imperial force of fighters that had once been several hundred strong. The Great Garnizon Turkey Shoot, as it would later be known, was one of the greatest victories for Earth’s fighter force, though it would certainly not be the last.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

Admiral Johnson watched the carnage within the Imperial fleet unfold as his fleet drew closer to the enemy. It would only be a matter of minutes before the first ships entered the range of their weapons. These would be the corvettes and frigates of Admiral Rosa, who would launch torpedo and missile strikes before Johnson’s main force arrived.

“Admiral, I'm getting a message from Admiral Rosa.” The Comms officer said. “She doesn’t want the fighters to have all the fun sir, and is asking if she can begin her attacks early.”

“Tell her to go ahead.” Johnson replied. It would take time to rearm the incoming fighters, especially considering there were hundreds of them.

Aboard the frigate Morgador, Vice Admiral Valentina Rosa once again gave her ships the order to accelerate and prepare for their attacks. Hopefully they would be as successful as the previous ones.

It took them several minutes to get into weapons range, though to Rosa it felt quite a bit longer. Even when they got into range Rosa didn’t let the ships fire. She wanted to get closer before unleashing the wrath of torpedoes and missiles onboard the two dozen frigates and corvettes to make sure they were not shot down.

“All ships are to launch ion torpedoes at the two Imperial and two Victory Star Destroyers.” She ordered. A stream of ion torpedoes temporarily disabled the four ships , already damaged from their encounter with Earth’s fighters.

“Reload the tubes with proton torpedoes and target all of those ships as well as the other disabled Imperial Class.” She ordered. Moments later, heavy proton torpedoes were streaking across space to hit their disabled targets.

One of the surviving Star Destroyers was torn apart instantly, already disabled by the fighters. The other two I S D “s ( Imperial Star Destroyers ) survived, but now had much more damage when compared to before the strike. The two Victory Star Destroyers also were significantly damaged, but still combat capable. One Vindicator Class Cruiser was crippled, the rest having moderate to minimal damage.

There were cheers across the bridge as the crew was excited for its victory, however they quickly returned to their stations after seeing what the Empire was doing next.

Back during the first time this tactic was used, the Imperial forces had not done a lot to stop her attack or counterattack. This time, however, the Empire responded differently. They detached a dozen of their corvettes of the Raider and Vigil classes and I V P 1 systems patrol craft to pursue the raiding force. With their backs turned to the Imperials, Rosa’s force would have only a limited number of weapons to bring to bear on the task force.

Rosa frankly had not expected this, and when people had brought up the fact that she might be pursued by lighter Imperial units, she had always assumed that she would be able to beat them. But that was looking to be less and less of the case, as a pair of Vigil Class Corvettes launched a devastating torpedo strike that destroyed one of her corvettes and crippled another.

“Are we out of the range of the main Imperial guns ok those Star Destroyers?” She asked her gunnery officer.

“Yes, and even if we weren’t they are all either disabled or damaged.” He replied

“Then order all ships to turn around and engage the pursuing Imperial ships head on.” She said to the comms officer. “Launch a torpedo strike on them as well.” She ordered.

The two dozen frigates and destroyers began turning around, bringing the majority of their guns to bear on the attacking Imperials. They also launched missiles and torpedoes, which caused heavy damage to the thinly hulled and lightly shielding Imperial ships. An unlucky Raider I I corvette exploded after being hit by a volley of gunfire and torpedoes, an I V P 1 systems patrol craft being crippled and disabled moments later.

Earth’s frigates and corvettes were superior in firepower when compared to their Imperial counterparts, a factor that proved decisive in the little battle. They also held a two to one numerical advantage, allowing them the ability to swarm Imperial vessels and giving them more tactical flexibility.

Soon half of the attacking imperials had been destroyed or disabled, and the remainder decided to save themselves and retreat. A further two I V P 1 systems patrol were destroyed in a torpedo strike caused by several of Earth’s ships.

Johnson watched the events unfold aboard the Revenge’s bridge, pleased with how the battle was going so far. Within a few minutes he would be in the gun range of the Imperial fleet. A fleet that had been severely weakened by both Deadlock’s fighter attacks and Admiral Rosa’s torpedo strikes.

“Admiral Rosa, what is your status?” He asked over the comm.

“We knocked out one I S D, heavily damaged another two, heavily damaged a pair of victory’s and damaged some Vindicator heavy cruisers.” She reported. “We’ve lost three corvettes to the Imperial counterattack, but we destroyed or crippled eight of theirs.”

“Good job Admiral. We can take it from here.” Johnson said. “Rejoin the formation at your previous location, we will be back within weapons range within a few minutes.” He ordered.

“Thank you Admiral, will do.” She said, moving her ships back into the fleet. The door to the bridge opened and Captain Drofa Haffard re entered the bridge, his wounds from earlier either healed or bandaged. Everyone on the bridge stiffened and saluted as their Captain returned.

“At ease.” He said. “Captain Haffard reporting for duty, Admiral.”

“It’s good to have you back, Drofa.” Johnson said. “ resume your post.”

“Sir, we’re in weapons range.” The Revenge’s gunnery officer reported.

“Begin firing at will.” Johnson said. “And relay that order to the other ships.”

Soon Earth’s large fleet was firing at the Imperial one. Everyone was shocked when another I S D emerged from the network of dry docks, with only minimal damage. It began firing on Earth’s fleet, significantly increasing the firepower of the Imperial fleet.

Additionally, a large number of T I E fighters emerged from the Imperial fleet and from the planet’s surface, perhaps the empire’s last reserves within the system.

“How are our fighters doing? How many have we rearmed?” Johnson asked.

“At this point the fleet has rearmed about 20 percent of are birds which are all in the air, including Deadlock’s squadron. We are continuing to arm the fighters, but our speed will likely be slowed due to combat. The squadrons on the carriers and Iowa will probably be done faster, as they are not as likely to face combat.” Commander Sing reported.

“Good, try to speed up the process on the rest of the ships as much as possible. Our fighters will not be able to face all those T I E ‘s without reinforcement.” He ordered.

The revenge shuttered from impacts as the various Imperils ships returned fire. Despite the damage Earth had done to the Star Destroyers, most of their forward guns were still operational. They lay down an impressive array of fire, one that Johnson did not expect. Several of the corvettes, frigates, and destroyers at the front of the fleet came under heavy fire, with a few being destroyed or heavily damaged. However they were inflicting significant damage on the Imperial forces as well. Many of the lighter Imperial ships were taking heavy damage, with some being destroyed or damaged.

The revenge and the other large ships had directed their fire to the larger Imperial ships, such as the Star Destroyers. However, the flagship was unprepared when the two Victory Class Star Destroyers launched a devastating barrage of anti capital ship proton torpedoes. These struck the revenge and her other sister ships, causing heavy damage.

The bridge shook as Johnson was almost thrown off his feet. Other men and women on the bridge fell down, and he could see people hitting their heads on consoles and workstations.

“Damage report!” He ordered. The same damage control officer who had reported when the T I E bombers had attacked resumed his post and gave a report.

“Sir we have been hit on the forward sections and a few of the aft sections. Frames 1 - 14 have heavy damage and frames 15 - 34 have moderate to light damage. No casualty reports so far, but it doesn’t look good. We likely have dozens, if not hundreds dead.”

“What about our combat capabilities?” Johnson asked. “Our shields and armor as well.”

“We have lost or damaged a few of the bottom and forward heavy and light turrets, but only half a dozen. Most are still operational however.” The damage control lieutenant said. “Our shields are at only 2 8 p e r c e n t, but our armor is mostly holding. No information on the condition of the other ships so far.”

“Continue firing on the Imperials.” Johnson said. “ We still outnumber and outgun them. Press the attack, we will not falter due to a little damage here and there.”

Earth’s fleet kept advancing on the defending Imperials, starting to take more and more losses. But the Imperial fleet was not doing better, with its forward ships all but obliterated under concentrated fire from Earth’s fleet. In front only the star destroyers and heavy cruisers survived the onslaught, but only just barely. A devastating torpedo strike by many of Earth’s surviving ships decimated them, disabling or destroying all but one of the Imperial Star Destroyers and all of the cruisers and victory star destroyers in the front. The Imperial fleet was down to a fraction of its former strength, with only one Star Destroyer, two heavy cruisers that were guarding the rear of the fleet as the only heavy asset still standing. Five frigates and a dozen corvettes and systems patrol craft still stood, all damaged to varying degrees.

Admiral Picot stared out the window of his Star Destroyer, the I S D Temperance. He had lost almost his entire fleet to Earth, and soon would lose his entire fleet if nothing changed. He could not have expected such a disaster to unfold upon this place, though he had prepared to take heavy losses.

Sparks flew across the bridge, with several members of the bridge crew dead or heavily wounded due to battle damage. What little news from the rest of the sector he had gotten was not good. In space the Imperial fleet was on full retreat against the forces of Earth and the Free Confederacy. On the ground the situation was not that much better, with Earth having orbital and air superiority, the troops of the Imperial Army and the Stormtrooper corps being cut down with ease.

He had initially not wanted to ask for outside help of any kind, but with his sector days away from being fully overrun, he would need as much help as he could get. He would talk to Moff Vincent Kleen of the Ghralia Sector. He had previously shown a willingness to help defeat Earth and the Free Confederacy, but Picot or his predecessor Moff Flag had never taken him up on his offer. Kleen was not offering this help out of a selfless concern for the people of the sector or a sense of moral duty, rather, he was trying to increase his influence in the sector. Picot did not blame the man for working in his self interest, as he did the same many times in his life. But that didn’t mean he would give in.

Moff Jareen of the Cundre Sector and Moff Kralen of the Quetry sector were both in a similar situation. Both would likely offer to help him in defending what remained of his sector, but it would come at a price. They would want some sort of compensation, whether it be in the form of resources, manpower, territory, or something else he didn’t know.

Moff Illustrious was another possibility. The Moff of the Tibannas sector was honorable and if she decided to help wound not ask for much, but relations between the sectors had been frosty.

“Get us out of here!.” He ordered the ragged helm officer.

“Where sir?”

“Anywhere, no wait, the Croas system. It should be Rebel free.” He looked at the comms officer. “Relay that to the other ships.”

In a few moments, before the Imperial fleet was obliterated by Earth’s fleet, it jumped away to safety. Without the interdiction field of the Senali, they were free to escape. Now the system was left defenseless, the Imperial troops on the surface embattled by the various rebel groups. It left the orbital command and repair stations defenceless, as they only had laser cannons and a few turbolasers to wade off pirates, not an organized military force. The T I E ‘s that they had were gone as well, obliterated by a mass of missiles like the rest of the brethren.

Onboard the Revenge and the other ships in Earth’s fleet, a wild cheer could be heard. This was a major victory that only solidified Earth’s position in the sector. Few major systems in the sector remained, and less than half a dozen Star Destroyers with only a few dozen escorts left to defend it. It would be a miracle if the Imperial fleet could its ground.

“Bring us down to condition two and tell the support ships they are clear to enter the system. Tell General Marks that he is free to bring his ships in and begin landing on the planet.” Johnson ordered. “And tell those stations to surrender and prepare to be boarded or they will be destroyed.

He looked around at his fleet, which had for the first time taken significant damage fighting the empire. 28 corvettes, frigates, and destroyers had been lost in the battle, more than two times the entire losses so far in the campaign. Dozens of other ships big and small were damaged, including the Revenge herself.

In a shrewd tactical sense, the victory was unequivocally worth it, but Johnson couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret for those that had been lost. He replayed the battle within his head trying to figure out what went wrong and fixing it ,but had little success. He had other things to do now.

“Admiral the Imperial stations had surrendered unconditionally. They report having a number of warships under repairs or refit within the station, including a Star Destroyer.”

“Good, get them secured and ensure they are kept safe.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 24

Several hours later

General Augustus Marks of the United Nations Marine Corps stood on the bridge of the heavy assault ship Juno Beach as it descended into the atmosphere of Garnizon IV. They had gotten into contact with some of the free confederacy’s groups on the surface of the planet, and would be landing reinforcements to help them. They had also gained intel on the various Imperial installations and units in the world.

His landing ship along with several smaller ones would be touching down about 50 miles from one of the largest Imperial bases, Fortress 4682 Alpha. It had been designed to withstand an orbital planetary assault, with a modest planetary shield generator that covered over 100 miles in diameter in each direction. It carried a wing of T I E fighters and an armored battalion, in addition to the regular garrison. Taking it would certainly be a challenge.

Soon hundreds of vehicles and thousands of troops were being unloaded and forming up on the flat hills to advance. Atmospheric aircraft and troop transports raised off the flight decks and hangars of the four landing ships, prepared to attack the fortress.

Soon footage from the orbiting ships confirmed the fortress was launching its complement of T I E ‘s and its armored battalion was getting underway to intercept Earth’s invading force. Dozens of A T A T and A T S T walkers, supported by repulsorlift tanks and light troop transports with a little artillery for good measure.

Captain Georgy Evanoff, the commander of the 2nd armored battalion, heard these reports from the turret of his TK- 10 Charger M B T ‘s (main battle tank). Nervously relaying this order to the men under his command, he charged on towards battle.

Evanoff hailed from a family of Russian tankers who had been driving their steel beasts from before the Second World War. From T 34 ‘s and KV1’s during the battles of Kursk and Berlin to T - 55 ‘s and T - 72 ‘s during the Cold War to T -90 ‘s and T - 14 Armata’s today, his family had an undeniable history with these vehicles. It made sense that he would be commanding tanks across the stars on a battlefield so similar yet so different to ones before it.

The terrain was mostly flat until much closer to the fortress, where it inclined more to make an assault harder. This armored battle, the first real one of the war, would be fought in the ideal environment.

He was frankly a bit concerned about fighting Lakers walkers like the A T A T. They were slow and clumsy but at close range deadly. Their armor made them practically impervious to all but the most powerful of turbolasers and missiles.

But they had a weakness. The section between the “head” and the “body” was weak and could be punched through by the light turbolasers that made up the Charger’s main armament. Several dozen had been captured within the hulls of Star Destroyers that had been seized after the second battle of earth. Their sheer size as well as slow speed would likely prevent them from ever seeing combat again, but they would still be useful.

Tests performed on vehicles had allowed the development of weapons to match and exceed those the Empire had access to. The AT 102 Self Propelled Artillery Guns (S P G) and ML 200 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (M L R S) were both designed to be able to break through the A T A T ‘s extensive armor. The AT 102 was designed to destroy targets with it’s heavy turbolaser cannon, and the ML 200 held a large number of long range heavy rockets that would be useful for destroying heavily armored targets such as the A T A T.

He commanded one of four tank battalions that had been landed here to assault the fortress. Each battalion held 36 tanks, with a total of 144 tanks being used for the assault. While they were the centerpiece of the assault, there were hundreds of A P C ‘ s, I F V’ s utility and logistics vehicles and self propelled artillery pieces that would also be used in the attack.

Two tank battalions would be moving straight at the attacking Imperials head on. This was potentially risky, as they would not be able to break through the heavy armor of the A T A T’s. But the Imperial walker’s slow speeds would mean that all of the tanks and other vehicles could retreat if they got within weapons range. To the left and the right of the main force were each one battalion, with the one on the left specifically under his command. They would be engaging in a flanking attack that would hit the Imperial walkers in the vulnerable neck, destroying them. As the main forward force would deal with the survivors, they would race on and begin besieging the fortress.

Also involved in the battle were air assets. Replifsor based fighters would be providing air cover and ensure air superiority while attack aircraft would help eliminate Imperial targets. If they were unable to break the Imperials, they would focus on destroying the shield generator or at least weakening it and then call in an orbital bombardment of the fort.

His tank rolled along in formation with the other vesicles around it. It would be a while before they got anywhere close to the Imperials so he opened the secure upper hatch to have a look outside.

It was a pleasant day, and many a civilian would like to enjoy a picnic here if it weren’t for the massed armored formation racking up dust as they went along. Hundreds of vehicles bred for war charged to their destiny. Above him he could see dozens of aircraft passing above, prepared to strike the Imperials.

“Is the view good up there?” Asked Corporal Alexander Sololev, the tank’s driver.

“Yeah, it's a powerful one. Wish we had a photographer to go ahead of us and take pictures. The press would have a field day.” Ivanoff said.

“The fighters apparently have rear facing cameras.” Said Private George Averov, the tank’s gunner. “They plan to release the images to the press. Will make the war look good to the public.”

“And how do you know this again?” Ivanoff asked.

“My girlfriend.” replied Averov. “She’s one of the pilots.”

“A Turkish one too.” Ivanoff said. “Surprised a Greek and a Turk would want to date.”

“More likely than him dating an Armenian.” Sololev had a knack for making politically incorrect jokes.

“What’s their kid going to be named? Cyprus?” Ivanoff joked. The crew laughed.

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of Ivanoff's comm beeping. He listened to the message intently, and then shut the device off.

“The Imperial Walkers are ten miles from weapons range.” He said, coming back down into the tank and closing the hatch. “We are going to split up for our flanking attack, as well as the rightward battalion. He and his tanks moved left in their maneuver to flank the Imperials, with the many supporting bevy led coming to a stop.

A few minutes later he could hear the thunder of artillery that was firing at the oncoming Imperials. Far above, T I E fighters fought Earth’s atmospheric planes. The attacking Earth force was finding success due to numerical superiority and their air to air missiles, which pulverized the T I E ‘s from beyond visual range, a range that they could not respond at. Their lack of electronic countermeasures ensured they were slaughtered, and their lack of shields also prevented them from making difficult maneuvers due to the atmosphere and the craft’s dedicated lack of aerodynamics. If they had the ability to move more effectively they might have fared at least a little bit better, but this was debatable.

Already, close air support aircraft were making low passes on the Imperial formations. Their arsenal of bombs, rockets, missiles, and guns were making quick work of many of the lighter imperial vehicles, such as their lightly armored troop transports. The lighter walkers such as the A T S T and hovertanks such as the T X 2 2 5 Occupier were not able exempt from their reign of death either. But while some attacked the troops, most continued on to their target, the Imperial base. Here they used larger missiles and bombs, causing some minor damage to the outside of the base. But 9ver a dozen were shot down before they could escape the wrath of the base’s defense turrets. It was decided that they would be held back until further advancement was made to preserve their ranks.

Ivan off soon found himself near the walkers. The A T A T ‘s began firing at them, and a few of his tanks were taken out. But most survived to get out of the walker’s firing arcs.

The tanks began returning fire with their main guns. Soon they started hitting their targets, the “neck” of the walker. Their “heads” went flying off, rendering the rear of the checocle useless. The walkers were unable to hit the tanks, as they were behind the firing arc.

With their walkers disabled, the Imperial Stormtroopers evacuated their transports. Each walker held 20 of the Empire's elite troops, and they began advancing on the attacking tank force. Some had recovered P L E X rocket launchers, which if hitting the right spot could be deadly.

In response the gunners of the various tanks began firing the vehicle’s coaxial repeating blasters, killing or at least suppressing the attacking troops. Ivanoff also requested that the I F V ‘s advance to help with the disembarked Imperial troops. Their medium laser cannon and light blaster cannons would help against both infantry and light vehicles, and their guided anti tank missiles could take out heavier targets.

Many of the tank’s shots hit their targets, but many hit the armor of the A T A T’s, not doing any damage. However the artillery, firing from miles and miles away was able to break through the thick armor of the walkers. However, it wasn’t always accurate, especially the M L R S.

Soon almost the entire A T A T force had been destroyed, helpless to the constant bombardment from tanks on either flank. If they tried to reorient, Earth’s tanks reoriented faster.

Oddly enough, the dozens of lighter walkers such as the A T S T ’s and even the more lightly armed A T D P ’s seemed to do more damage against the attacking tanks, at least to the ones that were on the flanks. Since they were primarily designed for scouting, patrol, or anti infantry combat they were much more mobile than the larger A T A T ‘s, and could therefore more easily evade the blasts from Earth’s tanks. And with Earth’s tanks focused on the A T A T ‘s, they were able to get far closer than would have normally been allowed. The slower T X 2 2 5 Occupier assault tanks also found themselves to be more effective than the A T A T’s, but they were fewer in number when compared with the walkers already in use.

The light walkers and hover tanks unleashed a fusillade of fire into Earth’s tanks and I F V ’s which were just joining the battle. The armor of the Charger absorbed many of the blasts, with most causing little to no damage. But some hit weaker areas of the tank that held less thick armor, disabling or destroying some of them.

However, the tanks quickly turned their attention to the incoming imperial vesicles. Soon many had been destroyed, most being taken out in one hit from either the Charger M B T ‘s or Kestrel I F V ‘s, who dealt out respectable damage with their medium laser cannons and guided anti tank missile launchers.

