"What's the plan, Supreme Commander?"
Grievous glanced over at the Super Tactical droid as it approached him. Inside the Patriot Fists's bridge, the thumping of the the battle-planning droid echoed across the metallic blue hallway, lit by glowing red eyes that resembled those of angry beasts from Kalee.
"We will be setting course for Sy Myrth, the last major Confederacy holdout in the Mid to Outer Rim sector of the galaxy, where we will rendezvous with Loladan Marqki. She controls the world in all but name and what is left of our once great and numerous navy is congregated over there. We will settle over there and establish a temporary headquarters there while licking our wounds. In due time , we will revitalize our forces and regain the ground we lost, if not more."
Grievous stopped as he received a coughing bout before he continued.
"Relay this message to all other ships in our fleet, including the Invisible Hand and the Devious."
"By your command!"
As the intelligent droid headed off to complete its task, Grievous turned back to the B1s working at the computers.
"Relay a message to Viceroy Marqki on Sy Mirth. Let her know that we are one our way. Also, emphasize that we are carrying two of the surviving members of the Confederacy's politicians, Ayuub Somai and Toonbuck Tora. We may need some reinforcements as well due to the sensitivity of what we carry. Mazhyar or Gornull should receive the messages as well."
"Roger roger!"
The sand-colored droid's fingers danced across the boards as Grievous patrolled his ship, accompanied by his Kaleesh robe-wearing Maganguards. He finally stopped by a console beside the engine room and barked an order.
"Onward to Sy Mirth!"
As soon as the droid crew complied, the stars then became narrow and the sky outside became blue and shimmering like turbulent water as the Recusant-class heavy destroyer entered hyperspace. The Kaleesh cyborg kept his piercing reptilian eyes focused on the blue streaks as he pondered everything that had happened and what would happen in his overactive mind.
We have suffered great setbacks, especially with the loss of our politicians and most of our military, but this is only a temporary wound, nothing more. We will recover and strike back at our foes. Speaking of which, what happened to Kenobi? I had plans for him.
Ever since the fallen Jedi Skywalker struck the CIS's Mustafar stronghold, greatly diminishing the group's leadership, the commander of the Separatist Alliance had wondered what became of his rival. Most likely, he was slaughtered by the rogue Jedi, but Grievous secretly hoped that Anakin Skywalker overlooked his former master or even failed to get to him.
I want the thrill of fighting General Kenobi for myself. Only I can slay him. General Skywalker may have came close to eviscerating me, I will make sure to collect his lightsaber later on, but it is Kenobi I have my sights on.
If everything worked in their favor, the CIS will be a formidable foe once more and will take the galaxy by storm. Until then, Grievous would bide his time and plan accordingly.
---
"Commander Yularen, this is Red Five, over. Do you copy? I need you to send your forces after a group of CIS ships that are heading for the Lark Nebula. Grievous and what remains of his underlings are onboard."
Inside his new Imperator Star Destroyer, the Spirit of Coruscant, Admiral Wullf Yularen, now the leader of the Imperial Navy's debut fleet, glanced outside of the triangular windows. The sparkling dots of blue, red, and white stars filtered through the ship's windows. Three vague shapes of the capitol ships in his command, each getting smaller with distance, hovered about a hundred parsecs apart. Hearing Anakin Skywalker's request for aid, Admiral Yularen decided to send his colleague from the clone wars, Koburn, and a few of the ships in his command to augment Red-5 before capitalizing on the information that the former Jedi sent.
If we can nab the Seps in one strike, then I'll be a Grand Admiral before I know it. If Koburn and Skywalker are successful as well, I'll have that promotion for sure. With that many achievements under my belt, the Emperor won't deny me a senior rank.
"Alright, let's make way to the Lark Nebula."
In a matter of several minutes, the Imperial Fleet were greeted by neon green, blue, and magenta gases as they exited hyperspace. Through the haze, Wullf Yularen could make out the amphibious shapes of the Separatist dreadnoughts.
"All Capital ships of the Imperial Fleet, heed my command. Grievous's fleet is mired inside the nebula and we are not sure if he will split his ships to avoid capture, but here is my contingency to prevent that. We will also split our force and cover each exit with a capital ship. Kaanyth Strickland, you cover the north corridor, Reva Remini, you take the south corridor. Nils Tenant and Shoan Killian, take over what is left."
Soon, each quarter of the space surrounding the nebula was covered by a Victory, Venator, or an Acclamator Star Destroyer. A couple Mandator dreadnoughts covered the area behind the capital ships to provide a second line of offense in case either of the enemy ships managed to slip through their pincer. In the veteran admiral's judgement, this plan was a failsafe. It was only a matter of time until the Separatist dreadnoughts made their move to bolt out of the nebula, allowing them to spring the trap on the unsuspecting enemy. Admiral Yularen tensed up a bit, clenching his fist.
Any moment now.
"Admiral, we have lost sight of the dreadnoughts. We believe that they had already made the jump to hyperspace."
As Commodore Remini's voice cut through the Spirit's comms, Admiral Yularen felt a chill go down his spine.
