Obi Wan Kenobi-Jedi Master-Battle of Coruscant-19 BBYThat feeling. The one in my stomach when I am flying. The one that gets worse when in the very pit of it when I am flying, dodging and weaving to avoid death due to Droid fighters and missiles from incinerating my Jedi Starfighter and myself high above the orbit of the Capital of the Jedi Order and Republic, Coruscant. The sweat on my palms reminded me of my grip on the controls. And the g-force hit me as I banked the star fighter. A deep maroon craft, fast and agile. And on my flank was another Jedi Starfighter, but with a bright yellow coloration. It's pilot was the best I have the pleasure of knowing. And training, although his flight abilities were natural talent. As he did not destroy the Droid Control Ship at eight years old over Naboo because of me.
We were called back from the outer rim sieges for an urgent assignment. To rescue the Supreme Chancellor.
General Grievous, the leader of the Droid Armies, had staged an invasion of the Core Worlds. And seemed to have the sole purpose of capturing Chancellor Palpatine. And forcing a truce. Or so that is the assumption, as the move makes little sense otherwise. Despite these thoughts I scanned the space around me and caught sight of a wing of Republic Clone Pilots. Who were to help ensure we make our objective, boarding the
Invisible Hand. And waking me from my concentration was a outcry of beeps and boops from R4. Warning me of incoming anti fighter batteries, coming from enemy frigates that made a corridor all the way to the invisible hand.
"Dont worry R4, we can handle it. Some evasive action, but lets keep it simple."
And with slight adjustments in speed and angle, I glided through the incoming hail of fire although not as graceful as Anakin had managed.From the very start I had kept any confrontation with enemy formations to a minimal. Or at least as much as possible being in the most massive orbital engagement in recent memory and the war.
Our mission was to board the Invisible hand, not defeat enemy formations. And the gap between us, and the CIS flagship, never seemed to close. Such is the nature of naval battles. The ships are so large they seem close, but in reality you are countless kilometers from the closest of ships usually.
Just then we began to get just close enough to alert ourselves to...what seemed to be...Vulture Droids? No of course not there were too many. And they were all over the outer hull of the ship, but as I edged ever closer, the truth became known.
They were Vulture Droids, and there were enough of them to make the hull of the
Invisible Hand seem to be
crawling. And almost as thankful for the challenge I saw Anakin surge forward to tackle the situation. Headstrong as always.
I tapped into the force, knowing I would need it's guidance to make it past the veritable smog of vultures heading our way. Sighing heavily I thought back. Had it not been for being taken in as a Jedi, I may have never set foot on a starship. What a pleasing, safe life that would have been.
However, returning back to reality I spoke through the comms to Anakin.
"Slow down, the 'Hand' is not going anywhere. We should not put a significant gap between us. And let the clones take point in this, that is what they are here for, after all." I spoke with a nervous smile. I knew Anakin would be fine, I was worried about me. But despite this I pushed on the thrusters slightly to regain some lost distance between us as we got ever closer to the center of this battle.
The fight through the horde of fighters was a blur, and I only did my best to maintain correct direction. And as I raced my starfighter into the hanger bay, I activated the ejection canopy and force leaped from the fighter. Landing and slaying several droids as we cleared the hanger.
Hearing Anakin and seeing him turn a corridor I gave a relived smile. Finally, on firm ground. Well, not actually, but a sight better than a fighter. At least you can get a sense of up and down on a ship. Replaying to Anakin as I followed him briskly I spoke almost light heartedly. "Surely that would upset Dooku, and we dont want
that now do we?" As we began to enter what could be an epicenter of darkness.
Aran Vale-CIS Vice Admiral-Battle of Coruscant-Aboard the 'Noble Might'-19 BBYDisaster. Mistakes. That is all I saw as the chaos of the battle unfolded both on scanners and in plain view. There are literally
thousands of starships trading blows above Coruscant at this very moment. Nearly four thousand in our fleet alone, and another near six thousand in the Republics. Above. Below. Ahead. And behind us, there is some ship, somewhere going up in flames and falling into the atmosphere below or ascending into endless space. Not to even consider the tens of thousands of droids in this fleet. The droids can be replaced...mostly and in time. But these warships, are near irreplaceable assets. We have lost dozens of our most beneficial foundry worlds to the Republic. And many more are under siege...
right now. And half of them are expected to fall soon.
This war had been raging for three years now. And Grievous has been the leading figure in command of the Droid Armies for the better part of two of those years. I risked more than my rank and station when I opposed, quite sternly his plan to invade the core. And instead proposed my own plan to use our forces in this fleet and others to break the sieges of our most valuable worlds, and perhaps even
lay siege those who have
trapped us. Doing so could have led to countless setbacks for the Republic in the Outer Rim and a little less so in the Mid Rim. And allow us to recover forces to keep this war going for years to come.