In a manner of minutes, not hours as expected, the Imperial armored force was crippled. Ivanoff led his tanks to begin the siege of the base, while the two forward facing battalions finished off the remaining Imperial walkers, tanks, and troop transports. Some of the I F V ‘s had offloaded their troops, as many of the Imperial stormtroopers were more elusive than expected. Being a tertiary focus, they had been neglected and not paid attention to nearly as much as any of the other assets, especially as they stopped attacking the tanks.

Earth was not without losses however. 11 of his 36 tanks had been lost, as well as half a dozen of the I F V ‘s. A dozen tanks were lost on the right flank, and only seven in the two forward battalions combined. Some of the infantry fighting vehicles would be coming to deploy their eight embarked troops to form a forward line in front of the fort.

With all of the Imperial T I E ‘s neutralized, attack aircraft would be beginning more coordinated attacks against the fort. S E A D missions , or suppression of enemy air defenses, would hopefully deal with the laser cannons and light turbolasers and the base’s fire control systems. If these could be taken out, the atmospheric aircraft would have total air superiority.

Soon the tanks were in gun range of the imperial fortress, but out of range of the forts guns. However, at this range the Charger’s fire would not be very accurate, and they would need to wait for artillery and close air support to destroy the imperial guns, allowing them to assault the fort.

It took several hours of bombardment for the artillery to cause any significant damage, despite the power of Earth’s guns and M L R S systems. The base had been designed to withstand bombardment, though not to the scale off the current one.

“We need to fire slower, our gun is close to overheating.” Averov said.

“Then do it.” Ivanoff said. His comm chimed with an incoming message, and he opened it. It was from General Grant, ordering that the tanks and artillery stop firing and return to base. He stated enough damage had been inflicted upon the base. They now had to physically take it, and the infantry would be moving in to do just that.

“Speaking of that, we can go home now.” He said to the rest of his crew. They had finished their mission here, and now the battle would be decided by other men and women.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25

Admiral William Johnson sat in his quarters aboard the Revenge, contemplating what he would write next. It had been eight hours since the battle and his shift had ended, and he returned to his quarters exhausted. Whenever he hadn’t been leading this fleet into battle, he had been overseeing the rest of the fleet, as well as keeping up with the Free Confederacy’s movements against the Empire. He was in charge of all of this entire offensive after all, and it required almost constant attention. He was lucky to get 5 or even 6 hours of sleep a night, and usually got something closer to 4 or three, maybe even 2 on a couple of bad days. Besides basic human functions he had done nothing else but command the fleet for the past 12 days.

Today he had somehow managed to get 7 hours of sleep, and he felt better and more refressed than he had since the offensive had begun. He had been occupied with a few other things such as cleaning himself up, but for about the last 30 minutes he had been busy composing a letter to Allison. He hadn’t had much time to think about her, but truth be told he did miss her. Just as they were just starting to flourish as a couple, he had taken command of Operation Vengeance. He had told her that he would write to her, but this was the first time he really got the chance.

The message read as follows:

Dear Allison,

I am sure you have seen and read the numerous reports on what has been happening out here in the Zoloch sector. Therefore I won’t bother you with the minute details, but I expect the Imperial forces in this sector to be fully neutralized within a week. I hope that once the front has stabilized, that I can return and visit you. I might very well be home for christmas.

I hope you have been adjusting to your new role well, and that people have not claimed that you seduced me into giving you that position. You are in both Harrington and my opinions ready for the position, and I would have put you there regardless of the circumstances. I trust that if there are those that oppose your appointment, they will have to eventually see your skill in the area.

While publicly the reports about our victory are satisfying, there are still difficult questions to be asked about what we are to do once the Zoloch sector is fully controlled by us and the Free Confederacy. Attacking the other sectors is a possibility, but they are at full strength and not weakened like the Zoloch sector forces were. In fact, the Tibannas Sector has two older battlecruisers and 30 star destroyers instead of the normal 24 assigned to the sector. There is also more support for the Empire in these regions, especially in the Tibannas sector. I’m sure a plan going forward will be created, but the war might start to go less in our favor and casualty rates will undoubtedly go up.

On a more personal note I have missed you a great deal since I have left. Everything from the soft touch of your lips against mine, to your beautiful smile, and of course our passionate nights in bed. But what stings more than any of that is the general lack of your presence. Having you by my side has infinitely helped my peace of mind, and your advice has been relevant in every corner of my life, from the professional to the personel. I promise that I will be back soon.

Love you,

Will

[End Message]

Johnson mulled the letter over, considering if it was good or not. He was definitely not experienced writing letters to significant others, in fact this was his first time. The feelings he was feeling were difficult to quantify, and he was wondering if he was making them clear within the letter.

He considered running them through another person, but he suddenly realized he had no one to do it with. He had a good professional relationship with everyone under his command, but not really a personal one. The two people who might be of use would be Harrington, who was back on Earth and Haffard, who was even less experienced with women than him.

Johnson slowly realized that despite being on a ship with thousands of people, he was alone. He didn’t have many friends, and the few he had were not very close to him. Allison, the closest person to him, was many light years away.

He just wanted to talk to someone. Some of the crew had joked that the fleet should get ship counselors like in Star Trek, but Johnson was sure they just wanted to talk to attractive women.

With only a few minutes cleft before duty, he decided to send the letter. He didn’t care if it was well polished or not, he just wanted to send it to her. He sighed and pushed those thoughts away as he got on his uniform and headed to the Bridge.

He noticed Haffard and Sing around one of the central consoles, observing the activity of the ship’s command center.

“Is there anything to report, Captain?”

“For this ship sir most of the damage has been repaired. It wasn’t anything major that could not be cleaned up easily.” Haffard said. “But as to the rest of the fleet and this offensive in general there is a lot.”

“Let’s go to the wardroom.” Johnson motioned to a door off the side of the bridge and the three stepped in. The Admiral reached for the coffee pot and began to make coffee.

“Alright, tell me everything.” He said as they sat down. In addition to his role as commander of the revenge, Haffard was the operations officer of the entire offensive. He regularly got reports from all across the Zoloch Sector, detailing how attacks against the Empire from both Earth and the Free Confederacy were going.

“Well to start with this planet and system. Garnizon I I is almost completely under either are control or the various rebel groups affiliated with the Free Confederacy. We’ve captured over 50,000 Imperial personnel of all types on the surface of the planet, and once we start consolidating with the other groups that will increase. As for equipment we have hundreds of T I E ‘s and airspeeders, as well as over a thousand combat and utility vehicles. I already have sent for prisoner transports to come here and start moving the Imperials to Earth for rehabilitation and reeducation.”

“As for assets in space, we have control of over two dozen non combat orbital stations, including multiple shipyards and drydocks with ships under repair inside them. We captured an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Titanius. It was the one that we attacked when capturing the Senali. It is a new Imperial I I Star Destroyer that has been mostly repaired, but didn’t have the crew onboard to join the battle. A Venator Star Destroyer that was going to be stripped for parts and scrapped is the other major asset. We also have a Vindicator Heavy Cruiser, a Neutron Star Class Bulk Cruiser, a Strike Medium Cruiser, two Arquitens light cruisers, three Nebulon B frigates, and a dozen corvettes and systems patrol craft. Most were either under repair, refit, or didn’t have a large enough crew to participate effectively. But a couple of the corvettes and systems patrol craft were located on the other side of the planet protecting against smugglers and pirates.” Haffard paused. “There are also numerous non combat vessels, some of which escaped but many of which were unable to. The sector’s Altor Class replenishment is among the surrendered vessels, and has enough supplies to support the entirety of sector operations. It’s perhaps the most important asset we have captured. There is also a field secured container vessel, fully loaded with supplies for the sector force. There are numerous other supporting vessels, 37 in this system alone. These range from the previously mentioned to much smaller light freighters, many of which were under the command of the Imperial merchant marine. All told, that brings us up to about 78 non combat Imperial vessels we have captured, including ships from Imperial aligned corporations such as Kuat Drive Yards, Sienar Fleet Systems, and Rendili Star Drive.” Haffard said.

Johnson was impressed, but he only remembered capturing a few dozen of these support ships.

“Where did the rest come from?” Johnson asked.

“Our victory at Zoloch Prime.” Haffard replied. “The Imperials lost many of their ships, but one of their Star Destroyers escaped. That leaves the Imperial sector forces with only two Star Destroyers, and with all of their major planets occupied. They only have two or maybe three dozen combat vessels left, most of which are sublight systems patrol craft like the I V P 1.”

“Good.” Johnson said. “What else do you have to report?” He had a number of other topics he would be bringing up, but he wanted to see what Haffard was going to do first.

“We have an issue with civilian ships sir. There are over a thousand in the space we control, with hundreds more on the ground docked. They range from shuttles and light transports to bulk freighters. Not an insignificant number of those ships are from companies that are affiliated with the Empire. Should we allow civilian travel within our occupied territories and / or to travel outside the Empire?”

“Anyone who wants to leave the sector can do so, unless they are Imperial Navy personnel or members of an Imperial affiliated corporation.” Johnson said. “Travel in between worlds within the sector is also fine. I want all of the Imperial affiliated companies vessel’s impounded. All stations and installations of these companies will also be seized. I have heard that the Empire allows slaves and let’s these companies use them. Are there any in the sector?”

“Yes, a number of the mining and industrial installations use them.” Sing said.

“They are to be emancipated immediately. Anyone in a leadership position who was overseeing that, military or civilian, is to be imprisoned immediately. Do any of these companies have private security forces that would pose a threat to us?” Johnson asked.

“Nothing more than a few corvettes and frigates, so something we can easily destroy if needed.” Sing replied.

“There is another issue that we’re going to have to deal with.” Haffard said. “Manpower. To man all of these stations and ships, especially the logistical ones, we need a lot more people than we currently have. Of course we’re going to be giving a significant amount to the free confederacy, and many of these ships do not require a large crew. A potential solution would be to keep these ships and stations under their current crews, and keep marines aboard to prevent defection. A lot of these personnel are not strictly Imperial military, and maybe we can look into rehabilitation later on when the manpower situation stabilizes.”

“That seems reasonable.” Johnson said. “We need to keep these shipyards open. As well as the various industrial and mining facilities that feed it. Is contracting civilian ships to be used as transports realistic?”

“Yes, in fact some ships are offering their facilities free of charge. We could definitely use the extra logistical support.” He said. “But that isn’t always going to happen. We need to figure out how pay these people.”

“We have a large amount of rare metals that are both mined in this sector and that were stored here. We could also use Imperial credits.”

“What about piracy.” Johnson asked. “If the Free Confederacy was able to thrive here and not get caught, I’d reason that smaller pirate groups would have no trouble staying away from the Empire and raiding shipping.”

“There is not an imnaginificanr amount here.” Haffard said. “The Free Confederacy has interacted with them on several occasions. They might have an idea about where they are, if you intend to eliminate them.”

“I don’t want to eliminate them.” Johnson said. “I want to make them into privateers, and get them to raid Imperial shipping in other sectors.” He could see Haffard stiffen at the idea. “I know these people are the dregs of society, and under other circumstances I would unequivocally want to lock them up. But we need every advantage we can use against the Empire. And it will keep them from attacking civilians or us.”

Haffard wanted to protest but decided against it. He couldn’t really argue against Johnson’s logic. “I don’t necessarily agree, Admiral, but I understand.” He said diplomatically.

“Your concerns are duly noted.” Johnson said. “What’s the status of the civilian population in the worlds that we control?”

“It’s been as good as we predicted. There has been some hesitation, but transports filled with food and medical supplies are arriving to help them. Local members of the Free Confederacy have mostly taken control and are attempting to set up governments, and our troops are busy handling the Imperial remnants and managing prisoners of war.”

“Good, anything else to report?” Johnson asked.
“There is a prisoner who wants to talk to you.” Sing said.

“Who is this prisoner, a high ranking officer?”
“No, it’s a lieutenant.” Haffard said. “But he claims that he has a message from a Moff.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 26

Down on the surface of Garnizon deep within the ground, Major Petrova and Sergeant Meyer awoke from their sleep. It had been the best sleep either of them had had in a while, and it probably had something to do with the fact that they were sleeping together.

At first, both of them were content to stay within each other’s arms for some time longer. However, both of them could hear footsteps outside the small room, and both jumped up to look less scandalous. At least they had mostly kept their clothes on.

There was a knock on the door and after gaining the confidence that no one would have any ideas about what happened in there, Petrova opened the door. Taylor emerged, looking like she had slept well but also fully in uniform now.

“You two slept well I assume.” She said.

“Yes, you?” Petrova replied.

“Good as well. We have news from orbit, the Empire has been defeated and has restarted from the system. Johnson is sending several shuttles down to pick us up, and they will be here within half an hour.”

“Took them long enough,” Hans said.

“Tell everyone to get ready and to be up by the entrance in 20 minutes.” Petrova said, “Those who are coming with us, at least.” Most of the Free Confederacy and the civilians would be staying. After a few minutes of packing up, Talyor pulled Petrova into another side room.

“How did you do with Hans?” She asked with a smirk on her lips.

“What do you mean?” Petrova said. She didn’t want to let anyone know what had happened. She was a superior officer and he was under his command.

“You seriously think that nothing happened in there with Hans?” Taylor replied. “You looked a bit worried when I knocked, which indicates something was going on there.” She smiled slyly.

Petrova had the option of taking disciplinary action against Taylor. But Taylor had done exemplary work the past few days, and while it shouldn’t be a factor in punishment, she was one of her few friends. Additionally denying that at least something had happened in there and punishing her would only further encourage her perspective. And Petrova also thought that what she was saying came from a genuinely good place of trying to help her.

“There were some revelations.” She said diplomatically.”

“Whatever happens I wish you good luck. Navigating relationships, especially in the positions and states you both are in, will be challenging.” Taylor said. “I hope that this works out.”

“I hope so as well,” Petrova said. She looked at the clock. “Let’s get ready to leave.”

Imperial Lieutenant Dravon Jent was brought into the sparsely used cargo bay, under heavy guard by several marines. Meeting in the crowded holding cell would be unrealistic, as they would potentially be discussing sensitive information.

“You’re Lieutenant Jent, I assume,” Johnson asked. He was standing nearby, with Haffard and Aing behind him. A holographic projector also displayed Admiral Gorky, who had been intrigued by the possibility of the Imperial prisoner.

“Yes, Admiral. I was sent by Moff Illustrious of the Tibannas Sector to give you a message and allow her to contact you.”

“Why does she want to contact me?”

“Her interests are different than the ones of other Imperial sectors in the region. And she is not nearly as cruel as the other officials in the Empire.”

“What are these interests?”

“She desires not to participate in this conflict until necessary.”

“How can I trust your word?”

“On section 726, guest quarters 17 of the Imperial shipyard 1, there is a communications device in storage compartment 3, not standard to the Imperial military. If you bring it to me, I can contact her directly.” He replied.

Johnson contemplated his options for several moments before deciding. It was worth a try. He spoke to the officer on the Imperial shipyard, who had the room searched and found the comms device. 10 minutes later, a group of marines brought it in. They also uncuffed the young officer so he could handle the device.

“Don’t try anything Lieutenant. It won’t be worth it for you.” Johnson said.

The young officer didn’t respond, busy looking at the device. After several seconds he spoke up. “I have the Moff on the line.”

“How did you get here so fast?”

“She was expecting a call since she ordered the mission.” He replied. “And I am her primary aide.”

“How do you know she will pick up?”

“She is usually in her quarters now, if I am correct on the time difference.” He replied.

After a few moments, the Moff connected on the other line. “Lieutenant, how has your mission gone?” Her voice said.

“I am currently a prisoner of Earth’s, and Admiral Johnson has generously given me the ability to speak to you. He is here, as well as some of his senior officers and Admiral Gorky of the Free Confederacy via hologram. Do you wish to speak to them?”

“Indeed. Good work Lieutenant.” He said handing the device to Johnson.

“Admiral Johnson, your reputation is starting to proceed you across this region of Imperial space.”

“Thank you, but I assume you didn’t call to exchange pleasantries. What do you want from me?” He asked.

“From my understanding, you and your allies are on the verge of occupying the Zoloch Sector. If you attempt to do the same with the Tibannas sector, the results will be heavy losses for both of us. I am willing to stay out of any conflict with you so long as you do not move into the Tibannas sector. Unless of course, either of us attacks one another.”

“What motivates you to do this?”

“There is little to gain if I join in the conflict. I already supply most of the surrounding sector’s Tibanna gas, and they will only buy more with the conflict. If I chose to fight I would lose ships and the people who crew them, both very valuable resources. And I have no loyalty to the corrupt and incompetent sycophants who run the sectors that surround mine. They have done a poor job at serving the needs of the people under their command, which is bad by itself, but also encourages rebel activities that further hurt them.”

Johnson said nothing for a moment before replying. “I understand.” He said. “I and the other senior officers of Earth’s Navy as well as the leadership of the free confederacy have been reluctant to move against your sector, as invading it would be a significantly higher cost than the invasion of the Zoloch Sector.” He turned to the holographic form of Admiral Gorky.

“Is there anything you wish to bring up, Admiral?”

“I assume this agreement will carry over to the Free Confederacy.” He said.

“Yes, it will. It was already in effect in an informal manner.” Illustrious replied. Few rebel groups had ever decided to enter that sector unless they were deeply undercover. The area simply was loyal to her leader.

“I believe that this arrangement will benefit all of us,” Johnson said. “I am wondering, do you want anything else from us?”

“The return of Lieutenant Jent would be appreciated. I am sure you have captured many shuttles over and on Garnizon, and he is fully capable of piloting them.”

“That can be arranged,” Johnson said. “Anything else?”

“For you to keep this communications device. If you do so I may be able to inform you of developments within sectors you plan to attack.”

“I will do so,” Johnson replied. “Thank you for this opportunity to benefit both of us.”

“You're welcome. It does benefit both of us.” Illustrious said, ending the transmission. Johnson looked at the Lieutenant.

“Let’s get you a shuttle.” He said, leading the group out of the room.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27

Rebel Alliance High Command Headquarters, Mon Cala:

Fat across the galaxy Senator Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebel Alliance contemplated the reports on her desk. Before she could decide which one to pick up, her aide Hendri Underholt walked in. It was time for her morning report.

“Hello Hendri, I trust you slept well.”

“Better than I did on Yavin IV, Senator.” She replied. It was a sentiment that she shared. That world had done a good job of hiding the then much smaller organization from the Empire when it needed to the most. But the old Massasi Temple used as a base had been cramped, and the temperature was often uncomfortably hot. The facilities Mon Cala had offered were much superior, with the High Command Headquarters being housed in a state-of-the-art governor’s palace that had once provided over one of the few land-based cities on the ocean planet.

“What do you have to report this morning?”

“The Imperial forces at Vadjds I counter-attacked our forces thereafter we captured that system. We managed to defeat them, but at the loss of a Star Cruiser and several frigates and corvettes. However, the attack diverted resources from the Imperial shipyards at Rotunda VI and a Starfighter attack destroyed part of the shipyard as well as some of the ships in it. The Empire also left its supply depot at Ghais II lightly guarded, allowing a commando team to capture several loaded super freighters and cause a lot of damage to the depot.”

Hendri paused for a moment before continuing. “Admiral Juno Eclipse has reported that Hdkesi III is more heavily fortified than she expected, and says that she will be launching additional hit and run attacks to soften the system’s defenses.”

“Eclipse will get the job done, she’s one of our best,” Mothma replied. “What else?”

“On the ground Imperial forces have dug in on Kestrel VI, and General Pitt Onoran is not sure if he can break their defenses without heavy casualties. With the planet’s orbit and airspace contested, he’s sent a commando force led by Major Lockmacha to harass the Imperial lines. We also have managed to finally defeat the remaining Imperial forces on Isad II, and have captured tens of thousands of prisoners and enough equipment to support an entire corps.”

“Good, anything else?” Mothma asked.

“Not much else when it comes to combat, but some good news on the production front. The Mon Cala Shipyards will have a dozen new Star Cruisers done with space trials in a week and ready for commissioning. They have several more that are just finishing fitting out.” Hendri said before continuing. “Sullust reports its first Liberator Class Heavy Star Cruisers will be deployed in a few days, and a new complex of mega factories just being opened will increase their starfighters production by 30 percent. Lothal reports they have an excess of recently graduated pilot cadets and are requesting if they can be sent somewhere else until their freighter production increases to match their graduation rate.”

“I didn’t know the Ghost Crew’s recruitment tours had been that successful.” Remarked Mothma.