No, this can't be. It's not possible.
How were the CIS ships able to slip through their blockade? Surely, all sectors were covered, no? As the Clone Wars veteran studied then map of the Lark Nebula as well as their positions, a clone paige approached him.
"Sir, Captain Tarkin wants to know what our next move is."
Admiral Yularen furrowed his brows as he glanced at the olive-uniformed clone. Before he could move his lips to utter a word, his eyes suddenly grew wide with realization. He knew where Grievous's fleet was heading.
After the war's end, most Separatist worlds had fallen to Republic hands save for one. I will make a gamble on the assumption that the commander of the CIS is taking what remains of the tattered Confederacy to Sy Mirth. It's appropriate to set up an ambush at once.
"Inform all ships in the Imperial Fleet to set course for Sy Mirth immediately. We will take the remnants of the Separatist Navy by surprise. "
---
At last, we are here. A welcoming committee should be in order.
As the Patriot's Fist exited hyperspace, the Devious and the Invisible Hand followed suit. General Grievous gazed out the frontal windows in the control room to see the vast green, blue, and white planet loom before them as it got ever closer. The mechanical warrior turned to one of the droids manning the helm.
"Set contact with the planet. Inform them of what we are carrying and the ships in our convoy. Perhaps Marqki will have already prepared a greeting party. "17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb52APOdg58
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzykawCqtF0
"Yes , sir! Roger roger!"
A few seconds later, a familiar grunting voice cut through the comms. "Patriot's Fist, this is Loladan Marqki viceroy of Sy Mirth. You and your convoy are clear to land in Bay 18. You will be escorted by Colonel Cornell's forces."
"Very good. I will personally speak with you of our plans once we get settled, Governor Marqki."
After several moments of watching the ball-shaped planet grow larger, General Grievous spotted several distinct shapes appear on the horizon between his convoy and the planet. Soon, the shapes morphed into the familiar designs of Separatist warships like the Lucrehulk, Providence, and Munificent-class frigate. It seemed that Colonel Mazhyar Cornell's fleet was the tip of their greeting party.
"Patriot's Fist, this is Colonel Cornell of the Confederacy of Independent Systems's military. Our objective is to escort you safely to the planet's surface, courtesy of the Viceroy."
Grievous cackled as he heard the officer from Eriadhu announce his presence. "Great to see you too, Colonel. We have much to discuss on the surface."
They'd barely had time to link up with the escorting ships and continue their descent to Sy Mirth when the alarms blared. Taken back, the cyborg commander glanced at the radar to see several red dots appear on either side of the fleet. Glancing out the porthole of the destroyer, he saw the warships with the markings of the Republic close in on them like Ithorian razor sharks.
Karabast! I was hoping to have a chance to lick our wounds and recuperate before launching an attack on the blasted Imperials. Very well, if it's a fight they want, then it's a fight we'll give them.
"Uh sir, we are being pursued by enemy ships. Command to fire?"
Grievous glared down at the battle droid that addressed him. It took all that remained of his self-control to not strike it down. "Blast it! Yes, fire at will! Release the Vultures, tri-fighters, and Hyenas! We will make a mess of their fleet before we make it to the surface."
"Roger Roger!"
As the droid relayed the message not only across the Patriot's Fist, but to the Invisible Hand, the Devious, and Mazhyar Cornell's armada, the cyborg stared outside to see several forms of starfighters spill out of the Imperial capital ships and swarm over to them like hornets. The droid fighters then swooped shot out of the hangars of the Separatist ships to engage the enemy.
How I enjoy the feel of battle in my bones.
"Shields up!"
As the ship reverberated with the firing of the defense cannons, Grievous wandered the halls of his flagship, accompanied by his Kaleesh regalia-donning bodyguards, stopping once in a while to check in on the battle.
I hope Xzir and the bounty hunters are doing their part in this battle. Otherwise, I will have their hides.
To his relief, the Kaleesh cyborg saw the Subjugator and Providence dreadnought trading fire with the Star Destroyers. As he took his eyes away from the flashes of green and red taking place outside, Grievous entered the room where the two diplomats of the Confederacy took up residence as two Bx commandos guarded them. They were important pieces in his government as they had the power to sway the people's minds and hearts to the Separatist cause and instill faith into the people. The Sullustan and the Mirthian were the only ones left, but once the CIS regained its former strength and conquered several systems, the number of politicians or government officials will increase. Citizens of the Confederacy of Independent Systems needed organic faces in the government. There was no need for extra soldiers as the droids provided that for them as opposed to the slave armies of the Republic and the Empire.
"I hope you are finding your quarters suitable for the time being. We will be making our entrance into Sy Mirth any moment now, but I advise you to stay put as we are facing an assault on our forces during this time."
---
"Focus all your firepower on the three dreadnoughts we are hunting! Chances are that Grievous and the high-ranking Separatists are onboard one of the ships. Once we cut the head off the serpent, the body will wither and die!"
