Fondor's Open Orbit

The campaign against the emergent Sith Empire continued. The Sith now engaged with a two prong attack; the first battling through the Eastern Outer Rim and the other through the Western Outer Rim. Instead of overwhelming planets one by one with vast numbers of concentrated starships, the Sith were stretched out among a swath of planetary systems and were very strategically picking at the Republic's weak points, seemingly attempting a war of attrition on the out-of-the-way worlds that was testing the bonds of allegiance between those worlds the Core was protecting with their resources.

A perfect example came in the form of the damaged Venator-class Star Destroyer Matrix, having recently arrived from the western theater where it had been stationed as a defensive warships protecting the vital planet of Bespin. The Star Destroyer was part of what remained of the Bespin Defense Fleet, most of which had been dispatched to assist in the large battles occurring around Sullust and Sluis Van nearby. A Sith force had appeared as a complete surprise to the remaining defenders, and a short engagement ensued which led to the destruction of one of the remaining Venators, the repelling of the Sith force, and the necessity of the Matrix to seek repairs or risk being exploited as a weak link in the western theater. As a result, the Republic Sector General had to return one of the other volunteered Bespin Defense Fleet Star Venators to Bespin to allow the Matrix to seek repairs at a shipyard facility. Normally, those would be conducted at Sluis Van, but considering the fierce fighting occurring in that system, the Matrix was forced to find the next closest shipyard: Fondor.

It had been just short of week since the star destroyer had dropped out of hyperspace and sought repairs and restocking for both itself and the remaining starfighter compliment it housed. The battle with the ambushing Sith force had left it bereft of 60 starfighters it otherwise contained and many of the remaining 140 starfighters required repairs of their own.

While the highest ranking military officer was Captain Derrel Stirk and obviously the commander of the star destroyer and its compliment, partnered with the Bespin Defense Fleet due to its key nature as well as its proximity to the Sith attack prong was Jedi Knight Keth Agrav. A provisional Commander rank due to the Jedi Order's pressing of any capable member into service, Keth usually deferred to Captain Stirk on most matters of military stratagem, but was no greenhorn himself. He did try his best not to step on the Captain's toes if he was able, and the Captain, seeing the Jedi's respect, usually acceded to the Jedi's overriding commands when they occurred. Such was the benefit of the relationship that it arguably saved Bespin from falling to Sith occupation. Keth's risky but ultimately necessary commands in addition to Captain Stirk's tactics managed to defeat the Sith task force which was numerically superior while also exterminating a Sith Lord which was commanding the Force.

There were some Jedi and some military officers who would chafe at the near seven days of down time that the Matrix's personnel was afforded, but Stirk and Keth were not that type of being at all. Recovering from psychological and physical injuries sustained in the encounter, both men, the Jedi a Shistavanen of Uvena Prime and Stirk a human from Obroa-Skai, were spending the week healing in their own ways.

Now, with the Matrix clear to depart and return to the vulnerable Bespin and the harrowing western theater, Keth met Captain Stirk on the observation deck over the docking bay where the Matrix sat. The Jedi and the Captain had found new found respect for each other after their first major encounter, whereas strict formality had prevented them from seeing eye to eye very often.

"I've been in contact with High Command."

This was the Captain, maintaining strict posture befitting his military training. He was watching as the final refurbished starfighters were being returned to their births in the ventral docking bay of the star destroyer. The near equal mix of V19 Torrent Starfighters and X-Wing Starfighters were once again looking fierce and ready to scrap. Keth glanced over at the Captain, passively probing his emotions to gain some hint of the news.

"I feel conflict within you, Captain. Care to divulge?"

Stirk raised an eyebrow at Keth's clairvoyance, but his he shrugged if off realizing that this was a Jedi he was dealing with, after all. Everyone knew of their powers.

"As expected, we're returning to Bespin. But unexpectedly, we're only remaining there briefly. We've been given new mission orders to receive from High Admiral Rasina upon arrival in the system."

This was interesting news to Keth. He drummed sharply nailed fingers of one paw on the viewport ledge.

"Any reason why we're being assigned elsewhere? It occurs to me Bespin is still a key defensive location to hold."

Stirk nodded absently. Down in the docking area a new type of starfighter, previously foreign to the Matrix's docking bays, was being flown in.

"Indeed. However, High Command is assigning a few more ships to the contacts at Sluis Van and Sullust and they feel secure in Bespin maintaining only one permanent destroyer. But as you can see down below..."