“They have been able to get half of their entire population serving in either the Alliance Military or in support services such as production. The Empire left a lot of infrastructure for large-scale mobilization there.” Hendri replied. “We have some important news from our allies though. I’m sure you remember Earth, Senator.”

“Yes, I do. A fascinating place that has had unprecedented success against the Empire despite having almost no contact with the outside galaxy.” She replied.

“We have word from our liaison there that their forces have taken Garnizon IV, the sector capital of the Zoloch Sector. They should have the rest of the sector under their control within a week.”

“That was unexpectedly fast,” Mothma said. “I knew they were skilled in combat, but they started this offensive only a few weeks ago if my memory serves me.”

“Correct, they had a good deal of help from a local Separatist Holdout. They’re called the Free Confederacy, and they were a lot larger than both we and the Empire initially thought. But from what it sounds like Earth has been dealing the majority of the damage.” Hendri said.

“Who was leading the invasion of that sector?” Mothma asked.

“Admiral Johnson, he was one of the few officers you met when you went to Earth,” Hendri replied.

“I remember him, he seemed to be quite a capable officer,” Mothma said. “He was quite young though. Wouldn’t they have someone more experienced?”

“When the Empire came the second time an orbital bombardment killed almost all of their command staff,” Hendri said. “He is perhaps the most experienced command officer in the fleet at this point. And taking an Imperial sector is not an easy feat, ma is.”

“I know that Hendri, we’ve invaded many of them by now.” They both chuckled. “I’ll record a message of congratulations to Earth, and send it to both Johnson, their command, and their political leadership. If there is nothing else that you have to report, you are relieved.”

“That’s all I have ma am, but I’m sure there will be more developments as time goes on.”

1 Week later
Ghralia VI, Ghralia Sector

Admiral Kumara Picot stood on the bridge of his Star Destroyer, the I S D Temperance as it emerged from Hyperspace over Ghralia VI of the Ghralia Sector.

Moff Vincent Kleen, the leader of the sector, had known he was coming. He had been invited, and hopefully, he would help him take back the sector.

It was an option he had initially not wanted to undertake, but one that soon became a necessity. With the fall of Garnizon, Imperial resistance within the sector has rapidly collapsed. Within a week, all of the planets in the sector had fallen to either Earth or the Free Confederacy. They had had no real chance of holding on, with few ships left.

So he had retreated what remained of his sector fleet to Ghralia. He had two wounded Star Destroyers, two Vindicator Cruisers, three Nebulon B frigates, two Arqeutens light cruisers, and a dozen corvettes and systems patrol craft. Four systems patrol craft were tucked into the hangers of both Star Destroyers, the rest had been scuttled or launched in desperate but suicidal attacks against Earth. They lacked hyperdrives, so there was nothing else that could be done for them.

This small fleet was what remained of a once-powerful sector force of two dozen Star Destroyers and hundreds of smaller ships. Besides the warships, there were several transports and support vessels, and civilian freighters loaded with evacuees and the families of the ship's crews. Some corporate assets from Kurt Drive Yards and Blastec had made it out as well, including a few frigates and corvettes from their security division.

His reluctance to seek assistance from other moffs had been because none cared selflessly for his sector. All were beholden to their self-interests, and they would act on those self-interests as any good moff would. Picot could not really blame them, as he had done the same exact thing many times over. These people would not help him for free.

They would definitely help him but at not an insignificant cost. He would likely be forced to give up some of his territories or give economic or military concessions to the Moff’s who helped him.

“Sir, we have reports from the flight control of the orbital station. They are giving our ships permission to dock, and Moff Kleen is requesting your presence at his estate.” The comms officer said. “Should I order a shuttle prepped?”

“Yes, go ahead.” He replied. “Coordinate with helm control on where this ship is supposed to go.” Picot turned to the ship’s captain, Harold Qetia. “You have the bridge.”

20 minutes later he was being escorted into Moff Kleen’s luxurious estate by two stormtroopers. The admiral was soon shown to a balcony with an impressive background. The Lachesis Mountains could be seen in the distance, and a waterfall was clearly visible much closer to him and the Moff who was sitting casually in an easy chair.

Kleen stood up as he heard his visitor enter, and saluted Picot, who returned the gesture.

“It’s good to see you, Admiral, though I wish it were to be under other circumstances.” He said, shaking his hand.

“I concur.” He replied. “And in some ways, I wish Moff Flag was still around. We both had our differences, but he was far better at navigating politics than I.

“I have several guests who are waiting as well,” Kleen said, producing a holoprojector. In a matter of moments, both Moff Jareen of the Sundre Sector and Moff Kralen of the Query sector appeared. Picot noticed that Moff Illustrious was not present, which was odd considering that she was normally very active in intersecting politics and an important figure of leadership. Kleen later said that she had planned to attend, but there was a last-minute emergency that prevented her from doing so.

All four major officials exchanged greetings, and after some very brief small talk everyone got down to business.

“I have exactly two damaged Star Destroyers, two heavy cruisers, three Nebulon B frigates, two Arqeutens light cruisers, and a dozen corvettes and systems patrol craft. There is no way that I will be able to take on Earth or the Free Confederacy without help.” Picot said.

“That’s very clear,” Kleen said. “We are willing to help provide you with the ships you need to start taking ground back, and we can reinforcements from ships coming off the production lines and ones that are being brought out of the reserves. They will undoubtedly be green crews, but they should learn rapidly due to the combat we are facing.”

“What is the disposition of Earth’s forces that we will be facing?” Moff Jareen said.

“We believed that their strength was about 300 combat vessels with an unknown pool of reserves. No one except them has any idea how long the production of their ships will take, but they built over 200 ships in one year. However, they have only about a dozen large capital ships, battleships and captured Star Destroyers, and a couple of dozen large cruisers. If we were facing them alone, I would say that we would have an unequivocal advantage in terms of large capital ships depending on the forces we assembled for that task.” Picot paused for a moment. “But we also have the Free Confederacy. They have somewhere in the range of 200 ships, though a greater proportion of heavy assets than Earth does. Especially when you consider lighter heavy ships, such as Municificant Star Frigates and Recusant Light Destroyers. This is bad enough, but they have access to the sector’s industrial base, little of which was destroyed or damaged by our retreating forces. They also captured a number of ships, including one I S D and a number of heavy logistical assets such as fully laden field secured transports. If we give them long it will become harder and harder to snuff them and their move out.”

“It will take some time before we can build up our forces sufficient to go on the offensive against Earth, however.” Kleen said.” However, I’ve already spoken to Kuat Drive Yards and they assure me that they will be able to give you four additional Star Destroyers and a number of escorts within two months. It will still take quite a lot of time to train the crews, but I feel that we can have a large force ready to strike in 3 months.``

“How many ships are you each willing to commit to this counterattack?” Picot asked.

“Each of us is willing to bring six-star destroyers and a number of escorts. “Kraken said.” All of those forces will be close to equivalent to what your sector forces strength was before the first expedition to Earth. However, each of us will be controlling our own forces that we contribute to this fleet. They will roughly be equal in size once your reinforcers arrive.”

“Assaulting them will be challenging though. Even with this large force we will still be outnumbered and outgunned.” Jaren said. “How do we make sure the offensive does not run out of steam too quickly?”

“I believe I have an answer,” Picot said, producing a small datapad from his uniform pocket. It displayed a map of hyperspace lanes of the Zoloch Sector as well as a few other nearby ones, but there were a few things that seemed off about it. For one there was a long hyperspace lane that stretched from deep in the Ghralia sector to Garnizon II, along with a few other routes that were not on any military or civilian charts.

“These lanes were plotted by the Separatists covertly during the clone wars as a way to get into the republic, specifically the Ghralia sector unopposed. If we use its opposite purpose, we could manage to man a strike force at Garnizon II, causing confusion deep behind enemy lines.” Picot said.

“Impressive.” Moff Kleen said. “That will help us a lot by allowing us to strike at a target they will not expect. We can sow chaos and confusion behind their lines, which means we can take out some of their ships with impunity.”

“I am all in favor of using the route.” Moff Jarreen said.

“I agree.” Moff Kralen said. “It will make our task a lot easier.” He then paused before resuming.

“What about ground troops?” He said. “We are going to need quite a lot of those if we want to destroy Earth and the Free Confederacy’s planetside assets.”

“Indeed, but most of the work will be done by blockading them on the planet and forcing them to surrender as they run out of food, water, and ammunition,” Kleen said. “None of their modern weapons will work well if they are not supplied.”

“What’s to stop them from becoming a ground insurgency?” Picot asked.

“That will be merely a minor problem by the time we destroy their supply lines,” Kleen replied. “It will be only a matter of time before they collapse in onto themselves.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 28
Earth’s Orbit:

A ship emerged from hyperspace above the planet that was now mobilizing for a total war against the Empire. At first, the ships protecting the planet were unsure if it was Imperial but it's I F F (Information Friend or Foe) revealed it to be a shuttle carrying Earth’s second in command and commander of operation vengeance, Admiral William Johnson.

His shuttle was allowed to pass through the growing number of ships patrolling the planet’s orbit, waiting diligently for suspicious activity. Johnson, however, was more interested in the massive (yet still growing complex) of shipyards and drydocks that were churning out new vessels with ease. He could see eight new Revenge Class Battleships in the largest docks l. Several of the ships were in the final stages of fitting out and would be joining the fleet within a few weeks or even days. A number of others still had several months to go, and while their distinct shape and many parts of their hull looked complete other sections were incomplete or even missing. Construction drones and worker bees buzzed around them, contemplated by engineers in vac suits to supervise and oversee the many complex processes at hand.

In some of the larger dry docks, a new class of ships was just starting their early phase of construction. They were going to be larger and more powerful than the existing revenge class but didn’t have a class name yet. Other smaller ships were also under construction and would be just as important to the war effort.

Soon he entered the planet’s atmosphere and the shuttle headed to the United Nations headquarters in New York to meet with the Secretary-General of the UN, Albert Pierre. He would also be meeting with Admiral Harrington later that day.

Soon he touched down on a helipad and was escorted to the Secretary General’s office by his honor guard. After a few moments of waiting, he was let out.

“Secretary-General.” He said saluting. In legal technicalities, the Secretary-General was now the supreme commander in chief of the UN’s forces, but he mostly delegated the roles to his admirals and generals. Pierre still approved major offensives and other actions, but let the men and women who knew what they were doing make the best decisions. This might be a problem if corruption was an issue within Earth’s new and combined military, but it was such a new institution it hadn’t become a problem yet. And thanks to rigorous transparency and accountability up and down the command chain, he hoped it would be snuffed out before it even happened. Harrington, who was leading the fleet, was about the least corruptible man on the planet, and that should keep the problem from developing in the first place.

“Admiral Johnson, congratulations on your string of victories against the Empire.” He said. “I’ve read the reports you and your staff have assembled, so I have a good idea about what is currently going on. I want to know where we are going net.”

“Well sir, I’ve only just started to think about it but there is some information that I need to be classified at a top-secret level. It is critical that it is this way for one of the parties involved.” Johnson told the secretary-general about what was going on with Moff Illustrious and about the discussion they had.``

“I’ll get you your classification on the discussion you had with her, but how are you going to explain not attacking her?” Pierre asked.

“Simple, it’s already a matter of practicality,” Johnson replied. “She has 2 battlecruisers, 30 Star Destroyers, and many more escorts than a normal Imperial sector would have. Realistically, that’s an additional over 1 / 6 of the size of a normal Imperial sector force.” Johnson said. “Therefore that will ensure we will pick smaller targets in the other sectors, ones that we can successfully win against.”

“When do you think we can go on the net offensive?” Pierre asked.

“I’m not sure, those require lots of groundwork to normally be done,” Johnson said. “If hypothetically we were to go on one, we would be facing a sector that is still at full strength. That would be challenging enough, but now we need to protect against three, as well as defend the territory we already have occupied. If all three sectors teamed upon us we would be facing 72 Star Destroyers and over a thousand smaller ships. Both of us and the free confederacy can put up with a defense, as both sides would not attack us with their entire navy’s, but if we commit and potentially lose a large number of ships in an offensive the front would collapse.”

“So then what are you going to do?” Pierre asked.

“First, get enough forces in the border region to repel any potential Imperial counterattacks. Start sending drones to carry out reconnaissance on Imperials strength and positions. If they are not well built up I might consider attacking with an intent to take and hold the system.” Johnson said. “If they are too strong and they have the ability to potentially inflict more damage on my attacking force, we will instead use starfighter and corvette raids to soften their defenses and keep pressure on them.”

“A good idea, Johnson,” Pierre said. “Hopefully Moff Illustrious can let you know if the empire is planning to go on an offensive beforehand.”

“That would be useful,” Johnson said. “It would be good for letting us know what was happening.”

“So what are your plans for the occupation of the sector?”

“Well first of all we are going to impound the assets of any major companies that have big ties with the Empire,” Johnson said. “Many of these companies use slave labor in the sector, and anyone in a leadership role that was overseeing this will be detained and heavily punished. The slaves will also be freed. We are going to need to expand the prisoner of war camps to support all the new Imperials we have captured, as well as set up a way to distribute food and medical supplies more effectively. We also haven’t agreed on which territory the free confederacy will administer and occupy and what we will occupy. Additionally, local governments will need to be set up, both to run the area more easily and ensure that the people understand we are not another empire that will not respect their rights. There are plenty of other objectives when it comes to military matters, such as getting production lines set up on the factories we have captured, taking over the local Imperial academies as well as surveying and inventorying the captured equipment. I also want to contact independent pirates in this sector and turn them into privateers. They can then harness Imperial shipping in the neighboring sectors while ensuring they don’t attack our transports or civil skin in the Zoloch Sector.”

“As long as you keep it quiet, I will authorize it,” Pierre said. “If the press hears we are using criminals it will raise some questions.” Johnson nodded. “I’ll take care of it, sir. It will be only known on a need-to-know basis.”

“Good. It sounds like you are going to need a lot of support with the sector, especially considering the civilian matters.”

“Yes I will, Mr. Secretary.”

“Whatever you need you can have within reason. We need to make sure the people are cooperative and we can fully exploit the industry and natural resources of the sector. Do whatever you deem necessary.”

“Thank you, Mr. Secretary,” Johnson said. “Do you have anything else that you want?”

“The destruction of the Imperial Navy and the Emperor being executed for his crimes against the galaxy.” The two laughed.

“Right now I'd like for you to stay on Earth for two weeks to help oversee whatever new efforts are being put into place. I don’t think that you are needed from the front right now, and I’m also sure your significant other would be pleased to see you.”

“I will sir,” Johnson said, walking out of the room.

His next stop was at the fleet headquarters, where he would be meeting admiral Harrington. It would probably go along the same lines as his previous conversion with Secretary-General Pierre. This time, he didn’t have to wait before being shown into the fleet admiral’s office.

He saluted his superior officer, who unlike Pierre returned the gesture.

“It’s good to see you back here Will.” He said, offering him his hand. “It looks like you have taken care of the Zoloch Sector.”

“I didn’t do it alone sir,” Johnson said. “The Free Confederacy helped a lot, though if I might say so not necessarily relative to their strength in large capital ships.”

“A valid consideration Will,” Harrington said. “However I suspect we are going to need all hands on deck going forwards. What do you intend to do next?”

Johnson told him about what he had told Pierre. He was cautious about a large-scale attack against any of the Imperial sectors. He first wanted to stabilize the current gains as well as launch reconnaissance missions to determine the strength of imperial forces. Then he intended to find out his next move, whether it be the strategic fighter attacks or a larger attack that intended to take the system including its ground installations.

He also told Harrington about Moff Illustrious and her conversation that they had had, as well as the secret communicator he had been given. The admiral was intrigued and agreed to keep it a secret and on a strictly need-to-know basis. They also discussed the upcoming operations that would be taken within the Zoloch sector and how to best deal with them. Both agreed that experts from a variety of fields would need to be contacted, as both of them had anywhere from a little to a casual understanding of creating a government and justice system from scratch, getting a population of various species and races to trust you, emancipating slaves, and creating an entire logistical system from scratch. But they had time, and at least some goodwill from the local populations on the worlds they now controlled.

“I don’t think there is anything else to cover here that we can do until tomorrow,” Harrington said. “Besides, I’m sure there is someone special who wants to see you.” He said with a smile.
“I haven’t told her I’ll be here for two weeks. I’m sure she will like that.”
“Indeed,” Harrington replied sighing. “Have fun tonight, Will,”
Johnson smirked. “Having a bit of trouble on the lady front Admiral?”

He chuckled. “Well, a bit. I have plenty of options, but my position as the commander in chief of the fleet means that anyone I try hooking up with is either incredibly nervous or is too shy the entire time.” He sighed again. “Well, I just hope that I can find someone who doesn’t spill their drink whenever I meet them.” They both chuckled.

“You’ll find someone one day,” Johnson said with a smile, getting up. “Good day Admiral.” He saluted and left.

He had texted Allison that we would be back that day, and she had wondered what time. This was a bit of a strange move on her part, but maybe she had something planned.

Interestingly, Johnson was right on time and in front of her quarters at 6 : 3 0. He knocked and the door opened moments later. Johnson was taken aback by what he saw, in a good way.

He had initially thought this night would be a casual affair, but he was quickly proven wrong. Allison emerged wearing the same red dress that she had worn on their first date and looked to be well-groomed for the occasion. He could also smell something that had been cooked recently, and realized she had planned dinner with him.

“Welcome back Will.” She said as the two embraced each other. Once inside the room that was out of sight of any possible onlookers, they enveloped their lips in a passionate kiss. It was a sensation he had not experienced for a few weeks, but it felt longer.”

“Good thing I decided to wear my dress uniform.” Johnson chuckled. “I didn’t know you were getting dressed up today.”

“It was supposed to be a good surprise for you Will.”

“Well thank you.” He said, kissing her on the cheek. They sat down at the dinner table and began to eat. One of the best parts of their relationship was the ease both had at talking to each other. They could talk about anything from the weather to upcoming military operations and international and intergalactic politics. And that was what they did, enjoying both the food and each other’s company. After they finished eating it was not long until they found themselves undressing and getting into bed to have some fun. This time they were conscious about not tearing their clothes in the rush of passion as they had often done before.

Johnson was glad to be back, and while there were still many uncertainties about the future, he had the person he loved by his side. That made everything better.

Chapter Text

Chapter 29

Secret location within the Zoloch Sector:

The Munificent Class Star Frigate Minotaur and a few small escorts emerged from hyperspace at Lanthia’s Paradise, a notorious pirate bolthole. It had been built into an asteroid that was about two kilometers in length. It held extensive hangar docking bays capable of holding ships as large as a frigate. The biggest attraction was the markets, where all kinds of illicit goods were bought and sold, and brothels that housed exotic females from across the galaxy. None were slaves though, with all choosing to do the work out of free choice (and being paid generously with good health and satay standards to prevent diseases.

Slaves were one of the few products that were banned from the station, as it made the pirates who led it uncomfortable and uneasy. They were not the empire after all, and the station’s commander’s Renalo Sridginer had pro-free confederacy views. In fact he had helped the movement buy weapons on many occasions, and had many business dealings with them.

Since both Earth and the Free Confederacy had begun invading the system, he was a bit nervous. The Free Confederacy knew many of the places the station would hide. Lanthia’s Paradise held a hyperdrive that allowed it to change positions on a regular basis. This had allowed it to almost completely avoid the empire, ensuring that it’s business was never threatened.

Many aboard the station had celebrated Earth and the Free Confederacy’s victory, but some looked with worry to the future. The Empire’s hardline utg orianna rule had criminalized many things not criminalized under either the republic of the separatists. This had of course, strengthened galactic black markets. In recent years, the Empire had been dedicating a growing proportion of its strength to fighting the rebels instead of criminals. But now many of the things banned under the Empire would likely be allowed again. And with the Free Confederacy knowing where they were located, it would not be difficult to be tracked down.

If push came to shove, he did have a somewhat powerful security force to help defend the station. An old Munificent Star Frigate, the Charybdis, was the centerpiece of the defenses, heavily modified in the year since it had been built. It was supported by the Dreadnaught Class Heavy Cruiser Janunus, another ship that dated to before the Clone Wars. There were a number of smaller ships, almost 20 smaller ships from smaller cruisers to corvettes. There were a couple hundred starfighters of various models as well, from old vulture droid starfighters and cloakshape fighters to new model Z -95’s and r 22 spearheads. It was a formidable defense, and in an outright fight the approaching star frigate of the free confederacy would be defeated.