From the control room, Admiral Yularen kept his eyes glued onto the tactical display board as the naval battle raged on outside. Starfighters belonging to the Skyhawk Air Squadron had streamed out of the Imperator's bays and linked up with other spacecraft, heading to strike the enemy ships and fighters. The admiral, in concordance with the other Imperial officers, directed the battle. If everything went according to the plan, then victory would be on their side.
"Flex in a little more fire power!"
As green lasers from the enemy dreadnoughts connected with the shield of the Spirit, causing it to shudder, Wullf Yularen knew that while the Imperator's shields could take more hits than the Venator's, it would be a matter of time until a dreadnought's lasers punch through.
I won't let that happen. I am getting a bit too attached to the Spirit.
As the Imperator, assisted by the Mandator warships and the other ships in the Imperial Fleet, struck at the CIS capital ships, the clone aviators made sure to make quick work of any droid fighter that came within a parsec of the Spirit. Just when everything seemed to go in the Imperial's favor, the alarms started to blare.
"Sir, we have a flotilla that has exited hyperspace right on our flanks!"
Taken by surprise at the clone officer's announcement, the admiral glanced at the control boards to see several red shapes resembling Lucrehulks, Subjugators, and other CIS warships materialize behind their lines and started to bite his fleet from the flank.
Where did they come from? I was pretty sure sensors didn't detect them when we came upon the Separatist remnant. Perhaps the Separatists have more forces left than initially thought.
Wullf Yularen felt anxiety claw at his chest when a blue dot representing a Victory-class Star Destroyer disappear from the display board. This wasn't looking good at all.
"Time to fall back!" He ordered. "Relay the message to all ships under my command . Fall back to the Mid Rim to regroup. This isn't a retreat!"
Before any more reinforcements could arrive for the Separatists, which would be potentially disastrous for Yularen and his emergent fleet, the Imperials recalled Skyhawk and Star Osprey squadron. Once deemed safe, Wullf Yularen and the ships under his command made the jump to lightspeed.
---
"Major Gornul, nice of you to join in on the party. Although I wondered about your whereabouts when we first got ambushed by the Imperials, I am grateful that you had the perception to arrive and assist us. Your role was integral in dispersing the enemy."
General Grievous stood in his ship's Communications room and addressed the newcomer to the space battle over Sy Mirth as his convoy made its way toward the planet's atmosphere.
"Apologiesss, Commander," the Saurin military leader hissed. "Piratesss plaguing Florrum required our attention. We are glad to join you and lend my forcesss if the Imperialsss launch a ssstrike againssst Sssy Mirth."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1SWTGJcPa
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSulSLANA7K
"Impressive, Major. We indeed need to bulk up our defenses against the Empire. Every soldier, personel, ship, and weapon counts. " The cyborg warrior then shifted gears. "Colonel Cornell, Commander Kegruc, how are you holding up?"
"We took some heavy damage to our shields, but we can replenish it in due time."
"Other than losing a few fighters and having our guns overheat, we are basically operational."
"Good," Grievous said with a growl. "Neither of you will sit out this fight. If I hear any hint of treachery or cowardice, I will personally execute you as traitors. Do I make myself clear!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Affirmative!"
"Loud and clear!"
"Supreme Commander, we have a situation onboard the Devious!"
The Kaleesh grunted. "Spill it!"
The voice of one of the bounty hunters cut through. "We have taken a critical hit. The ship's power is slowly ebbing. Please advise on our next course of action."
As the Patriot's Fist started to heave and shudder upon entry into the planet's stratosphere, the renowned general of the Clone Wars gave out his directions.
"Use the escape pods to retreat, but make sure to set the self-destruct option on the Devious. We can't have the enemy taking hold of the ship."
"Understood, sir!"
---
"Wolfpack Fleet, you missed the party. How did your mission go?"
As Yularen's fleet regrouped on the the fringe of the Mid Rim that bordered the Outer Rim, Admiral Koburn arrived with his own contingent from the mission he had in capturing a ship potentially harboring Jedi. As Yularen taunted his colleague, he received a sharp rebuke in response.
"We had the blasted vessel in our sights, but they still slipped through using a devious ploy. After this folly has concluded, I will personally track down this senator and brand him a traitor to the Republic! On another note, I take it your mission backfired as well?"
Admiral Yularen flushed. "No, I wouldn't say that. We were faced with unexpected reinforcements from the enemy side and had to make a tactical retreat. Now that we are sure that is the full volume of the Separatist Alliance's military force, we know what we are up against. We can finally siege the planet of Sy Mirth until every last Sep is eradicated or submitted to the Empire. Are you in?"
A new voice cut in. "I have unfinished business with the Envoy. Once we finish up at Sy Mirth, I will find that Consular ship and find what is mine, taking it by force if I have to."
The Imperial Admiral recognized the voice of General Skywalker, the reckless and passionate Jedi he worked with during the war. "Sounds like a plan, General Skywalker."
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bkET3T3N5
Happy Star Wars day, fans! Enjoy the updates?:) What more do you want to see?
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyrZ1fcrXC
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Khfwezxyf
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipmUp9YeFy