Keth followed Stirk's implication to the Venator's open bay. The new starfighters being loaded in were of the K-Wing bomber class. Not exactly the best for space battles given their lower maneuverability and focus on ordinance over energy firepower, the craft were powerful and strongly shielded and best at cracking open heavily defended targets such as ground-based installations.

"I'm getting a feeling our five new squadrons imply we're being given a siege assignment."

Stirk nodded at this as well.

"My guess is in line with yours. I assume High Admiral Rasina will flush that out fully. Also: we've been promoted. You're now a General under the specialty line and I've been assigned as an Admiral."

This was also news to the Shistavanen of the unexpected sort. He could not help but let his surprise color the Force and show on his face. Stirk smiled at that.

"I get the impression, General, that High Command was impressed with the conduct in our solo engagement over Bespin. Our sudden advancement tells me we're going to be receiving more ships and troops to command wherever we end up."

Keth stepped away from the viewport, moving to the couches in the middle of the observation deck where his aviator jacket lay. Ever since the combat he experienced over Bespin, he had decided that the flowing Jedi robes, while iconic, were not the absolute best at maneuvering starfighter cockpits or starship decks. He now wore cargo pants that cut off at his lupine knees, a polymer shirt absent of sleeves, and the well-fitting aviator jacket seen on many hotshot Corellian pilots. His lightsaber found its place on a new belt and the various pockets on the pants and the jacket contained useful gear for many situations.

"Well Admiral, we better get to it. We've got a war to win."

Sometime in the past... (Private storyline)




The planet of Fondor presented itself as a rust-colored orb in the otherwise empty void of space. Silver, black, and gray shipyards surrounded this lonely orb, giving a bit of local color to an otherwise drab environ. Usually surrounded by any number of starships, both incredibly large and single-occupant small, Fondor was a crucial world for the civilized galaxy. Its shipyards were well-known across the galaxy, and one of a chain of finite resources. One could not go to any Republic planet and have their ship repaired in a timely, quality fashion. This particular attribute of Fondor could be traced to the mineral content of the planet itself, which allowed for the foundries planetside to churn out any number of starship parts and even allow for the creation of completely new battleships given enough time.

This was why the Sith Master Lord had chosen to initiate his flank attack in this specific system. As far as his intelligence would suggest, taking out the shipyard worlds would help cripple the Republic's war effort and make it that much easier to finally topple them and their Jedi allies. Then, the Sith would be allowed to re-assume their place as rulers of the galaxy as had been the case in ancient times. Ever since then, when the Sith had been toppled after a reign cut oh-so-short, many of the survivors splintered off. Any who stayed were eventually rooted out and destroyed or were simply diminished due to the level of secrecy required to avoid the reach of the Jedi over the millennia. But there was a certain number of survivors who had decided the Sith's best chance for resurgence required leaving the galaxy at large in order to rebuild their numbers to a threatening proportion.

And so it was. Now, the descendents of those wise Sith had returned from their hidden reaches, chose the Sith home planets of Korriban and Dromund Kaas from which to begin the attack, and proceeded to enter from the Outer Rim, hoping to gain footholds that would both inconvenience the current ruling faction and allow the Sith time to shore up once more and push harder and harder, winning a war of attrition the Jedi were not supposed to favor. The Sith Master Lord had learned over the months that the Outer Rim engagements were occurring that the Republic and the Jedi were different from the way that they had once been. Whereas the whole idea of a Republic was one that embodied fragile ideals of peace and appeasement and the Jedi followed suit, these subsequent entities were much more resilient. The Sith High Council had learned that many wars and devastating conflicts had plagued the Republic and the Jedi since the last time this breed of Sith had been a part of this galaxy proper, and as such ideologies had altered to make the Jedi more like rocks in a heavy storm; unmoving and dangerous all the same. This trait about their whole order had made the Jedi more of an obstacle than the Sith Master Lord had anticipated.

This had prompted a reevaluation of strategy. The Sith High Council had agreed to a cloak-and-dagger strategy where they would bait the Republic into one maneuver and then strike them while their back was turned. That would cripple them for long enough that the Sith expected to swoop in, destroy the capital world of Coruscant, and proceed to eradicate the Jedi once and for all.

It was why the Sith Master Lord now looked upon Fondor with eyes burning with triumph. On the bridge of his Super Star Destroyer, the Sith Master Lord stared down the pair of Scythe-class battleships that apparently constituted Fondor's defense force. While not originally included in the Shadow Scout's reports when they had last spied on the system, the Sith Master Lord was not in the least bit perturbed by their presence. Those two ships would not prove a match at all for the full Sith strike force coming in to join the Super Star Destroyer slowly coming into firing range of the battleships.