Though that was not the intent of the frigate. All Munificent Frigates were fitted with a prow mounted heavy turbolaser cannon with a limited field of fire. It could cut through the shields and pierce the armor and shields of a small battlestation or an Imperial Star Destroyer, though it had a fairly low rate of fire.

The Minotaur moved its large gun into position, aming it at the station and ready to fire. One shot would likely punch through its shields and could cause catastrophic damage.

“This is Captain Codore Gent of the Free Confederacy, if you stand down no harm will come to you nor any of your property will be confiscated. I’d like to speak to Dunkan Sogqet, or whoever is in command of this station now.”

There were a few moments of silence before a response was made. Then Gent could hear the unmistakable voice of Sogqet. “Where do you want to meet, Captain.”

Gent thought about his options for a moment. “I will meet you over at the station, just me in a shuttle.”

“Very well, you are authorized to land in shuttle bay two.” Sogqet said.

Gent turner towards his executive officer. “If I do not call you over the comm in an hour from when I land, you have the authority to open fire on the station and the surrounding ships.”

“Yes sir.” The executive officer said.

Considering the situation, Gent would have wanted to have more ships than his frigate and the four smaller escorts. But that was all that could be spared, as all other ships were being rushed to the exposed sectors near the border with the Imperial sectors. The remainder were dedicated to defense of important systems behind the front lines, such as Garnizon I I and Zoloch Prime.

He soon reached the station in his Shepipide Class shuttle, and landed in shuttle bay two l. The bay was busy, with small shuttles, skiffs, and light freighters being loaded and unloaded. A few guards were waiting and escorted him through corridors to his destination, an opulent room filled with luxuries from across the galaxy. They say Sogqet, staring at him with a pensive look on his face.

“Captain, what did you come here for?”

“To give you an offer.” He replied. “As you probably know, there has been a change in leadership within the sector. And we won’t be making as much money now that you cannot sell as many things to people through the black market. Not to mention the fact that we know your hiding places, and can track you down time and time again. Many, especially some of Earth’s leaders, would like to see you bright to justice. However, I have a way around that if you might be so inclined to help you survive and even profit from these new developments.” He paused for effect. “I want to make some privateers.” He said.

“Well, what would you do with them?” Sogqet asked.

“Send them against the empire to raid convoys and other forms of shipping. You would be forbidden from attacking civilians, unless they are from a pro imperial company or are transporting imperial equipment. Any Imperial military vessels or any ship that is property of the empire, with the exception of hospital ships, are fair game for capture or destruction. In return you will be paid generously for ships that were destroyed, captured, or damaged in Imperial Credits. If you accept, you will also be resupplied with food, medical supplies, fuel, spare parts and when you have proven your worth to us, maybe even new ships. You will also be allowed to keep up to 50 percent of the items you capture from the Empire, with the exception of slaves who will all be liberated by us. Any Imperial prisoners, defectors, or slaves that have been handed over to us will have the option to join your ranks. All of this will be put into writing so that there are clear rules to follow and that we do not infringe upon you. What is your choice?”

Sogqet chuckled. “That’s implying I have a choice. But regardless, I do accept. What about this station?” He asked. “It has defences, many of them that are strong. But not enough to survive sustained heavy combat. What will I do with it?”

“Use it as a mobile refueling and resupply base near where your ships are operating.” He said. “It does not need to be in Imperial space, and in fact having a stable location will probably mean you get more trade and money. You also will be able to keep trading goods that would be considered illicit on Earth or any of the planets that either they or us occupied.”

“This is an excellent deal Captain, when can we start?”

“Our recon drones are currently surveying the Imperial sectors, so I would recommend waiting until their data is in. There are a couple of other details you should know. First, the Tibannas Sector is off limits to any attacks. All other Imperial sectors are fair game. Second, we will provide you and your ships with all data we have from the drones. This also includes any computer files our slicers and hackers uncover. Your ships will be able to resupply and refuel at our bases as well.”

“Well Captain, this is about the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

One week later, unknown space within the Ghralia Sector:

An Imperial convoy jumped out of hyperspace, nearing its destination of Ghralia Prime. It consisted of a single Arquetens light cruiser, a Nebulon B Frigate, and half a dozen corvettes escorting 18 various auxiliary ships, including freighters, transports, tankers, and a mobile dry dock.

This group of ships was nearing their destination: Ghralia Prime. They would be helping to provide supplies for an upcoming Imperial counter offensive into space Earth controlled. But unbeknownst to them, they were being watched. One of Earth’s recon drones was surveying their position, and moments later another group of ships appeared quite close to them on sensor range.

This was the Munificent Class Frigate Charybdis and a group of escorts. Sogqet stood overseeing the ship's operations and commanding the fleet. Two DP 20 Frigates, some of the most powerful ships in the galaxy in their size class of just 120 meters. Their influence on Earth’s smaller ship designs could not be overstated, their impressive sublight speed able to keep up with starfighters. The next two ships were modified CR 90 Corellian Corvettes, updated with a stronger armament to better counter larger threats. While not as fast as the DP 20 ‘s, their speed was still far above average thanks to its massive bank of sub light engines. It was no surprise that they were popular with both criminals and the rebellion, who used them as blockade runners. Their modularity and ease of modification present on both them and practically all other designs by Corellian Engineering Corporation made them be used in practically every role in the galaxy. From armed freighters used to transport valuable cargo through dangerous space to high end diplomatic couriers to light warships, the C R 9 0 was a valuable asset to everyone and anyone.

The other ship with the small pirate flotilla was a Baleen Class Bulk Freighter that had been mostly stripped of it’s rear spine used to hold cargo. The front portion that remained held a large hanger/cargo bay had been outfitted to carry assault shuttles for boarding actions against unfriendly vessels. Most pirate groups would use smaller vessels for such a task, but with so many ships that needed to be subdued, manpower was essential. In addition, the rear of the ship held large docking clamps that could latch on to several of the captured ships and tow them away. This would come in handy later.

The Charbybdis used its hyperwave jammer to jam any outgoing communications from the Imperial ships. It’s first use of weapons was its firing of its main forward heavy turbolaser gun at the Nebulon B’s vulnerable spine which connected it’s main section with the rear engine block. The engine block held main engineering, as well as the ship’s main reactor. Both sides of the ship had their atmosphere sucked into the vacuum of space, killing most of the crew. The remainder could do little to stop the ship drifting with only emergency power.

The Munificant also had a heavy ion cannon mounted on it’s bow just ahead of the turbolaser. It turned and disabled the mobile drydock in one hit, incapacitating the most valuable asset they planned to steal. It’s smaller but still potent guns began firing turbolaser blasts as well as ion ones on the various Imperial ships, joined by the guns of the D P 2 0 ‘s and the C R 9 0 ‘s. The Arquitens light cruiser was the next ship to fall, pummeled by an endless number of turbolaser blasts. One Vigil Class Corvette was taken out in a volley of torpedoes launched from one of the D P 20 ‘s, and another was taken out in a hail of turbolaser fire from the Star Frigate. The thin shields of the non combat vessels quickly fell prey to the blasts of ion cannon fire. Soon four corvettes and all the supply ships were disabled. A demand for surrender was made by the frigate, and over half of the non combat ships and two corvettes accepted the demand.

One corvette and eight of the disabled civilian ships now resisted the pirate fleet. Assault Shuttles and boarding pods launched from the Charybdis and the bulk freighter soon began boarding all the ships that resisted. The ones that surrendered were boarded by technicians who began repairing the ship’s hyperdrives after they had been temporarily disabled. Soon, the captured ships began jumping away. They would be headed to Garnizon I I where the forces of Earth and the Free Confederacy would be able to process the prisoners more effectively, as opposed to his space station. Some of the ships that were unable to jump quickly were docked with the bulk freighter or were attached to hyperspace tugs.

Sogqet’s force arrived over Garnizon victorious with few losses. In fact it was one of the greatest victories the old pirate had commanded, and he had commanded many successful raids. A little over two dozen of the pirates who had boarded the resisting ships had been killed, but there was no damage to the ships at all. And best of all, the Imperials had no idea where the convoy had gone.

It was as if the ships had vanished into thin air. This of course would not last, as eventually at least one of the ships would get off a comm message. But before that happened, Sogqet intended on getting as much booty as he possibly could.

Chapter Text

Chapter 30

About three months later:

Garnizon I I , Zoloch Sector

On the Main Street of Dhala, the planet’s capital, a group of soldiers in dress uniform paraded down the street. Tanks, I F V ‘s, and self-propelled artillery pieces accompanied them. The city had been rebuilt following the destruction of many of its buildings due to fighting and the Imperial orbital bombardment.

In three months buildings had been built on a scale that had not been thought possible. Housing, shops, factories, and every type of building imaginable had been built, many of which would help build arms and equipment for the war effort. The addition of a sector’s worth of industrial base was starting to make its presence known, and both earth and the Free Confederacy were getting to the point that they had more ships, fighters, armored vehicles, and guns than people to man them with. The total number of dockyards the Earth and the Free Confederacy had been now almost 70, each churning out brew ships for the war effort. They were currently looking at sending them to the Alliance, though this was not yet established.

Elsewhere the sector’s pirates had mostly cooperated with the plan to turn them into privateers, and those who had not reportedly had fled the system. The privateers had destroyed or captured a fair amount of imperial shipping, and had helped apply pressure to the Imperial forces in the sector.

The parade was being held to celebrate what had been a very fast reconstruction of the world, with the planet now in a far better condition than when the Empire had come. These improvements, and a desire to protect them, had led many people from the sector to join Earth or the Free Confederacy’s military. Thisgavethe forces a steady stream of new recruits that would allow them to expand and meet their growing industrial capacity.

Offensive actions against the Empire had mostly taken a backseat due to how wide the front was. Earth and the Free Confederacy could simply not afford losses that would weaken their already tenuous grasp of the front line. Probe droids and drones kept an eye on the Imperial fleet movements, looking to see if there were moments to strike. They did find a few, and during the last three months, a few systems had been taken when the opportunity arose to strike. But these had always been backwater sectors, ones that the Empire didn’t care much to lose.

In some ways, the successes of the past three months relied more on raids by starfighters and corvettes as opposed to decisive fleet actions. This was a tactic the Alliance commonly used, oftentimes just to destroy ships and disrupt dockyards or orbital factories but also to weaken Imperial defenses in a system. This would make taking the system easier and allow the Alliance to suffer fewer losses than they would have previously. Already two Star Destroyers had been destroyed as well as four others heavily damaged through these raids. This didn’t count the many smaller ships, which were more vulnerable to strikes by fighters than the larger Star Destroyers.

Admiral Johnson and Harrington of Earth and Admiral Gorky of the Free Confederacy stood at the back of the podium they would be speaking on. Johnson was somewhat annoyed by the fact he had to give another speech and wasn’t really sure why they were having a parade today.

“What are we doing this for again?” He asked.

“This planet has almost been rebuilt, and we need new recruits. This will allow us to get them with such a public display of what we have done.” Harrington replied.

Johnson said nothing in response. If this would get a significant number of recruits, it would be a victory in his book. With Earth’s fleet expanding so rapidly, it would need people to crew its ships. Already in the past three months, Earth’s fleet had grown by about 1 / 5 to nearly 500 combat vessels, 10 times what they had started with when the Empire first attacked. The Free Confederacy had grown to nearly 300, and its growth would be less constrained by manpower like Earth’s would be soon. Maybe he should start giving a few of the older ships to the privateers, who had undoubtedly proven their worth in the past three months.

While nearly 500 ships looked good on paper, he was reminded that they were spread thin across the front lines and while production of smaller ships had significantly decreased, were still made up primarily of corvettes and frigates. Earth now had nearly 30 large capital ships including captured Star Destroyers and Revenge Class Battleships, but the surrounding Imperial Sectors (excluding the Tibannas Sector where Moff Illustrious ruled) had 72 Star Destroyers and definitely more in the way of smaller ships. Earth wasn’t facing the Zoloch Sector where incompetence had led half of their Star Destroyers to be destroyed by the time Earth invaded. These were powerful sectors with full-strength navies that had mostly been untouched by the rebellion.

Johnson felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Lieutenant Commander Daniel Meridian behind him. This had been the same officer who had helped coordinate the damage control efforts during the battle of Zoloch, and due to his skills at coordinating such a large effort, Johnson had promoted him and made him his personnel aide. The Lieutenant would not bother him at such an event unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Sir, I’ve just received reports of Imperial attacks against our forward positions near the front lines in four separate systems.” He said. “There are reports of 4 attacks, each with six Star Destroyers that are going after the Donbas, Garabah, Arenal, and Kotor Systems. We currently don’t know what’s happening there, but each of those systems only had two heavy capital ships and their escorts. They won’t be able to survive against such a force.”

Johnson looked at Harrington who had been listening as well.

“Tell all ships to prepare for battle and get me a shuttle back to the Revenge A S A P.” He turned to Harrington.

“I’ll get on the Warspite, we can coordinate our response from there.

“I’ll go back to the Eviscerator.” Admiral Gorky said. Within 15 minutes all three of them were back on their respective ships and looking at the income reports from the border systems.

“Sir we have confirmed heavy fighting in the Arenal System.” Lieutenant Meridian said. “We had two Revenge’s in the system, the Fuso and the Dunkerque, along with their escort groups and a Golan that we recently repaired. The Fuso has been destroyed with all hands but has taken out one I S D and crippled two others. The commander aboard the Dunkerque is requesting orders, sir, they have been heavily damaged along with both battlegroups, though they have inflicted greater casualties on the Imperials they will be eliminated if they continue.”

“Have them retreat. Does the Golan still have its evacuation shuttles intact?”

“Their commander reports they were destroyed when i’s hanger exploded from heavy turbolaser attacks,” Meridian said.

Johnson thought for a moment. “Then God help them.” He said quietly. From what he had heard, the base was too far away from the system’s habitable planet to allow escape pods to reach the place in any sort of combat situation. And time and time again, the Empire had shot down many of these defenseless pods when it’s enemies were in it. The men and women might as well die fighting than die running. But he suddenly had an idea.

He opened a comm to Gorky and explained the situation. “The Free Confederacy is independent of my jurisdiction, but I would request that you take the Eviscerator and counterattack the Imperials in that system and relive the Golan Plato from,” Johnson said.

“I will,” Gorky said. Within minutes, a good chunk of the Free Confederacy’s assets in the system jumped into hyperspace.

“What else is going on at the border sectors?” Johnson asked the Lieutenant.

“It looks like the Donbas Sector is holding, Harrington just ordered two Revenge’s and their battle groups that were refueling at Zoloch Prime to reinforce the sector.”

“Good,” Johnson replied. That was one less thing to worry about.

“The Kotor Systems has fallen to the Empire, with half of the forces in the system destroyed and the other half retreating to Zoloch Prime.” The Lieutenant said.

Suddenly the ship’s sensors went haywire as contact after contact began appearing. Johnson was shocked, this wasn’t any of the fleets retreating from the border systems.

Soon a picture of the incoming contacts could be seen. They were twelve Imperial Star Destroyers, with almost 50 escorts, the largest Imperial force Johnson or Harrington had ever seen.

“Tell the fleet to go to general quarters. ”Johnson stammered. “Launch whatever fighters we can, and get me a line to Admiral Harrington.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 31

Admiral Picot stared out the window of the command ship of his fleet: the I S D Temperance. His efforts to gain ships had been overwhelmingly successful, and thanks to donations from other sectors and new ships being procured from the nearby shipyards.

It led a force of 11 other I S D‘s, along with half a dozen Vindicator cruisers, two dozen arquitens light cruisers, a dozen Nebulon B frigates, and half a dozen of the rare and expensive Lancer Class Frigates, designed to counter the growing threat of rebel starfighters. These ships were armed with fast-firing quad laser cannons and ant fighter concussion missile launchers, and were capable of creating a no-fly zone around them for starfighters. They were also very fast, capable of starfighter-like speeds which made them even more deadly to small craft.

This decisive strike would be able to defeat Earth’s puny forces in the system. Perhaps they had grown in the past three months, but not enough to rival the full invasion force that was backing him up. He only had a third of the Star Destroyers and a quarter of the smaller ships of the total force that would be in the attacking force. Hopefully, this attack through the secret hyperspace lane deep into enemy territory would cause enough confusion to cause a panic retreat, allowing him to retake lots of territories.

Despite often being arrogant, the Moff had been grateful for the help of Moff’s Kleen of the Ghalia Sector, as well as Moff Jareen of the Tsundre Sector and Moff Kralen of the Query sector. Moff Parker of the Powerful Beano Sector had even said that he would come to his aid directly. Despite his sense of superiority, he was grateful for everything these Imperials had done to him. He only wondered what strings were attached to the deal.

“All ships: launch T I E ‘s, and fire when ready at your assigned targets” He ordered the fleet.

Orbit of Tibannas I I I, Tibannas Sector

Moff Karla Illustrious of the Tibannas sector stared out the window of her quarters, lost in thought as she stared down at the datapad below her. The Moff s from the other sectors had connections with several of the major customers of her Tibanna gas, and due to her residual to participate in the conflict with Earth, they had mostly canceled the contracts.

She was furious not at the companies, who were simply making a poor and irrational financial choice by switching providers, but at the Moff’s who were trying to blackmail her into sending her local military to die fighting an enemy that would cause major damage to any attacker. Not to mention she had agreed with Admiral Johnson that she would not attack and was growing more sympathetic to their cause.

What angered her the most was who these Moff’s were and how effective they had been. Sure they had mostly kept crime and rebel activity down, but this was more so due to the priorities of the Rebel Alliance. If they wanted to take or at least undermine any of those sectors it would be possible. But these sectors had stagnated economically since their moffs had come to power. Their populations did not particularly love the Empire, they only tolerated it.

How dare these incompetent fools to tell her how to run her sector! She did not respect them, in fact, she respected few Imperials anymore. Grand Admiral Thrawn had been one such figure who had returned the respect, believing that she had found the key to effectively ruling an Imperial sector. But he was out on an expedition to the Unknown Regions, perhaps prompted by his failure to snuff out Rebel activity in the Lothal sector. In truth, its people had been so determined to rebel that little if anything would be able to stop them. There were others that she respected, such as Imperial Army General Maximilian Veers, who had innovated the forces’ armored doctrine. Also, many of the younger officers who had more junior positions or the ones under her command had good intentions and had not been corrupted by the bad systems of the Empire.

But she was starting to believe that many of the Imperial officers who led the empire were more interested in their personal gain and were incompetent when faced with the rebellion. Not to mention they were incredibly trigger-happy, willing to kill innocent civilians at the slightest hint of rebel activity.

She knew she could always cave to her fellow Moffs and join the attack against the Empire. Now apparently it was in her best interests to fight alongside them. But perhaps maybe not. The Empire was starting to feel the consequences of an overly cruel governing system. Many sectors were seeing economic stagnation due to the exploitation of the average person and an economy based heavily on the military-industrial complex. If the economy was better and people had more freedom, there would be a far better situation with the rebellion.

The galactic situation was changing rapidly. While in the long term the Empire could win a conflict against the Rebel Alliance, it would come at an incredibly high cost. Imperial industrial superiority was being constantly undermined by rebel attacks and covert operations. In this area, Earth and the Free Confederacy were starting to establish themselves in an area that mostly lacked rebel presence. Some of these sectors were only just about at full strength and many others were under strength, with their forces siphoned off to help in other battlefields. While her neighboring sectors were at full strength, their ships and armies had mostly been relocated to the borders with Earth and Free Confederacy forces.

While the actions of her neighboring Moff’s had created a crisis, they had undoubtedly created an opportunity. An opportunity that she would definitely take advantage of. But she would need some sort of cover for this. It would help make the controversial action she was about to undertake more justifiable to the general public.

Some of her slicers had created a number of false statements and messages from several of the Moff’s on her instruction. Using a complicated set of relays the signal would be traced back into the heart of the Ghralia sector, and when all was said and done, would give her the justification needed to do a controversial action that would tip the balance of power within her sector. It would also manage to eliminate some who threatened her power.

Flask System, aboard the I S D Ventriloquist

All the way across the sector Imperial Security Bureau Agent Tamils Tigre received a message that was supposedly from Moff Kleen of the Ghralia Sector. It was a slightly surprising message, but considering recent events it became more understandable. The message implicated Moff Illustrious in a plot to aid Earth and the Free Confederacy along with many of her officers. His orders were to begin attacking those officers and the ships they commanded.

The commander of the Star Destroyer, Captain Sanious Qareg, was not very independent-minded, which probably explained why he had gotten to the position he now had. He would believe this order and would not hesitate to open fire on the other ships guarding the planet.