But, I was overruled by the
Supreme Commander of the Armies of the Confederacy....
again.I sighed and sat myself down in my command chair on the bridge of the Flagship of my Task Force, the 'Noble Might'. My task force includes more than 1,100 ships of war. And after this battle is decided. I will be fortunate if
half of that returns to me. Coruscant is the most heavily defended planet in the Galaxy. And here I am, sitting right above it. Albeit with some difficulty. But the shallow humor in it left me, as my hand brushed over a holo projector that I wear. A small silver device. I cupped it in my right palm and pushed my thumb over it, activating it. And an image of Thesseen appeared, small and transparent but in all of her beauty. My wife, a mirialan who runs a large company on Onderon. And one of the few of her kind who sided with the Confederacy, her marriage to me had little to do with that however. But I had been unable to see her ever since the Republic had inspired my world, and one of our most promising sons. Lux Bonteri to revolt and take control of our world.
Lux was the son of a dear friend of mine. Mina Bonteri. A beautiful, wise and principled leader of both Onderon, the Republic Senate, and before her death the Confederate Parliament. I mourned her loss as much as her son, as she was taken from not only her family and friends but from her world and the Confederacy of Independent Systems as well. Dooku had informed me afterward that Republic Agents assassinated her. Presumably to keep this devastating war going. And while I channeled my grief into actions against the enemy, Lux...was manipulated by the very Republic that had stolen his mother...and my friend. And now, he today acts as Onderon's senator in the Republic.
Snapping my concentration on the past was a hail from another Vice Admiral. Reporting coordinated enemy attacks. And I cleared his message to be patched through.
The Vice Admiral was in charge of the advance guard of our assault, and has suffered heavily because of it. But no matter the commander, anyone who led the attack on Coruscant would sustain enormous casualties. The admiral was somewhat short, and a Aqualish of an older generation. His bulging eyes had a humbled look in them. As e reported his situation in his native language. About how the Republic forces in his sections have recently become more organized, precise and coordinated. Almost unnaturally so. And were beginning to pose a threat to his Task Force. And as we both knew, if his task force collapsed, then there would be nothing standing between the full might of the Republic navy and the heart of our fleet.
"Vice Admiral Voghar, I am not seeing any such attacks in my own battle. Allow me to check the scanners and see what the difference is between my own battle and yours." The old Admiral then spoke harshly, but was motivated by a dire need, rather than genuine anger.
("My force is facing the brunt of five thousand enemy ships and facing three to one odds, Admiral! That is the difference!") He however realized his tone and wished me most speedy luck in finding out what is causing the increased effectiveness of enemy operations in his sector of the battle. And what he may do about it.
I instantly activated a holographic representation of the battle above coruscant. Red blips were CIS forces, and blue were Republic. And each 'sector' or area of the battle was separated by thin boundries that acted as a border for a battlefield. And I zoomed in on Voghar's struggle, and observed the progress of it. He was right, coordination in a battle this large is difficult to achieve among even smaller, tactical groups like different fighter squadrons.
My eyes darted from one part of his battle to another. Trying to see some sort of pattern, and in about five minutes. Finally deduced what he was up against. A five minutes in which he lost a dozen ships. Calling him back on the line, I began to explain the situation, and what I would do for him to a holographic projection of the Aqualish.
"You are facing a Jedi with skills in Battle Meditation. But...he or she is inexperienced in it's use. Records show that Bastilla could inspire an entire armada and instill fear and uncertainty in enemy ranks. But, this is more local. Weaker. But still there and a threat. The Jedi can only coordinate a single aspect of a single engagement at a time. This is what has allowed me to guess his or the Jedi's relative location. This Jedi is elevating a specific engagement at a time, for example those fighter squadrons that just knocked out one of your cruiser's engines. And when their ability went back to normal, the frigate packs you are facing moved perfectly to corner one of your carriers. But then they ceased their exceptional movement and another small group received it. So, it is only logical that the Jedi's location is quite close to all of these skirmishes."
I then highlighted a section of the Republic's Venator Destroyer Group.
"This formation is at the center of all the events I mentioned. So, I am almost certain the Jedi is aboard one of these ships, focus and press your attack here. And you may slay this threat to your operations. To assist you I am dispatching two dozen Munificent Class Star Frigates and eight Recusant Class Light Destroyers to help bolster your attack on this group of Republic Destroyers. Use them well Admiral, I can spare no more for you." And with that the line closed. And he faded from sight.
I then paced over to the viewport and stood resolute by it, with my cape flapping gently as I made my way over. Jedi, Grievous despises them. Dooku believes the order foolish and blind. And I have just simple respect, and sometimes pity for them. No matter, they are an enemy and hopefully the Jedi enemy causing Admiral Voghar difficulties will not live long to cause me problems.