He met with the Captain and like he had expected decided to follow the order. Over the ship's comm, he informed the crew of the treachery of the Moff. Some were skeptical, but most followed his lead as they should. When the Captain contacted the other ships in orbit, consisting of another Star Destroyer, four Arquitens light cruisers, half a dozen frigates, and ten corvettes there was division within their ranks. The Captain of the other Star Destroyer was questioning the orders, and wondering if it had been false. In a rage, he invoked a clause that gave him the ability to order the Captain to stand down. Battle lines were drawn and after a short period, the I S B agent ordered Captain Quarq to open fire on the opposing Star Destroyer. He did, firing the opening shots of what would become a sector-wide civil war.

In other systems within the Tibannas Sector, similar situations played out. About four Star Destroyers and some smaller ships decided to follow the orders, along with several ground-based divisions. Within Moff Illustrois’s flagship, the Bellator Class Star Dreadnought Decisiveness, the Imperial Security Bureau Lieutenant Iog Alin decided to relay the message to his superior officer, Captain Rla Arxs. She had told him to not do anything until the message was further analyzed, and personally was very skeptical of both the message and the ideologically minded Lieutenant. Taking his own initiative, he gathered a group of loyal agents and stormtroopers and prepared to arrest Illustrious for treason.

But he did not know that the Moff had predicted his treachery against her. She monitored the group, and let them be stopped by a squad of her stormtroopers. There were a number of exchanges, and the squad leader was suspicious. He decided to wait, but then came his superiors.

Near her quarters they were stopped by her personal guard of Stormtroopers, who were not impressed by the order and refused to let the group through and see her. Enraged, the Lieutenant opened fire on the guards and began preparing to storm the room. Illustrious ordered reinforcements and took cover behind her large desk, blaster drawn. It took them a little to get in, but when they did, they opened fire. Behind her desk, the Moff returned the favor, killing several of the attackers. Moments later the group was ambushed by the same stormtroopers who had let them through at first. They had been trying to follow the group as they were suspicious of their reason to capture Illustrious. Unprepared to defend from the rear, the group was slaughtered with no hits on Illustrious or the squad that came to reinforce her.

The stormtroopers who came to rescue her would all be getting metals, and Illustrious began hearing reports of the attacks by the rebel faction of her sector forces.

The attacks were largely unsuccessful, with 1 Star Destroyer destroyed by loyal forces, another surrendered, another forced to retreat to the Ghralia Sector, and one more being retaken by loyal forces after the ship’s chief engineer arrested most of the command staff, including the Captain for treason. Most of the smaller ships on the rebel faction’s side were either destroyed or captured, with a few escaping and fleeing to other sectors. In the case of the loyalist losses, one Star Destroyer was destroyed, along with a heavy cruiser and some smaller ships. While the loss of any Star Destroyer was significant, most of the sector’s fighting abilities were intact, and it would give the Moff the cause she needed for war for succession and war with the Empire.

Illustrious meanwhile began to order her fleets and armies to the border systems and told them to prepare for combat. Reserves were mobilized, and companies were ordered to begin configuring their production for war materials. Less than an hour after she had begun the false flag attack against herself, the Moff was giving an emergency comm speech delivered over the holonet. Several reporters were also present in the battlecruiser’s wardroom, ready to ask questions and jump down each other's throats at a moment's notice.

“Citizens of the Tibannas Sector, I bring news that will be disappointing to many. After several major galactic corporations decided to halt their purchases of our goods due to our neutrality in the recent conflict, a group of rebels that affiliated with the sector forces of several of our neighbors attacked several of our fleets and made an attempt on my life due to a false report. This was a poor decision, and the attacks mostly failed due to the valiant efforts of our brave men and women in uniform. However, we have clear evidence that these attacks were ordered by the Moffs of the surrounding sectors such as Vincent Kleen of the Ghralia Sector, as well as both Moff Jareen of the Cundre Sector and Moff Kralen of the Query sector, as the orders of the files were both in the name of the Moffs and the messages have been traced back to the Ghralia Sector. We have already contacted the Moff’s involved and they have all denied ordering the attack like everyone in there would do. With overwhelming evidence to state that they were responsible for these attacks, I have no choice but to determine a state of war exists with them and the rest of the Empire, and that we are no longer under their boot. This at first sounds like we are in a hopeless position, but in fact, we are ready to take advantage of one of the greatest galactic upheavals in recent history. Due to the offensive, these three Moff’s have launched against the territory of Earth and the Free Confederacy, their systems are lightly defended. Despite the attacks against us by their proxies, our forces are ready for war.”

“Some may question our succession from the Empire. They might say we are only as prosperous as we are due to them. I would disagree. We are not prosperous because of the policies of an Emperor across the galaxy, we are prosperous due to the hard work of our citizens and a skillfully crafted economic policy that both encourages trade and development while protecting the rights of workers and small businesses. In so many ways, the rest of the Empire is merely jealous of our wealth while squandering the opportunity to grow and surpass us. While Major Imperial backed companies may not trade with us to their own detriment, we will be able to seek out new trade partners in a galaxy that is growing with new factions that we once opposed. And we will be free from the laws, rules, and customs that govern us and constrain the Galactic Empire. All nonhumans in this sector will now have equal rights, and as long as they meet the physical and mental requirements will be able to join our military and help us wage war on those who would topple us. Democracy will also be introduced, and many of the rights that were removed after the Empire was formed. I know many of you might be skeptical of war and succession from the Empire and I will tell you this: the Empire is no longer serving our interests. The galactic stage has changed, and now new players are taking the stage. We are no longer in the period of unipolarity where the Empire is all-powerful and not challenged is over, and quite frankly we are not going back to that time anytime soon. Even if the Rebel Alliance was to be defeated, which would take a massive amount of Imperial strength and would likely just turn them back into a guerrilla force, there are numerous other groups vying for power in this galaxy. The Hutts are building a modern military for the first time in millennia, the Corporate Sector Authority is trying to dominate galactic markets in many areas, the Hapes Consortium is colonizing new worlds. We will find our place in the galaxy through our own volition, not under the boot of the Empire!” She roared, and across the sector, people cheered.

After a few minutes, she continued. “Tibannas will take its place in the stars. Thank you for your time, and thank you and good luck to the brave men and women who are going to face their ultimate challenge. I have time for several questions.” She said.

“What are your thoughts on the Rebel Alliance, and how will you be dealing with them?” One reporter in the front asked.

“We will be extending the hand of cooperation to them as well as any other party we can benefit from. There is potentially a lot of good that can come from cooperation with them, though currently, my priority is to establish relations with Earth and the Free Confederacy.” Illustrious answered. “Next question.”

“Won’t this war hurt the economy?” Another journalist asked.

“Potentially, but if we are able to gain access to more territory and develop it like we have developed this sector our economy will grow.” She answered. “I have time for one more question.” She said.

“What is going to be your first move in this war?” A reporter asked.

“Some of the fleets will start advancing to the lightly defended systems around us, with a reserve force kept to reinforce it if necessary. I will be taking this ship along with six Star Destroyers and their escorts to Garnizon I I to relieve the Imperial force that is attacking the combined Earth and Free Confederacy fleet there. This will inflict major damage on the reported 12 Imperial Star Destroyers there, and serve as a gesture of goodwill to both of those factions. More details will come, but we need to get all of you off so we can depart in 15 minutes.” Illustrious said and the journalists nodded and got up. It was time to go to war.

Chapter Text

Chapter 32

Garnizon I I , Zoloch Sector

The situation was not looking good for Earth’s fleet. Harrington and Johnson had three Revenge’s, the Revenge, Iowa, and Warspite, which was Harrington’s flagship. There was also a captured I S D I I, the Emancipator. Two Heavy Carriers were also present, the Lexington and Ark Royal. Half a dozen cruisers, four Los Angeles Class and two Halsey Class. For smaller combat ships there were 14 Destroyers, 27 frigates, and 40 corvettes. The Free Confederacy fleet stationed there had mostly gone with Admiral Gorky, but there were still a number of ships left. One Providence Destroyer, one recusant light destroyer, two Munificiant Frigates, an old Trade Federation Core Ship that acted as a carrier, two Dreadnaught Heavy cruisers, and nearly two dozen smaller ships including smaller cruisers, frigates, and corvettes. All told this came out to be just over 120 ships, which was larger than the fleet they were about to confront. However, they were lacking behind in firepower, with maybe 6 of the Fleet’s ships able to go toe to toe with the Star Destroyers. Even if they could win, it would likely be at a heavy cost. But they still had a few tricks up their sleeve.

One was starfighters. While the Imperial ships had nearly 1,100 T I E fighters combined, these were poor when faced with earth’s missile armed fighters due to a lack of E C M, or electronic countermeasures. There were nearly 1200 of Earth’s fighters as well as several hundred bombers who could be used to devastating effect against capital ships. That didn’t even count the Free Confederacy’s force of fighters, which was about the same in numbers as Earth’s force, though lacking anti fighter missiles currently the ranks of Vulture Droid Fighters were more maneuverable than practically any fighter in the galaxy, with the exception of some of the Jedi Orders old fighters. Already half of Earth’s fighters formed a massive combat air patrol around the large fleet and would be joined by more and more as time went on.

The other advantage was the five defensive platforms in the system, one of the larger models of Carden class as well as four Golan class, all of which had been fully repaired since the last battle about three months ago. These were bristling with weapons, from large turbolasers and ion cannons to smaller point defense guns and missile tubes. Johnson and Harrington both agreed the fleet should retreat and take advantage of the massive stations, which would give them extra firepower in the upcoming fight. It would also allow the fighter’s room to pick off the opposing ones at the other end of the battlefield with their missiles, meaning they would not be harmed.

Johnson could see the Imperial ships launching their T I E S and heading forwards to attack his fleet. They had already moved their fleet back to behind the screen of the Golan’s and now they just had to let them come to him.

Newly promoted Major David Davis, callsign “Deadlock” sped through space in his F-1500b fighter, approaching the mass of Imperial T I E fighters. It was the largest group of them he had ever seen. The commander, air group (or CAG for short) of the revenge would once again be in command of all of Earth’s fighters during the battle, which constituted well over a thousand space frames. He was leading them close to the Imperial fighters, and he just wanted to ensure the fighters got out of the defensive screen of the Lancer Class Frigates, which would shoot down any missiles that would come in a range of its deadly quad heavy laser cannons.

“All fighters, our goal is to eliminate the Imperial T I E fighters so that we don’t have to worry about being swarmed by them. They seem to be engaging the vast majority of their strength here, so each of us will be firing at least one anti fighter missile, maybe a second. The auto targeting system is working well, fire on my command. He waited several seconds to verify that the ships were out of the protective screen of the lancers and ordered the missiles to be fired. Over 700 missiles went flying to the mass of T I E ‘s, with almost all of them hitting their targets. A few managed to be shot down or were doged, but this was rare. In a single move, he had eliminated over 2 / 3 ds of the attacking T I E ‘s. Several moments later, he ordered some of the fighters to fire another wave of missiles, which eliminated most of the survivors. The Imperial fleet had less than a hundred T I E ‘s left, mostly combat air patrols and reserve fighters to replace the losses of the main force. However, they were predicted from missile attack by the Lancers, who would make getting close to the Imperial Fleet very costly for both fighters and pilots.

Admiral Picot’s decision had been stupid, as he had already known that Earth used missiles extensively in an anti fighter role. He had assumed that there would not be nearly as many deployed since he had the element of surprise, thus falling into a critical military mistake. He had assumed what his enemy would do instead of preparing for what he could do. Deadlock thought that it was odd that an officer of his rank would make a mistake like that. However, he was making good use of his lancer class frigates to guard against fighter attack. The C A G of the revenge needed guidance for what to do next, so he put out a comm to both Admirals Harrington and Johnson.

“Admirals, I have eliminated nearly all of the T I E fighters, the remaining ones at this time are not a threat to us and are staying behind the range of screens of those lancer's quad laser cannons. All of my fighters are armed with at least one and sometimes two depending on the loadout anti-ship missiles. Attacking the Imperial fleet would be possible but only done successfully with great casualties due to the anti-fighter power of those lancer’s quad laser cannons, but I guess it could help slow the fleet’s advance. What are my orders?” He asked over the comm line.

Both admirals thought for a moment. “Attack and launch your missiles at a greater range than the Lancer’s guns, then retreat for a reload. Focus on the Star Destroyers, you won’t lack the ability to do so.” Johnson ordered. Deadlock broke off his defensive course and headed for the Imperial fleet.

“All fighters, we’re going to go and attack the Imperial fleet at long range with anti-ship missiles. We will be joined by all of Earth’s bombers that have been deployed so far, as well as the forces the Free Confederacy brought along. We won’t be getting up close and personal with it to avoid being shot down by those anti-fighter frigates but we will all make it back. Once we finish we will go back to our ships, reload, and repeat the process until the fleets make into close range with one another. Squadron leaders, do you understand your missions?”

“Yes sir.” The over 100 leaders that each led a squadron of 12 fighters said.

The mass of Earth’s fighters and bombers was augmented by the fleet of strike craft from the Free Confederacy that was mostly using droid fighters, though a variety of manned fighters and bombers including newer models of the Z -95 headhunter, ancient Cloakshape fighters, Clone Wars era ARC -170 ‘s and Y wing and H 6 tempest bombers, along with an assortment of other craft. While they would attack with an assortment of torpedoes, missiles and bombs, they would have to release them at close range as these weapons systems only had limited targeting capabilities. They had already left, and were going to go wide and execute a flanking attack on the Imperial fleet while Earth’s fighters met them head on. At worst, it would split the lancer’s into defending in both directions which would let more missiles get through, and at best they would totally split the point defense of the fleet allowing one group to land a devastating strike on the Imperial fleet.

Each of the F-1500a and b fighters carried either one or two anti-ship missiles, all of which were more than capable of causing large damage to the Imperial ships at the numbers they would be fired on. While not designed with the primary role of attacking enemy ships, it could do so effectively

The BA-1000 “Havoc” bomber was larger, with its somewhat triangular shape in a similar aesthetic to several modern day stealth bombers. In the first battle of Earth when the Empire first came, they proved their potential by almost single handedly destroying a 600 meter Imperial Vindicator Class Heavy Cruiser. This had encouraged more production, and now hundreds were in service. They were fast when compared to several other common bombers in the galaxy. Four forward medium laser cannons and two dual guns mounted in automated turrets provided a defense against enemy fighters. This was augmented by several air to air missiles. But inside the bomber was a large ordnance bay that in this case held four heavy anti-ship missiles per craft. It, like the other Earth fighters, was hyperspace capable, which meant it could be used to devastating effect in hit and run missions against Imperial fleets and installations. They had already done so in the past three months, and were responsible for the majority of kills in these raids. There were currently two models, the original version also known as the A variation and the B,which had a few minor improvements including better avionics and two additional dual laser cannon turrets for defense against fighters on the side of the craft, giving no blind spots where a fighter could attack it without being fired at.

Soon the craft had launched their missles at the Imperial fleet. While with the help of the six anti fighter frigates they had managed to shoot down many of the missles, a large number still made it through. However with the six lancer’s distracted, the Free Confederacy force launched their flanking attack. While many were shot down once the frigates readjusted, the damage had already been done.

Two Star Destroyers had been destroyed or at least turned into wrecked hills of a ship that now mostly lacked sublight engines and a working hyperdrive, and lacked any meaningful defenses or weapons. They would be scuttled later that day. Two other Star Destroyers were more intact but still combat ineffective, essentially disabling them. With some sublight engines still operating, they retreated back to the hulls of their comrades. The other I S D ‘s had not suffered much damage if any damage, and were therefore still fully combat capable. One Vindicator, two Arqetens, and a Nebulon B were destroyed as well, with some others in their ranks damaged. However none of the Lancer’s had been damaged, as even if they had been targeted they would have shot down most of the incoming missiles. These anti fighter frigates were vulnerable to attacks by capital ships as they were a design extremely specialized for only one purpose, but at this point in the battle getting any warships close to them would be suicidal. The Empire was protected by both a clear anti-ship and anti fighter defense, which made it harder to break either one. The Empire was learning, Deadlock would give them that.

Due to being out of the range of any of the Imperial ships, none of Earth’s fighters had taken any damage. However, the fighters of the free confederacy had taken not an insignificant amount of damage. Over 200 of their small craft had been destroyed by the Imperials, both manned and unmanned (though most had been unmanned). The damage to the Imperial fleet had been moderate, but this was only the first wave.

Across Earth’s fleet, starfighters landed on their motherships to be rearmed with missiles. The deck crews worked quickly and diligently, every second counted. Since they had engaged at a fairly short range, Earth’s fighters and bombers only needed to have their anti-ship missiles replaced. Under other circumstances they would have been rearmed with anti fighter missiles as well but there was limited time before the Imperial fleet closed the distance. They needed to get any strikes in that they could on the Imperials to even the odds.

The Free Confederacy fleet meanwhile had to refuel the droid fighters due to the limited fuel they possessed. While they were able to stay in flight far longer than their clone wars counterparts due to advances in fuel and battery technology, they were still only able to stay in flight for a few hours. Thankfully there were using a standardized, automated system to do so, which would speed up the process significantly.

The next strike was carried out by about 400 Earth fighters and 100 bombers as well as nearly 400 of the free confederacy strike craft. One advantage to the advancing Imperial fleet was that the fighters would not need to travel as far before attacking their targets, as they were getting closer. As the flank attack had already been used, the pilots decided to all launch a single forward facing mass strike. This attack was not as effective as the first one, but still did some damage. None of the star destroyers were destroyed, but one had been heavily damaged and almost all of the remaining had some sort of damage, even if it was light. The bigger victory was the destruction of smaller ships. Three Vindicators, half a dozen Arquetens, and four Nebulon B’s were destroyed and also many of the smaller ships damaged. This would thin out the screen of protection the larger ships had.

Once again Earth’s fighters had taken almost no losses as they were launching missiles from long range. However the Free Confederacy lost about 150 fighters, which was about half of the strength that was engaged in this part of the battle. They had been hesitant to engage in such missions that would lead to the large losses before, but the Admirals of Earth had promised the officer left in charge that they would replace any fighters lost with either droids ones they produced or manner ones that they had already been produced, such as the F 1500.

Once again the fleet of fighters began to make another strike with ones who had been rearming or refueling while the battle was going on. It was roughly the same size, and hopefully able to score some major damage to the fleet. But their strike was diverted to a new target as the battlefield changed.

A new force of ships jumped out of hyperspace, only seven of them. This was small for a fleet that would be reinforcing the Imperials, but when he saw the size of the ships he looked in fear. There were six I S D I and I I ‘s, and nothing smaller. But the ship they surrounded was one he had never seen before, and the largest ship he had ever seen. It was a Bellator Class Star Dreadnought, one of the largest ships fielded by the Imperial Navy. 7,200 meters in length, it was bustling with weapons from massive turbolaser to small point defense guns. Deadlock knew that the new Imperial fleet could take on the entire fleet that was over Garnizon right now. They needed to cause damage to it.

“Divert that strike to that dreadnought. Target only it.” He ordered. His fighter was being rearmed with missiles so he could not participate in the current strike.

Chapter Text

Chapter 33

Aboard the bridge of the revenge, Admiral Johnson looked on in horror as the fleet led by a dreadnought came out of hyperspace. They wouldn’t be able to stand up to it, 14 I S D‘s, and the supporting cruisers and frigates. Perhaps they could at least fight a delaying action and cause as much damage as possible to the Imperial Fleet while allowing the army forces and as many supplies as possible to be evacuated. What could not be evacuated would be destroyed and Johnson was prepared to enact a scorched earth policy both in space and land. Anything of use to the Empire that could not be taken with them would be destroyed.

Already army transports and assault ships that were landed on the ground were being loaded with troops and supplies, though large amounts of captured weapons that had not been transformed off-world would have to be destroyed. A number of soldiers and officers would be starting on the surface to form a guerrilla force to harass the Empire. Many civilians rushed to spaceports across the world, to get off the planet and get away from the Empire. They crowded onto transports leaving the world and often hung on to them even as they took off. It was a scene that was reminiscent of the Kabul evacuation that had taken place several years ago on Earth.

Johnson looked at Captain Drofa Haffard. “How powerful are the ray shields on that Dreadnaught?”

“Quite powerful and several magnitudes more powerful than the ones on an I S D.”

“How many of our ion torpedoes, both fighter launched and capital ship grade, would it take to disable that ship, hypothetically.” Johnson asked.

“For the fighter launched ones it would take several thousand. Capitol grade ones would be less, but still nearly a thousand. That would be unless we were able to take out their ray shield generator, which could be done with a close range attack by fighters. They may be able to use missles, if they were launched at very close range. That ship still and it’s escorts still have their fighters, as well as their point defenses. But that force is still a bit far away, so I believe it would be prudent to focus on the main force, which we can still do substantial damage to.”

It wasn’t long before the main force of eith I S D ‘s and the escorts managed to get into turbolaser range, and the main battle began. Fighters and corvettes launched fast attacks with missiles before retreating to prevent substantial damage. Things at first looked to be a stalemate but soon that ironically changed to Earth having the advantage. While they only had five large capital ships when compared with the Empire’s eight, some of the I S D ‘s had taken damage and were not up to full combat effectiveness. Earth and the Free Confederacy had many smaller ships and orbital defense platforms. Perhaps they would not need to retreat after all.

However, Earth and the free Confederacy were both not without losses of their own. One of Earth’s captured Star destroyers, the he had been destroyed, along with a number of smaller ships such as the lone Recusant light destroyer the free Confederacy brought along. One of the Golan Defense Platforms had been destroyed, along with one of the Carden Platforms crippled. And many ships were damaged to varying degrees of severity, including both the Revenge and Harrington’s flagship Warspite. They had still managed to destroy four I S D ‘s and most of the first fleet’s escorts and had now switched to using ion cannons and toreados on the remainder, attempting to disable and board the.

However as this was ongoing the second force that held the Bellator Dreadnaught soon was in weapons range. It’s 7200-meter form was bristling with weapons, and this task force was going to be challenging to defeat. It approached on the fleet’s port side, and Harrington ordered the fleet to turn and face the dreadnought, splitting the damage on the ships in the fleet more equally. The raw firepower of the ship was intense, and many smaller ships fell to the dreadnought’s secondary turbolasers. Johnson watched as the captured Nebulon B frigate Aurora, which had been serving the fleet since it’s capture during the first battle of Earth, was torn apart after it’s midsection had been severed. It had been a veteran ship with a well trained crew. He could see some escape pods being jettisoned, so maybe some people had survived.

But the dreadnought's main firepower was directed at Admiral Harrington’s flagship, the Warspite. Hundreds of turbolasers and ion cannons were firing at the battleship from both the dreadnaught and the escorting I S D ‘s, but it's shields were holding. Johnson didn’t know for how long, however. But the fleet was returning heavy fire, and they were starting to cause some damage to the sword attacking fleet.

He received a comm from Harrington and he opened it. Looking at the readouts on the main command console, he could see the ship’s shields were starting to fail. It was impressive that they had lasted that long.

“Admiral, what’s your status?” Harrington asked.

“We’ve taken light damage but are still fully operational. You should make an emergency jump Admiral, the Warshite will be destroyed in a matter of minutes.”

“Both our main and backup hyperdrives have been damaged, and will not be able to be repaired for hours. I’ve ordered the ship abandoned and I intend to personally ram it against that dreadnought.” Harrington said resolutely.

“But Admiral…” Johnson said before being cut off by the feet’s highest ranking officer.

“I am going to order you to shut up and listen to me Admiral.” Harrington said. “This is what I needed to do. You are fully capable of commanding this fleet, and I am promoting you to the position of fleet commander.” Johnson was shocked. “You are ready for this Johnson, it’s been an honor to serve with you, Will.” He cut off the line, and Johnson could see the ship traveling to the Dreadnaught, with escape pods being ejected and shuttles and other small craft flying out of its hangar. It sent a volley of missiles and torpedoes to the Dreadnaught and its escort. However, it was unable to ram the larger ship, as it moved away, albeit getting closer. The Warshpite instead collided with an I S D I I that was escorting, and the subsequent net explosion destroyed another I S D as well, along with causing damage to the Dreadnaught.

Johnson ordered the fighters currently in the air to provide cover for the escape pods and shuttles of the ships. At least the vast majority of the ship’s crew had escaped. A well trained crew was at this point more valuable than a new ship, as ships could be produced at a much higher range than a well trained and combat experienced crew. This philosophy was reflected in Earth’s ship designs, with a focus on compartmentalization and redundant escape systems allowing for rapid evacuation and some parts of the ship being able to disconnect with one another in an emergency. While a growing number of ships were being lost, many had large numbers of surviving crews due to these redundancies.

Johnson hesitated for a moment at the loss of his superior officer and friend, but snapped out of it quickly. He had a fleet to command.

The Bellator was now focusing it’s fire on his flagship, the Revenge, as well as the golan and carden defense platforms. Johnson had ordered the shields raised to their maximum level in order to survive the onslaught. Looking at how his forces were going to be mauled and eventually defeated, Johnson felt it was time to begin retreating. He was about to issue the command when a large number of contacts edited hyperspace. There looked to be maybe 30 ships, one of which was the same size as the Bellator Dreadnaught they were currently facing. Further sensor scans indicated these were Imperial ships.

“Sir, there is an incoming comm burst from the lead ship directed at us.” The comms officer said. “Shall I play it?”

“Go ahead.” Johnson said.

“This is Karla Illustrois formerly of the Imperial Tibbanaa Sector and now of the independent Tibannas sector. The Empire has betrayed me and my sector and made an attempt on my life. I now intend to fight against them, and will help you to the best of my abilities. I have under my control the Bellator Class Star Dreadnought Decisiveness, Six I S D I and I I ‘s, four lancer class frigates, half a dozen Vindicator Heavy Cruisers, and a dozen ariens lybjg cruisers.” The message read.

“Open a channel to her flagship.” Johnson said, all pretense of retreat gone from his mind. With that force he could win this battle.

“Moff Illustrious this is Admiral William Johnson, it’s good to have your assistance. I intend to disable, board, and capture several of those Star Destroyers and that dreadnaught.” He said. “If you could please only use ion weapons on those ships that would be useful.”

“Admiral Johnson, do you know how many Imperial Navy, Army, and members of the Stormtrooper corps are aboard that ship?”

“Yes, I know it would have about 90 thousand personnel. However, as this planet was going to be evacuated, I have several tens of thousands of marines that have been loaded into their transports and assault ships, which will disembark on that ship once it has been disabled. We only need to rks e a few key points and then threaten to vent the entire ship’s atmosphere.” Johnson said.

“It seems you have thought this out.” Illustrious said . “I'll assist you in capturing and boarding that ship to the best of my ability.

“That would be excellent.” Johnson said. With a renewed confidence for n their abilities, the Earth and free confederacy fleet surged forward, unloading a mass of turbolasers, ion cannons, and ordnance on the Imperial fleet. Some ships still were destroyed, but in less than a half hour the guns of the Imperial fleet had gone silent. Soon boarding parties began to prepare their landings on the various ships in the Imperial fleet. The surviving Imperial fleet assets was of course the Bellator, four I S D I and I I’s as well as a dozen smaller escort ships. All had been disabled by the mass of ion cannon fire that had come from both Earth’s fleet and Illustrious.

Several of the ships, including two of the I S D ‘s and 2 / 3 rds of the escorts surrendered before needing to be boarded. However, the dreadnaught as well as the two other I S D ‘s and four of the escorts refused to surrender. Now the boarding operations would commence.

Major Victoria Petrova checked her gear and made a last minute attempt to see if everything was working. The entirety of the surviving members of her elite platoon along with several reinforcements were now loaded into several assault shuttles that were now making their way to the disabled Bellator.

She was sitting next to Hans, who was clandestinely holding her hand. It had been an interesting few months of their relationship. They had started out fairly timid, but had become more intimate as time went on. They had both found a connection in each other that they had not found in anyone else. But they were still serving together, and that demanded a strict level of professionalism when in public, skemt nnf that they reluctantly participated in.

It was still an open secret that they a thing, especially in their squad. Hiding the fact that they they had been dating for three straight no units was practically impossible. In the long term however it wouldn’t really matter. One tradition that has come out of the fleet’s original secerecy was the laxs rules on personal relationships and fraternization. The men and women who had originally been part of the fleet would likely never see civilian life again or be able to have any significant interactions with people who did not know about Earth’s secret fleet. And forcing everyone to live a life without the possibility of romantic relations would have led to a mutiny.

However with the fleet now public knowledge and a large number of traditional military personnel from both the navies and air forces of the world joining and bringing their traditions and rules with them, both were worried that while a relationship was not allowed to affect their careers (in most cases) that it would. However both of them privately thought it was an overreaction. They were serving under Admiral Johnson, who was notorious for overlooking such relationships when it came to career advancement. (This only made sense with him being in one.)

Additionally, Petrova could not really advance further in her career without getting into a staff position, something that she currently didn’t want. To be fair, Hans had made the jump from non commissioned officer to a commissioned one, which was a major step in his career. But he didn’t currently have much ambition to go further, at least for the time being.

Petrova’s thoughts went back to the mission at hand. She would be leading a small team to take the ship’s bridge, which was one of the places the ship’s atmosphere could be vented. They would also intend to hold the place until the ship was fully secure. It was going to be a difficult task, but they would be docking with the nearest airlock to the bridge, and would have total surprise as the ship's sensors were knocked out.

The shuttle was soon docked with the dreadnought, and Petrova led her men and women in. Immediately as they opened the door they were forced to find cover back in the assault shuttle as a squad of troopers began firing at them. They had set up an E web heavy repeating blaster that was raining down a constant stream of suppressing fire. Looking at Hans, Petrova knew what she needed to do. Chucking a flashband grenade into the Imperial’s line of sight, she ordered her troops to surge forward and kill them while they were dazed. The fire stopped and the dozen Earth soldiers returned fire, with accurate bursts of automatic blaster fire killing all of the Imperials. The last thing any of them would have seen would have been a blinding white light before they got a blaster bolt to the head.

Petrova and her platoon who rapidly disembarked the shuttles rushed down the hall. It would not be far before they reached the bridge, and I’d they reached it quickly they would be able to surprise the command staff. On their way their the platoon ran into formations of Storntroopers several times, but they were quickly defeated as they appeared to be running to secure some sort of objective and did not look ready for a fight. The other Imperial Navy and army members were worse, nor looking ready for a fight at all and with some not even carrying blasters.

Soon they reached the bridge, which had been closed shut and locked down to prevent them from getting into it. The door was soon hacked by private s and soon they had the ability to open it.

Tossing a flash bang into the room, Petrova and the rest of the platoon lay down suppressing fire while using more targeted bursts to eliminate groups of stormtroopers that were defending the bridge. Before the bridge staff could fully recover, they were able to force their way into it. There was a brief hail of blaster fire from the Imperials, but most were shot dead. However, Petrova did intend to take at least some prisoners. The Fleet’s Admiral, the ship’s captain, it’s executive officer, and several other senior members of the command staff were checked for weapons and disarmed, and then cuffed. She put her blaster rifle on the head of the captured Admiral, and uttered the following words. “You will tell your ship to surrender to us.”

“My crew will never surrender to terrorists.” He snarled in response.

Taking her rifle by the foldable stock, she smashed the barrel into his face. “You don’t have the ability to resist. You and your crew will be treated fairly as prisoners if you comply, but we are prepared to vent the atmosphere of this ship if they do not comply. Think about what’s in the best interests of your crew.” She growled.

“Fine.” He spat. “I will tell them to stand down if you give me access to the entire ship’s comm network.”

He soon told the entire ship to stand down, and a good number of the ship’s crew and officers followed his command. After giving the message, he and the other high value prisoners were escorted back to the airlock they had come in through and put on the transport, along with several of Petrova’s elite soldiers to guard them as they were going to their destination.

The elite major then decided to inform Admiral Johnson personally, and dialed him over the comm. He quickly picked up.

“Admiral, I have secured the bridge and taken several high profile prisoners. These include the Fleet’s Admiral, the dreadnaught's captain, it’s executive officer, and half a dozen other senior members of the command staff. I got the Admiral to tell the Imperials on the ship to stand down, but we are not sure how successful that order was. The prisoners are being loaded onto one of the assault shuttles we used to get here, but I am not sure where to send them.” She said.

“Send them to the revenge.” Johnson replied. “And good work Major, you have made are job of capturing this ship a lot easier. I will be sending more reinforcements to help you, as you have secured an effective bridgehead here.”

“Thank you Admiral.” Petrova said as she ended the comm message. Now it was time to work on gaining more ground in this part of the ship. Already rooms nearby the bridge were being cleared, and a growing number of prisoners were being moved to the airlock. Even if the majority of the ship’s crew decided to surrender, it would still take days if not weeks to pacify all Imperial resistance on the ship. That was if they did not just decide to vent much of the ship’s atmosphere, which would only be possible if they were able to find an area for the prisoners that would not be vented. She wondered what would come of the ship going forwards, as it would likely be refitted to Earth’s standards. Quite frankly, however, she was more concerned with securing the ship and getting her men and women home safely.

Chapter Text

Chapter 34

Onboard the revenge

Admiral Johnson looked at the reports from all across the territory Earth had captured that dealt with the recent Imperial counter attacks which had mostly proven unsuccessful. A few small systems had been recaptured, but many had already been taken back. The sector’s who had pooled their resources to recapture the territory had suffered heavy losses, losing over 250 ships including many of their Star Destroyers. Now they were in as bad or worse of a position that the Zoloch Sector had been when they had finished attacking Earth for the second time.

The victory had not been without its costs however. Earth and the Free Confederacy combined had lost over a hundred ships during the brief period, with a good portion of these being at the battle of Garnizon I I . Major losses included the Revenge Class Battleship Warspite, the captured I S D, two heavy cruisers along with a munificent frigate and a trade federation core ship as well as about 20 smaller vessels. Over two thirds of the remaining ships would need time in dry dock to repair the often extensive damage they had suffered. In fact, a few of the smaller ships were so heavily damaged it would be faster to build new ones than repair them, and they would be stripped for parts. The losses in crew had also been significant, about 25, 000 throughout the entire fleet with many more wounded. It was a high cost, with personnel being often more valuable than crew, as they took longer to train than many of the ships took to build.

But the cost would be worth it. This was an unmistakably massive victory for Earth and its allies. Many of the losses were mitigated by the capture of many Imperial vessels, including a number of Star Destroyers. The capture of the Bellator would give them the firepower to deal with the Empire’s battlecruisers and some of their dreadnaughts, or alternatively large groups of I S D ‘s. It would also increase their legitimacy among other groups both that were neutral and who were busy fighting the Empire. Earth was becoming a larger and larger player on the galactic stage, and was exerting power further and further from it’s home world. While right now it was still only a regional power with an impressive military and an economy that had largely mobilized to a total war footing, it was one of the fastest growing powers in the entire galaxy (at least in recent history) It was on,h topped by the rebel alliance who had experienced massive growth in aids after the battle ox Yavin, as hundreds of planets began openly supporting the cause openly.

He had already spoken to Secretary General Pierre about Harrinton’s latest orders that had put him in command of the ybw fleet, and as the Secretary General lacked anyone more qualified, the position had been approved. Johnson privately wished that there was someone who was more qualified than him, as he still felt he was too young and inexperienced to be effective. His entire rise to power had been way faster than it reasonably should have been. Two years ago he had been a mere Lieutenant Commander and third in command of a cruiser. It was a pace of advancement unheard of in any other organization, but cases like these were still not uncommon in Earth’s fledgling space fleet. It was an organization that had simply ballooned in size after it was revealed to the public after the first the Empire had attacked. But it’s size both in ships and personnel had increased over 16 fold since that had happened. Everyone had had to take ranks and roll that they had simply not been ready for.

But as Johnson got up to put on his dress uniform in preparation for the arrival of a special dignitary, he knew he would have help in the matter. Such as the woman he would be meeting for the first time today.

The woman who was once Moff Karla Illustrious of the Imperial Tibannas Sector and now did not really know what her role was now stepped off of the shuttle into the Revenge’s main hanger. It had the bustle that most areas that consistently operate small craft do, with people of all roles milling about with fighters being refueled, rearmed, and repaired. It seemed to be a well coordinated operation, especially considering the pure number of people performing complex operations in the room. A group of soldiers approached, following several officers that seemed familiar. She recognized the first as Admiral William Johnson, the officer she had communicated with the most about three months ago. He was a lot younger than expected, and had to be in his 20’s. The fact that he had managed to become an admiral at such a young age must mean he had a lot of political connections or be a tactical genius. Or perhaps both, depending on how things were done on Earth.

“Moff Illustrious, it’s good to make your aqua tinge.” Johnson said, saluting and then extending a hand. The former Moff shook it.

“These are two of my best officers, Captain Haffard and Commander Sing.” Johnson said. “They are going to be mostly busy with their other duties, so you won't see a lot of them.” He said. “I am sure you have a lot of questions, as I do myself.”

Soon they were in Johnson’s quarters, away from the hustle and bustle of other people. As they both sat down, Illustrious asked the first question.”

“How old are you, Admiral.” She asked.

“26.” Johnson replied.

“That’s quite young in the galactic standard. How did you get this far in your career?” She asked.

“Well, it’s also quite young on Earth.” Johnson said. He then proceeded to tell her about everything that had happened from his offer to join the fleet to the present, along with some broad coverage of Earth's history. Now it made a lot more sense that this man was in the position he was in now.

“Do you feel like you are ready for this position?” She asked.

“Quite frankly, no. None of us were ready for the Empire to come, and we’ve all been forced into roles that we would never have dreamed of. If there was someone more qualified to lead this fleet, I would step aside. But there isn’t anyone except me in this military who has planned and successfully executed an invasion of an entire Imperial Sector.”

Illustrious said nothing for a moment before speaking. “I was once in your position, Admiral. Right when the Clone wars began, I was a senior cadet in the Anaxes War College, probably going to graduate with ease and be sent to the bridge of some cushy planetary defense force. But being one of the top in my class, I was immediately graduated, promoted to Captain and given command of a brand new Venator Class Star Destroyer, the Endurance. I was thrown further off the deep end than you, at least at first. But I served under the best, and learned to hold my own. In just a couple years, I rose to the rank of admiral and during the Battle of Coruscant led a counterattack that helped pave the way for the rescue of the Chancellor Palpetine. This brought me into his inner circle, and I was one of the leading facilitators of the recapturing of the outer rim. When I was fighting throughout the outer rim I saw the damage the war had done. I wanted to help rebuild the galaxy and bring stability and prosperity to the sector’s of the Empire. With my Imperial connections I was able to become the Moff of the Tibannas Sector. I broke up the domineering corporations that controlled the sector’s Tibanna Gas and mineral reserves and both created a state owned company that would oversee the production of these resources and open up the system to forign investment. Unlike other sectors who went on a galactic spending spree, I used the money made from resource extraction wisely. I invested the profits back into both Imperial companies, encouraging them to set up offices and factories in the sector. And I helped protect the rights of workers to fair pay and safe working conditions.”

Johnson sighed. “And the results were obvious.” He said. “If only other sectors did what you had done. What would have happened if you had found Earth instead of Picot?”

“I would have peacefully integrated you into the sector.” She said. “There would have been many mutual benefits to peaceful cooperation, something that many in the Empire should learn.” Illustrious replied. “The Empire thinks it can just take whatever it wants from whoever it wants and then gets surprised when these people take up arms against them.

They soon began to discuss the strategy of what they would do next. With the sectors on the border taking heavy losses and Illustroius’s forces already advancing deep into their sectors, it was reasoned that their weakness should be exploited as much as possible due to the opportunity that was currently presented to them. They were plunging so deep into this exposed part of the Empire that they would soon start to run into scattered rebel units both on land and in space. Both Johnson and Illustrious would be going back to their respective home systems, and would likely be doing more commanding from there as opposed to the front.

Later after she had left Johnson called Captain Haffard and Commander Sing to his office.

“I would first of all like to congratulate both of you for your exemplary service during this campaign.” He said. “You both have managed to run this ship effectively when I have been occupied commanding the fleet, and I have not needed to micromanage either of you. With the death of Admiral Harrington and the further expansion of our forces, the fleet will need more senior officers to command it.” He said. “Therefore I will be promoting you, Drofa Haffard, to Rear Admiral and giving you command of this task force. Commander Sing, I am promoting you to Captain and you are to take command of this ship. I will be bidding farewell to you soon, as I am expected to be coordinating the war back on Earth instead of leading from the front. You both should be proud of yourselves and what you have accomplished.” Johnson said.

“Thank you sir.” They both said in unison. Johnson grabbed the new rank insignia and pinned it to both of their chests. He offered the two officers a drink, something that was rare for the Admiral (who usually abstained from alcohol).

“When will you be leaving Admiral.” Haffard asked.

“Are you getting anxious to take command, Drofa?” He and Sing chuckled.

“No… sir.”

“I was joking, but in all seriousness I will be leaving in three days.” Johnson said. “I believe it will not be a difficult transition. You already are familiar with this shop and yen Lynette shops in the fleet, so you will be able to easily adjust.” He said.

The three made some other conversation before going their separate ways. Johnson needed to finish up his AST reports as commander of the fleet and Haffard and Sing needed to prepare to take their respective commands.

Author’s note: The idea of Karla Illustrious getting to command a large and powerful ship early on in her career is based somewhat on the idea of Flight of the Kestrel, a fanfic on this site that details the career of Kelia Los'ean, a Bothan who quickly rises to command the Venator Class Star Destroyer Kestrel. It’s a good read, and I’d recommend that you check it out.

Chapter Text

Chapter 35

Three days later Johnson was traveling by shuttle back to Earth. There was no reason for taking a ship that was any larger, and since they were in friendly space with no need for a heavy escort, a few fighters would do perfectly well.

In the time he had alone in the ship’s cabin he reflected on how he had gotten to this position. It was probably (or at least one of the) fastest advances of a military career in recent galactic history that wasn’t due to corruption or family ties. He wrestled. led with the fact that he was so young and in such a position of authority despite knowing he had achieved great success so far in his career. He would have wanted to give up this position and return to being second in command of the fleet, but he knew that he was still the best choice for commanding the fleet. All of Earth’s other senior Admirals had been killed in both the first and especially second battle of Earth when the Empire had called in an orbital bombardment of the command facilities. With the exception of Harrington who was now dead the rest served in non combat roles such as engineering or logistical support, and were not fit to command a combat fleet. With the death of Harrington he was now the best choice, as unfortunate as it might be. He knew that he had the capabilities he needed to succeed in that role, but there was still doubt in him. He had done more than enough to prove to himself that he was capable, but doubt still was prevalent in him.

He was able to hide his doubt, however, when he arrived at Earth and met with Secretary General Albert Pierre and the other senior officials of Earth’s various governments and militaries. He knew he wasn’t able to be unsure and lacking in confidence when in public.

But there was one person he could be honest, one person that he could confide in. One of the few people he could say that he loved, and a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Allison Chipper.

Being the head of the navy’s research and development, she was of course present at a couple of the meetings he was going to. He winked at her a few times, but there was no other interaction besides professional concerns during this time. They planned on seeing each other later in the day.

At 6:00 Johnson arrived at her quarters and greeted her with the usual fanfare of embraces and kisses. But Allison knew something was off with him. Im fact she had thought something was going on when they had been in the meetings together.

“Will, what’s going on.” She said motioning to the couch. “You should be proud of yourself for what you have accomplished in such a short time.”

“Allison, I don’t think I’m ready to lead the fleet. I’m only 26 years old. In any other military, pro dodgy or not, I would never be anywhere near the position I am now for decades. There would be people more experienced than me, who would be able to help guide me. But now everyone looks up to me and expects me to have all the answers to their problems and solve them flawlessly.”

“Who better do you know to take over the fleet, Will?” She asked. “Who else has planned an invasion of an entire Imperial sector and succeeded with an impressively low rate of casualties? I don’t see any competition.”

“That’s the point.” Johnson replied. “There is no one else left to take the position, so I have to do it. And I am still 26, and throughout life fairly inexperienced. It’s not that I am unable to take command of the fleet, it's that I don’t want to mess up and for people to unnecessarily die.” He said.

“Will if you are scared of failure then why did you plan and execute the invasion of the Zoloch Sector. If that had failed the blood would have been on your hands.” She said. “People die in war, and sometimes if you do everything right you will fail. That’s the nature of the war you are fighting. And if you want to take this very far, since you are all the way over here on Earth, far away from the battlefields we will be fighting on, it will not be your fault, it's going to be the fault of the people over there.” Allison said. “Now unless you want to ruin this evening you're going to come over and have dinner with me and we will have some fun in bed afterwards.” She said. His thoughts now drifted to what they were going to do later, and while his lack of confidence in this position still remained, it was rapidly going away.

The Imperial Palace, Coruscant

In the deep lair that held Emperor Palpetine, a lowly serent entered his grand throne room. No where else would rival it, with the exception of the one that was currently taking shape on the secret second Death Star.

This servant was once a senior campaign aide to Palpetine during his senate and chancellorship elections. Now his role was to inform the emperor of developments through the galaxy, especially rebel activity. And he had some both disturbing and unexpected news for his master.

“My lord.” He said as he bowed at the emperor’s feet. “Little has changed since I last informed you about the Alliance’s mid rim offensive. However, there is disturbing news from the Tibannas Sector and many of the surrounding ones.”

“Explain.” The emperor ordered.

“Over a year ago in the distant and frontier Zoloch Sector, the local moff ordered several expeditions into uncharted space within the unknown regions. These expeditions were not going very deep, so no one raised an alarm since you want to have all of those under your control. But they found something fascinating, a multi biome planet with a population of nearly 8 billion known as either Earth or Terra. It was a primitive world, and had only limited spaceflight as we so thought, as the only objects in its orbit were simple satellites for communication and surveillance along with a small number of low tech space stations. So the Moff dispatched a fleet to claim the world, as it was very wealthy in natural resources. But unexpectedly, a fleet of 50 starships was awaiting him and engaged him when he dropped out of hyperspace. They had no ships larger than a heavy cruiser, but managed to defeat his forces as their technology level appeared to be similar to ours. The one I S D that was brought crashed onto the planet, and when a counterattack was organized contact was lost a year later.” He paused.

“Any further expeditions were halted as a large number of ships had been lost. But about a year and three months after the task force disappeared they started invading the sector. Together with local seperatist holdouts they were able to capture the sector in approximately two weeks with almost the entire sector fleet either destroyed or captured by Earth.”

“Why was I not informed about this?” Spat Palpatine, holding the servant of his in the air. Only his knowledge that this person had helped him tremendously in the past prevented the Emperor from force choking his servant.

“My lord, I was only just informed of the events myself, in fact I had no idea that this world existed at all, never mind had conquered an entire sector of your space.” He said calmly. “It is why I got here early.”

Satisfied with the answer, Palpatine let him down. “You mentioned the Tibannas Sector. Explain what their involvement in this is.” He said in his raspy voice.

“Several of the local sector Moffs launched a counterattack against Earth’s forces and demanded that Moff Illustrious and the Tibannas Sector join them. They cut off several major contracts, but instead of cooperating with their demands she sided with Earth, and all together they have mostly defeated those invasion forces, which represent a major loss of combat assets for these several sectors. It appears Earth and it’s new ally in the form of Illustrious will be advancing deep into these sectors and possibly overrun them.” The servant said.

While no one could see or hear air through his robes, Palpetine sighed. Illustrious had been a fine officer and a competent and effective ruler. It was a shame that she had decided to betray him after all the stability and order she had brought to once chaotic space. Despite being an evil power hungry megamaniac the Emperor could appreciate her skill as a ruler. But like all others who opposed her, she would be struck down by the might of the dark side with of course the help of the Imperial Navy and Army. Perhaps he would spare her and give her some form of leniency, but this was questionable.

On a strategic level, it meant that resources that would have otherwise been used to stop the rebel alliance’s mid rim offensive would have to be used to fight off Earth. Perhaps letting the Alliance have more territory would allow them to overextend themselves and pave the way for a defeat later on.”

And of course, none of it would matter when his new project came online. The construction progress of the second Death Star was preceding well, and when it was done it would crush all of the resistance to his order.

“I want to talk to whoever let this information slip past me. I’m sure it won’t happen again.” The emperor said.

Chapter Text

Chapter 36

A mouth later, orbit of Earth

Author’s note: So I guess I should try and explain the differences between the canonical rebellion and the one I have in this story. Simply put the rebel alliance is far larger than is shown in the movies and TV, and therefore can take and hold territory for extended periods of time. They are much more like was shown in the book Twilight Company which mentions that the alliance committed thousands of ships and hundreds of battlegroups to an offensive. I won’t get into specific numbers here, but first of all the Alliance Fleet would absolutely dwarf the size of Earth’s fleet right now, and they also have the ability to take and hold territory. They control a number of the worlds that have major shipyards and industrial facilities such as Mon Cala, Sullust, and Lothal and while their industrial capacity is nowhere near that of the empire, it still is respectable. Most of the territory they currently hold is in the outer rim, and while the Empire still has a large presence in the region it is starting to fade. Recently the Alliance has started an offensive into the mid rim where the Empire has put fewer resources into defending.

While the alliance does have a large number of worlds that are directly occupied and controlled by them (with the consent of their population of course) there are a number of worlds that are either highly autonomous due to their power in within the Alliance (such as the Mon Cala, who while giving their naval power and industrial facilities to the Alliance have a disproportionate impact on decision making, which is probably due to the fact the Alliance holds its government and high command there) or simply independent and allied to them. Many of the Mandalorian Clans that are fighting the Empire are in this position, and Earth is fast turning into one of the larger of these.

Additionally there are some changes in regards to some characters that survived or didn’t. All the members of the Ghost Crew from Star Wars rebels are alive or have not disappeared, even though they may be working in different roles now. I will also mention that more Jedi are alive and are assisting the rebellion (though they are few in number). I intend to do a quasi rewrite of Star Wars rebels later on that will take place in this universe, but not be fully focused on the Ghost Crew. Some legends characters will be a major part of it, as well as a number of OC’s.

That’s all I’ll mention. I don't’ want to give out too much information as I will be writing more about this period and the period before at a later date (I might have a project in another universe that I will be publishing first) but I do expect this to come before the sequel to this fic, because that mentioned sequel will involve a lot more of characters from both the original trilogy and to an extent rebels. I wonder if you can guess what is going to be happening there. *Wink

The M C 8 0 Home One type Star Cruiser Home One, flagship of the Alliance Fleet emerged from hyperspace with the rest of its battlegroup in tow. Five other various Mon Calamari Star Cruisers along with a smattering of cruisers, frigates, and corvettes and logistics and support vessels made up one of the rebellion’s most potent battlegroups. Many of these ships were the same ones that had come to the relief of Earth during the second time the Empire had attempted to invade it. But the people who were on it were the main reason the fleet was here, though not the only one.

Several of the Alliance High Command’s senior members, including its leader and commander in chief Mon Mothma were coming to visit Earth. The other members present included Fleet Admiral and head of the Alliance Fleet Gial Ackbar, General Caralist reeken, who represented the Alliance Army, as well as General Datvis Draven, the second in command of Alliance Intelligence. Former Imperial Senator and Princess of Alderaan Leia Organa, who had previously visited the planet, was also coming, as her combination of diplomatic skills would be useful.

Several other people who were not members of the alliance high command would also be coming. Leia would of course be bringing along her bodyguard Han Solo. He had also been to Earth before, and had a high opinion of their firearms and alcoholic beverages, but some poor thoughts on their anti piracy laws. The squadron leader of the elite Rogue Squadron and Jedi Luke Skywalker would also be joining them. He would not be the only member of the mostly defunct order to join this mission. Jedi General Ezra Bridger, the man who had played a critical role in the liberation of Lothal several years ago, nearly sacrificing himself in a risky combat maneuver that involved the space whales known as Purgil and led to the decimation of the elite Imperial 7th Fleet under Grand Admiral Thrawn. This humiliation, as well as his ability to not stop or significantly slow the growth of the rebellion meant that he was reassigned to some sort of unknown regions expedition. While they didn’t exactly know what he was doing in uncharted space, the Alliance was just happy that he was not commanding fleets against them.

The last major figure to come with the high command was not a member of the organization herself but essentially an honorary member with a good deal of respect within high command. Sabine Wren, a Mandolorian warrior and leader of the powerful Wren Clan who before ascending to her current position had served as a member of the elite crew of the VCX 100 freighter Ghost, known as the Spectres. While she was still a member of that team, she was mostly busy as one of Mandalor Bo Katan Kyrse’s top warriors, one of the Alliance's best allies who were not directly a member of them. She had been sent here by Katan to observe this new ally of the Alliance, who had performed stunning feats against the Empire.

While few Imperials outside the sectors near where Earth was in the process of attacking the Empire knew of the growing world, the exact opposite had happened in territories controlled by the rebellion which had free and uncensored communication with one another. Stories of Earth’s massive gains in such a short time had led to a morale boost throughout the Alliance and it’s allied forces. And going forwards the Earth’s endeavors deeper into the galaxy would likely lead to the Empire diverting fleets and armies to combat them instead of having them oppose the mid rim offensive that the alliance was undertaking.

There were a number of reasons that the officials who came decided to come. Mon and Leia had come to look at the political developments of the planet and the nature of its relationship with the rebellion, as well as that of the Free Confederacy as well as Illustrois’s Tibannas Sector. They both wanted to secure trade deals that would allow for purchase of much needed Tibanna gas, that was used in a variety of roles including for blaster ammunition. The generals and admirals, as well as Sabine, Ezra and Luke were coming to look at Earth’s military strength and assess it. The young Skywalker was interested in Earth’s fighters, who had scored a simply legendary kill to death ratio that had been unheard of in recent galactic history.

Such a large fleet of ships would also not normally be used for escorting a diplomatic mission, but these ships were going to join the ongoing mid rim offensive against the Empire, led directly by Ackbar. These were all high quality ships with crews that were hardened veterans, and they would make a significant contribution in the small area of operations they had been assigned by Ackbar. While the offensive already contained thousands upon thousands of ships and hundreds of battlegroundps, this elite forces would assault several worlds that had not been attacked yet and likely succeed. But first it would be escorting the rebel officials to Earth.

The fleet emerged from hyperspace near Earth, giving the officials who stood on the ships observation deck a birds eye view of everything that was going on in orbit of the world. Massive shipyards and orbital factories churned out parts that would be used in the construction of starships, while hundreds or even thousands of shuttles and light transports took parts and supplies between the stations and the planet. There were several hundred operational ships in orbit, with over a hundred being combat capable warships. Over time the proportion of ships being kept at Earth versus the rest it’s occupied territories had decreased, with now only about 1 / 8 th of it’s fleet in orbit of the home world.

Most of the ships in orbit were either being repaired or of the logistical and support variety. Many were assisting in one way or another with the construction of new ships.

“It’s shipbuilding faculties have appeared to heavily increase.” Ackbar said. “They won’t be rivaling Mon Cala’s anytime soon, but this level of growth is unprecedented on a galactic scale.”

“I believe that this conflict is deeply personal to them. The Empire got close to occupying them twice and they want to never go anywhere near that reality.” Leia said. “They understand that if they want to keep their independence and become a player on the galactic stage, they need a strong navy to do so.”

“I have also heard of their ferocity on the ground.” Sabine said. “They are a planet that has had very few years of peace in their history. Throughout their existence somewhere someone is fighting an armed conflict, and they have perfected it. They have not been like the old republic, who went millenia with only intermittent wars and small conflicts. But they understand when fighting will be to their detriment, as seen by how they have not fought a globe spanning war in 80 years. I believe that Earth and Mandolore share many common values and practices.” It was a sentiment that was echoed by those who lived on Mandalore, who seemed to have found a common cause with the planet. Great feats of martial skill did not go unnoticed by such a society, and this was one of the reasons the young but senior mandalorian warrior was sent to this world.

“Perhaps most fascinating is that this planet has proven that democratic societies can both exist for a long time and have the drive to fight major wars.” Mothma said. “While not entirely due to them, the democratic powers were the ones that stood victorious in the last major conflict the planet fought. It is a direct piece of evidence to counter the Imperial claims that a democracy can not fight a war with the same vigor as a dictatorship. And since that war was fought, the main power of the world was a democracy, and has been one of the largest contributors to the war effort against the Empire.” There was a murmuring of agreement as the officials made their way from the observation deck down into Home One’s extensive hanger to board a shuttle that would take them to Earth’s surface.

“Do you sense anything in the Force, Ezra?” Sabine asked, turning to the young but mature and powerful Jedi.

“I feel… Something.” He replied in a distant voice. “But I can’t pin down what it is. The two different things I can feel here is that this place is important on many levels and will become even more so in the future, and that there is something here that we do not know yet, but has presence in the force.”

“I think I might know what you are sensing.” General Draven said sarcastically. They were passing below the massive Bellator Dreadnaught that the planet had captured a month ago over Garnizon. There were a number of chuckles.

After a few moments Luke spoke up. “In all seriousness, I feel the same.” The young Jedi said. “If this place has a population of nearly eight billion, then wouldn’t it be likely there are at least a few force sensitives on this planet?” He said excitedly.

“There may very well be, but finding them might be difficult. Unless we are able to directly sense them within the area, there would have to be tests to determine the midichlorian count. Creating tests like that would not be difficult, but distributing them all over the world would take years if not decades.” Ezra said calmly.

Soon the shuttle had descended descended down from the atmosphere and set down on top of a large building, the headquarters of the the non governmental organization that was not starting not starting to take the form of a government and was responsible for the overseeing overseeing of Earth’s interactions with outside entities. The United Nations.

They were met by a number of figures, mostly guards and other support personnel. But the central person was none other than Fleet Admiral William Johnson.

“Welcome to Earth, Senator, Admiral, Generals, Princess, Masters, Mr Solo and Clan Leader Wren. everyone.” He said. “Earth is honored to host such distinguished guests of the rebellion.” He led them down into the building. “Secretary General Pierre is glad to see all of you again and meet some new faces.

“Your fleet has made great strides since we saw you last. In such a short time you have managed to grow so much.” Ackbar said as they were led to the Secretary General’s office.

“Our planet knows what the Empire will do to us if they break through our defenses and occupy us. We have sworn to do everything in our power to prevent this.” Johnson said.

“Isn’t he a little young for an Admiral, much less commander of their entire fleet?” General Draven whispered to Mon Mothma, just out of earshot of the young admiral.

“He’s the one who planned the entire offensive that captured the Zoloch Sector in a matter of weeks with only minimal losses. Whatever his age he is doesn't matter.” Mothma responded in a whisper.

They soon arrived at the office of the Secretary General. Albert Pierre shook all of the visitor’s hands and greeted them warmly.

“It’s good to see all of you.” He said, and engaged in some light small talk with the rebel delegation. Most of the important events would take place the next day however, as Mothma and Organa would be speaking in front of the UN General Assembly and the officers would be touring a variety of installations both on the planet and in space.
Johnson then was tasked with escorting the delegation to their respective quarters. However, Ackbar had been particularly interested in the plans he had drawn up for Operation Vengeance, the offensive into the Zoloch Sector. So Johnson had decided to show him the plans in the quarters. After showing the Alliance’s seniormost naval officer his quarters, he took him back to his to show him the plans.

When they reached Johnson’s quarters, he hoped that Allison would be decent inside it. They had been unofficially cohabitating since he had returned to Earth, and he hoped that Ackbar would not think poorly of him. Johnson knocked and then entered, to find Allison reading over the schematics of one of Earth’s new ships.

Noticing the presence of the Alliance Admiral, she turned around and got up.
“Admiral, it’s good to see you again.” She held out her hand at the Mon Calamari, who shook it.

“I’m pleased to see you again, Admiral. Congratulations on your promotion.” He said. “General Blissex told me about how impressive your ship designs were.

She chuckled. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without it.” do it without him. He provided invaluable help in the early designs.” The young woman moved towards the door. “I’m sure you have important matters to discuss.” She said as she left the room.

“To use an Earthen description, are you two a thing?” Ackbar asked.

Will chuckled. “Yes, since a little after the second time the Empire attacked.

“I don’t know her well, but based on what Blissex said I am pretty sure you made the right choice.” Ackbar said in his gruff voice. His attention moved to the rest of the quarters which contained several rooms. It was fairly sparsely decorated, with the exception of a large portrait of Alfred Mahan, the author of the famous 19th century book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History. Beside it was a large bookshelf with a variety of titles, mostly nonfiction to tiles about history as well as military and political theory.

“I read Mahan’s book on the influence of seapower, and I believe that it contains invaluable opinions that are still relevant within space.” Ackbar said.

“That is exactly why I have that painting here.” Johnson said. He moved over to a computer that was stationed at one of the desks and pulled up several maps, which he then displayed on a large television screen.

“This is Earth in relation to the Zoloch Sector.” Johnson said. “It’s only a few hyperspace jumps through wild systems to get from us to the tip of the Zoloch Sector, which makes an invasion easier but also helps shield us. After the second battle we extended our ring of sensor nets and surveillance equipment to detect anything in these remote systems. One of the most critical parts to any operation as you know is intelligence. Due to how much we were cut off from the galaxy, any significant usage of human intelligence was not going to be realistic until much further in the campaign. But we had managed to produce a number of small drones with powerful sensor arrays and long range cameras. They would leave hyperspace out of the Empire’s detection range and then travel at sublight speeds until they gathered the needed intelligence, and usually stay there to inform us of any new developments. I had one sent to every major system and most of the minor ones throughout the sector.”

“These probes showed us some astonishing results, that the Zoloch sector fleet’ operational Star Destroyers were at half of their normal strength and that the escorts were only in a slightly better position. Another area that we had managed to gain significant strength in was electronic warfare, and we were able to hack and monitor Imperial communications. We learned that there was a local resistance group known as the Free Confederacy that had been responsible for the destruction of a number of the ships that we had not been able to account for. We also learned that a task force led by an I S D and that included an interdictor cruiser would be reinforcing the sector fleet, only a little bit after our new Revenge Class Battleship would be operational. We attacked the fleet and destroyed or captured a number of the ships, including the interdictor cruiser. It also gave us experience with the new battleship and allowed us the ability to work out its design flaws before it saw heavy combat.” Johnson paused before continuing.

“We were able to deploy two teams of special forces to make contact with local resistance movements on the sector’s two most important worlds, Garnizon II and Zoloch Prime. They were able to locate the groups and make contact with them, allowing us to contact and meet with the Free Confederacy’s leader, Admiral Zut Gorky. He was receptive to our attack, and it allowed us to attack the Empire on several fronts at the same time.” Johnson said. “The special forces teams stayed on the worlds and when we began to attack the sector forces they assassinated several key members of the sector’s leadership and paved the way for our larger ground forces to later attack them on the ground. Meanwhile in space our forces were able to attack a few remote Imperial systems and due to our captured interdictor cruiser were able to prevent them from leaving. Our electronic warfare superiority also allowed us to jam any outgoing transmissions, preventing the signaling of reinforcements. Three systems were able to be captured before the Empire knew anything was happening.”

“This I assume puts you in a good position.” Acbar said.

“Indeed. The Empire had no idea we were coming. And when they responded to us, it meant that the Free Confederacy was able to take advantage and launch flanking attacks on the rearward Imperial positions. The Imperial fleet was already under strength and had no idea the attack was coming. They were unable to put up an effective defense with our fleet constantly attacking them. During the First Battle of Garnizon they did pull a few tricks on us, but were unable to stop us or even inflict significant damage on the fleet. It was then three months before the Imperiled counter attack and while some of the battles were close we managed to hold almost all the major systems. And Illustrious was able to aid us where we needed it and advance with the Imperial sector forces occupied by us, and deliver crippling losses. Several of the Imperial Sectors are in as bad of a position now as the Zoloch Sector force was right before we attacked.” Johnson said.

“And with the added industrial capacity of the Zoloch Sector as well as a pool of people who are eager to help us and see us as liberators, we have regained the strength we lost due to the Imperial counterattack. We have already begun to attack these weakened sectors, and we hope to take as much as possible before they reinforce or we overextend ourselves.”

“Fascinating,” Ackbar said. “Earth’s fleet seems to have a good grasp of the strategic sense of a war, but what about the tactical aspect?”

“In that regard, I studied the tactics you and other major rebel fleet commanders have used, such as those of Admiral Raddus, Admiral Eclipse, and Commander Sato. The role of starfighters was inspired by that of the Alliance, with some changes. One of the staples of modern air combat on our world were missiles that could engage other fighters from miles away. Since T I E fighters lack any form of electronic countermeasures we were able to shoot them down with ease as well as bombard their capital ships with long-range missiles. And as you know, the Imperial Star Destroyer is a poor platform when it comes to point defense.” Johnson said. “As for capital ships, Allison can fill you in on design specifics but essentially they have the role of anti-capital fighting above all else, and can punch above their weight, especially at long range. Many of our corvettes for example carry heavy anti-ship missiles and torpedoes along with a large gun armament for their sizes, and were used to devastating effect in several battles. Of course some serve in an escort role, designed to shoot down incoming fighters and missiles but our fighters are easily able to take care of the T I E ‘s and missiles. Even if they happen to slip by the fighters, all of our combat vessels have adequate point defense weaponry, unlike many Imperial ships.” Johnson said.

“I would not expect a planet so isolated and technologically primitive by galactic standards to have such an advanced military as well as a well-thought-out doctrine for it.” Ackbar said.

Johnson chuckled. “Well Admiral, there have been few years in our recent history that no armed conflict or war was fought. We know how to fight, and have been doing it constantly since we became a species, unlike the Republic, which languished under a thousand years of peace with only a regional conflict here and there with nothing large until the Clone Wars. And when humanity sees that survival will only be gained by fighting, well, I would not like to be on their opposing side. It is why we have come so far in such a short time.” He said.

“I believe it is getting late Admiral,” Ackbar said. “I intend to return to my quarters.”

“Do you know the way or should I show you?” Johnson said.

“I know where I am going.” Both of them got up and shook hands, and Johnson was surprised at how form the fish-like skin was.

“It’s been a pleasure talking to you Admiral.” Johnson said.

“The pleasure has been mine.” The mon calamari admiral said and left.

A few minutes later Allison re-entered the room and began to move close to Johnson.

“How was Ackbar?” She said,

“I can learn a lot from him, and he is a better Admiral than me.” Johnson said. “But I feel that he is impressed with me, and with time I believe he will become a good friend.”

“Not as good as I am I hope.” She teased.

“You're different.” He said as he began to kiss her. “I’m not into fish.”

Chapter 37

The Next Day

The small shuttle landed at a remote base somewhere in the northern United States. Sabine did not know where it was located, as the pure number of places that were located on Earth, from cities to entire nation states. She knew that many people didn’t know much about the places outside their home country. To have that there were so many languages, cultures, and factions on one world was unique, with the entire planet being almost like a small galaxy.

This camp was the headquarters and training facility of the Special Operations Force of the United Nations Marine Corps. These were the most potent soldiers that Earth fielded, and they had been the men and women who had disrupted the Imperial operations on Zoloch Prime and Garnizon II as well as knocking out critical members of the Imperial leadership in the sector. With her Sabine had five other Mandalorian warriors which represented a diverse group of clans from throughout their space.

Disembarking, the Mandalorians were greeted by a number of Earth’s elite soldiers in their full combat armor, who saluted them. The leading member of the group stepped forwards.

“I’m Major Petrova. I assume you are Clan Leader Wren.” She said.

“Indeed I am. I have heard of your impressive exploits against the Empire on Garnizon II. Sabine replied.

Petrova smiled. “We couldn’t have done it without the local resistance movement on the world. Let me show you some of the others who helped me with that task.” She bean walking into the nearest building and Sabine with her other Mandalorians followed.

They soon reached a large training area, with most of the room taken up by an impressive shooting range. Several of the marines were practicing with Earth made weapons, shooting both stationary and moving targets with their blasters. Others practiced hand to hand combat with punching bags and each other. Seeing the new guests, they all stood at attention.

“Alright everyone.” Petrova said. “I don’t think I need to remind you who the Mandalorians are and what they stand for.” She turned to Sabine. “This is Sabine Wren, the leader of the Mandalorian clan Wren. I also don’t think I need to tell you who she is and what she has done, especially on Lothal. It is an honor to host her and her Mandalorian comrades.” The Major said.

“It is good to be here. I have heard of the exploits of yours, especially on Garnizon II and Zoloch Prime.” Sabine said.

“I’m sure you will be interested in our weapons.” Petrova said. “Do you want to try them out?”

“Of course.” Sabine said. “That’s why we came here.”

The rifle Petrova handed her looked similar to some primitive slugthrowers that the military’s of Earth had used before the introduction of modern blasters. It seemed to strike a good balance between being not too heavy but also not too light. Even in hands not familiar with it like hers, it was fairly easy to use. A mock up stormtrooper was set up, using armor that had been captured earlier on one of the many battlefields both in space and on the ground that had seen surrendered stormtroopers. Wren fired several accurate shots, each hitting the mock trooper. It seemed to pack a decent punch, able to shoot right through the front body armor of the trooper.

The weapon had there different settings for rate of fire, semi automatic, three round burst, and fully automatic. The last setting was fairly difficult to control due to her inexperience with the platform, but due to its inaccuracy it wasn’t used a lot except in close range. It seemed to be at least comparable if not superior in quality to the Alliance’s main blaster rifle, the A280. When compared to similar blaster rifles that the Mandalorians used, it was perhaps slightly inferior, but to nowhere near the degree that the Imperial’s standard E-11 was. She next tried a smaller blaster that seemed to be a middle ground between a rifle and a pistol. Petrova had called it a sub repeating blaster, which made sense considering it was essentially a small repeating blaster. Perhaps the best galactic counterpart to it would be the DH-17 that was used by both the Empire and the rebellion. It had more of a kick to it than the rifle, but it would likely be a better weapon for close quarters combat, or would make a good secondary with it’s stock either folded or removed.

She then tried a pistol that seemed to be similar to her twin WESTAR 35 blasters that the Mandalorian warrior had used for years. She performed well with all the weapons, but she was most effective with it. Due to its light weight she was able to take another one in a similar fashion to her normal blasters. This initially surprised Petrova, as dual wielding weapons did not seem to be common practice on Earth. Due to her experience with dual wielding similar blaster pistols, she was even more accurate than before with only one.

“Very Impressive.” Petrova said. “Dual wielding is generally not been very practical on Earth, and has never really been popular outside entertainment. You’ve done the best that I’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you.” Sabine replied. She had heard
of the exploits of this group of soldiers and being intrigued, but she always took reports with a grain of salt. Looking at these men and women, it was readily apparent that the reports she had read were true.

She and her fellow Mandalorians would be giving a good report to Mandalor Bo Katan. These soldiers were Mandalorian quality, and she would be honored to fight alongside them.

Orbital Station One, in orbit of Earth:

A shuttle landed and one man walked out. Alliance Starfighter Corps Captain and squadron leader of the elite Rogue Squadron as well as Jedi Luke Skywalker exited it, wearing his standard orange flight suit. He knew he would be testing out one of Earth’s fighters today, and had therefore come prepared.

Greeting him was Major David Davis, callsign “Deadlock”, the CAG (or commander, air group) of the Revenge. Both pilots had heard about each other’s exploits, though Deadlock thought that the pilot was still better than him, especially in dogfighting.

“It’s good to see you Captain, I’ve heard about your many exploits.” He shook the somewhat younger pilot’s hand. In retrospect, the phrase “many exploits” was probably the understatement of the century, as this man was not only responsible for the destruction of the Death Star but indirectly for the massive growth of the rebel alliance in the past nearly two years. And the number of people he had managed to attract to the rebellion due to his heroics could not be quantified, but was definitely massive. What was Davis compared to him.

“I’ve heard some about you as well. Apparently you have the highest kill count of any Earth pilot, and you would definitely be a contender for the top ten in the entire Alliance in the past few months.”

Deadlock had not heard that before. “Well thank you.” He replied. “Anyway, let me show you the F-1500c multirole space superiority / snubfighter. There are three main models of fighter we use in space here on Earth, this one which is barely a month old, the F-1500b which makes up the bulk of our fighter wings, and the F -1500a which has mostly been either upgraded to the b model or assigned to secondary bases and ships. All three use the same spaceframe, and have as many of the same components as possible to both standardize production and make conversions faster, which means that replacing models is a lot faster as we just need to swap a few parts. Sometimes the entire conversion can be done on the flight deck of a warship. There are also a few prototype designs we have that never entered mass production or regular service, and a few designs that are in the pipeline.” He said.

Luke looked at the fighter, which currently had its wings folded to save space. It appeared to be slightly longer than the T-65, but only about a meter. With its wings folded, it took up less horizontal space than the T-65, though it was slightly taller as well with the wings folded. It looked generally similar to the pictures of older atmospheric Earth fighters, and shared many of the design aesthetics. But it was not really comparable to any in particular model that he had seen.

“This fighter has the speed of a T I E Interceptor, the agility in space of a normal T I E, almost the gun firepower of an x wing, and unparalleled flexibility in missile armament, electronic countermeasures, and stealth systems. This fighter has a single heavy laser cannon mounted just in front of the cockpit and two wingtip mounted medium laser cannons, which is a significant increase in gun firepower from the last model.”

He led Luke over to a selection of different missiles, bombs, rockets, gun pods, fuel tanks, and even an additional electronic warfare and sensor suite. “The fighter has seven different hard points that can be equipped with a variety of weapons and extra fuel tanks here. Whatever mission you need to undertake can realistically be fulfilled by any of these modules. Interception against enemy fighters and bombers, attacks against enemy capital ships and space stations of all sizes, extended range missions in deep space, electronic warfare, ground attack against infantry, light and heavy armor, and surface bases.”

Luke was impressed by the fighter. The X Wing was a notoriously versatile craft, but this F-1500c blew it out of the water so to speak.

“While some would say dogfighting requires more skill and is more honorable, most of our kills have been thousands of kilometers away with missles. The T I E fighters lack any sort of electronic countermeasures, so unless the pilot can shoot down the missile or evade / outrun it, it’s going to die. It’s why we have such a high kill to death ratio, we don’t usually get close to the T I E ‘s. Even when we do get in close range with them, we still have a good kill to death ratio due to the shielding on our fighters which the T I E ‘s lack. In fact, it seems like in close range dogfighting we are getting a similar ratio of kills to deaths that alliance pilots are getting.” Deadlock said.

“That’s impressive.” Luke said. “Your pilots seem to be very skilled.”

“Aside from the ones who were pilots before the fleet was revealed to the public, most of our pilots were flying atmospheric fighters in the air forces of Earth’s nation states.” Deadlock said. “It’s been such a big advantage because these people are already trained pilots. Re-training them on spacecraft isn’t that much more difficult.” He said.

“Can I take this fighter for a spin?” Luke asked.

“Be my guest Captain.” Deadlock said.

For about an hour the force sensitive pilot flew the craft around and even shot training blasts at some practice drones. He was able to easily pull off maneuvers that even the most skilled pilots of Earth struggled with due to his abilities in the force.

Deadlock looked at the pilot flying around with awe. He had never seen anyone fly like this before. He looked at the pilot flying and wondered if there was anyone else with this power on Earth. They would vertically be useful to the war effort if they were discovered or even existed.

Chapter 37

The United Nations Headquarters, New York City,

Today several important figures from allied groups across the galaxy would be meeting. Johnson sighed as he adjusted his dress uniform, preparing to meet with Mon Mothma, Karla Illustrious, and Zut Gorky. Secretary General Pierre has insisted that he come to the meeting, and as much as he would deny it there was good reason. He knew Gorky and Illustrious better than perhaps anyone who lived on the planet, and would be in the running for his knowledge of Senator Mothma.

That didn’t mean he liked it though. Johnson wasn’t a politician, and certainly didn’t want to be one. He had been interested in the subject as a teenager in the time before he was recruited into the fleet. He had generally grasped that it was a field for people who put their financial interests and those of their wealthy donors above serving their constituents. He understood the need for dealing with politics to make sure the war went well, but this was a task that had been left to Secretary General Pierre.

Nevertheless there wasn’t anything that he could do. Pierre was the commander in chief, and his word was final. But at least the people he would be ones he mostly knew, which would make things easier to an extent.

The spacious conference room was only occupied by a few people. Secretary General Albert Pierre, Mon Mothma, Karla Illustrious, Zut Gorky, and himself.

“It’s good to meet you, Moff Illustrious.” Mothma said, shaking the slightly younger woman’s hand. The two exchanged greetings before the leader of the Alliance spoke again. “There is a clear reason that the Alliance stayed out of your territory. Despite being an Imperial officer, you served your people first and gave them prosperity and stability that other sectors did not give them. I can speak for both other members of Alliance High Command and myself that despite your allegiance that we respected you and what you did for your people.” Mothma said. “At several points, we even wanted to sway you to our cause, but any mission inside your territory would be difficult and we always had other pressing concerns on the other side of the galaxy.”

“I have had sympathy for your cause, but I believe that it is my responsibility to do the best for the people of my sector above all else.” Illustrious said. “And for a while I thought that the Empire was serving the sector better, I knew it would come to an end. That’s why if I am to be blunt, I created a cult of personality around myself. As much as I dislike having such power over the people of my sector and this might be reprehensible, I would rather this than have the Empire have the same control that they currently have over them. It also means that I was able to ensure their loyalty over that of the Empire.”

“I agree, I would rather have them support you than the Empire.” Mothma said. “As I have said to the leadership of Earth in the past, you all have the opportunity to directly join the Alliance itself. All of you have powerful assets and capabilities which we could really use.”

Illustrious thought for a moment. “Wether we knew it or not, the Tibannas Sector was under the oppression of the Empire.” She said. “And many of the people are not partivally interested in joining the wider alliance. So for now, no.” She said.

“The same applies to the Free Confederacy.” Gorky said. “I know that many of my members see your Alliance as a reincarnation of the Republic, and would be vehemently opposed to membership in it. So for the meantime, time, no.” The old Admiral said.

“Earth’s position is unchanged from the last time we spoke.” Pierre said.

“Very well.” Mothma said. She has been under the impression that they would decline her offer, but it at least was worth a try.

“However, I still think there's much we can gain from each other in other ways.” She said, turning to Illustrious. “As I have heard, you have a lot of Tibanna gas for sale since you are at war with the vast majority of your buyers. And it fortunately is a commodity that the Alliance always needs. Perhaps we can arrange a trad e deal.” Mothma said.

“I would be willing to discuss such an agreement.” Illustrious smiled.

The four leaders of their respective groups talked about a number of other topics, including I telegram intelligence sharing, coordination of military plans, and arms sales from Earth and the Free Confederacy to the Alliance. Soon the conversations had mostly ended, and Secretary General Pierre, Gorky, and Illustrious left the room temporarily, leaving Johnson and Mothma alone. Through the glass doors they could see several other people, some of the aides and advisors from Earth, Gorky, Illustrious, and the Alliance were conversing. Both of them could see Princess Leia Organa arguing with Captain Han Solo, though neither could tell what they were arguing about. Johnson remembered that he had seen them arguing before, and wondered if it was common in their relationship.

“Those two seem to argue a lot.” Johnson observed.

“This looks tame compared to some of their more heated arguments I’ve seen.” Mothma replied.

“There is an expression on Earth that they argue like a married couple.” Johnson said. Mothma chuckled at the comment.

“Alliance High Command is sure that the two will either kill each other or fall in love.” She said. “If they disliked each other he would not be her bodyguard and pilot l.”

“I could see that.” Johnson said.

“Some of the members of high command have been discussing your age. A few have doubts that you are an effective leader of your fleet.” Mothma said.

“Well they can talk to me about that if they want, and I am willing to step down if they find a better candidate from this planet.” Johnson said snarkaily. “Who in particular?”

“General Draven is the main person who believes that you are too young to hold command. Reekan is undecided but sympathetic to Draven’s cause. Ackbar has vehemently defended you, and I have as well.”

“Well thank you. I don’t understand their criticisms, the Alliance has a number of officers in high ranking positions that are fully capable of performing their roles, such as General Syndula and Admiral Eclipse.” Johnson said. “And what have I done in particular that they don’t agree with?”

“A question I asked Draven, which he did not clearly answer.” Mothma said. “He went on about how young you were and inexperienced with such large and complex operations as you would be pulling off in the future.”

“Well he might be right.” Johnson said. “But no one here is really sxpericaned. We all are doing the best with what we’ve got. Is there any way to convince him to econsider his views.?”

“I have some leverage against him.” Mothma said. “Im sure he will shut up about how inexperienced you are once I pull that on him.”

“What kind of leverage?”” Johnson asked.

“Not something I will disclose.” Mothma said. “You would make a good politician if you ever retired from your fleet.”

“Unless the war ends or I become unfit to carry out my duty, I won’t be retiring.” Johnson said. “If the latter happened I don’t think I’ll be in a position to enter politics.”

“Perhaps you won’t,” Mothma said. “But you would be quite effective in that field.”

“I don’t know if I want to,” Johnson said. “I don’t particularly like the field. It’s full of people who just want power or are serving their own interests above those of the nation and its people.”

“That’s exactly why you should enter it,” Mothma replied. “You aren’t beholden to self-interest William Johnson. You do what is right and necessary.”

“Maybe one day.” Johnson sighed. “It isn’t guaranteed but also is still a possibility. But we still have a war to win first.”

The End

Author's note: This story is finally finished after being over two times the length of its prequel! I’ll talk more about who I am, other parts of my life and things I’m interested in and what I'll be doing next on my profile page. (Something that I’ve desperately needed to update since it has basically no content. I’ll give a way a few details about my next plans for writing and even perhaps some rough and speculative dates for when a sequel to this will come!

If anyone wants to make art for this series, whatever it would be please pm me. My skills in that area are essentially nonexistent, so if someone would be able to help there you would have my eternal gratitude (and a shoutout in the fics) so contact me if you are interested.