Suddenly, almost thirty more capital ships left hyperspace. They were any combination of Pellaeon-class Star Destoyers, Ardent-class fast frigates, Gladiator-class Star Destroyers, and Imperious-class Star Destroyers. These ships had never seen combat in the Outer Rim and were awaiting a time to be deployed initially from either Korriban or Dromund Kaas but were carefully rerouted around the outer edge of the galaxy to a staging point on the very secret planet of Rakate Prime, otherwise known as Lehon. From there, they had all launched to Fondor, where the Republic would least expect them. And now, Fondor was doomed to fall, especially considering the Sith Master Lord could not sense any hint of a trap in the Force.

Waves of starfighters rolled from the various Star Destroyers moving towards Fondor like a metal gray wave of impending doom, rushing towards the shipyards and the two Scythe battleships that were only now reacting to the arrival of the glorious Sith fleet. The two ships, dangerous when given decent numbers to face, were turning thrusters towards the Sith ships and were moving as quickly as possible away from Fondor. They then were orienting horizontally towards the leading edge of the Sith fleet, presenting well-armed flanks that began firing en masse at the closest starfighters and capital ships. There were a few casualties among the starfighters, but soon the nimble craft were swarming around the pair of ships and trying to weaken them sufficiently for a Star Destroyer to strike a crippling blow.

Realizing that this first step was an unmitigated success, the Sith Master Lord swept away from the forward viewports, swirling his resplendent High Council robes about his massive form as he strode down the walkway dividing the bridge in two. His boots fell heavily on the deck, echoing with the confidence mirrored on the red skin of his blocky, firm features. All of these features betrayed the Sith Master Lord as a member for the Massassi caste of the ancient Sith species, those beings that first held adeptness to the Dark side of the Force in time immemorial. Long extinct in the galaxy proper, the last of these Sith were among those to vanish with those who had chosen to leave the known galaxy to rebuild. Modifying their caste system only slightly to accommodate their drastically reduced population, Sith purebloods were few and far between in the modern day, but they were all of Massassi descent and that made them both excellent fighters and some of the most powerful Force-users. It was why the Sith Master Lord had risen to his station as the most powerful Sith in the entire Empire, because his genetics predisposed him to it and he had embodied such a destiny; made it his own.

In fact, with the exception of two of the other ten members of the Sith Council, all were of the Sith species. This occurrence was not out of some misplaced sense of discrimination against species not born into the Dark side like the Sith themselves, but instead a testament to the sheer fact that the Sith were indeed some of the best masters of the Dark side to ever exist. Those other two Council members, one a human who was obviously a fantastic representative of what humans could achieve, and a Twi'lek who also went above and beyond the usual bounds of its species were in their own right deserving of their places. They gave hope to the various Lords and other Sith adepts not of the red-skinned species that advancement to the highest ranks was possible even for them. It was a wonderful motivation to instill in them, propelling every member of the Sith Empire to excel for the glory of their Empire in hopes that they too could advance to own power within it.

The Sith Master Lord had no intent of surrendering his position any time soon. No, he was raised as every member of his line was raised to covet the seat of power in the galaxy they had fled from. He coveted the chance to topple the Jedi menaces once and for all and rule over quadrillions of beings all on his own. To fulfill the dream of Sith since his ancestors were last prominent in the galaxy was the life goal of the Sith Master Lord. This was so much so that he had vowed to not even take a name for himself until he captured the crown that belonged to the ruler of galaxy. No one knew how to address him other than Master, or Lord. Even the other High Lords could call him by no other name. None dared to voice opposition to this apparent requirement of obeisance on his part because none of them had the power to back up any potential objections.

A trip down the main turbolift deposited the Master Lord on a level where the members of the Sith High Council were currently meditating or monitoring the progress of the battle or any number of other battles the Sith forces were engaged in across the Outer Rim. The Force rippled with only impatience, smugness, or satisfaction. There was no trace of anxiety or worry in any of the Council members. In fact, before the Master Lord reached the door which opened up to the conference room they were all seated within, his comlink buzzed. It was the captain of his Super Star Destoyer.

Master Lord, the battleships have fled the Fondor system. They were not captured, but have left into hyperspace. The Fondor system is ours.

Responding with the order to proceed with the invasion, the Master Lord wagged a thick red finger and the door to the conference chamber slid open at the prompting of the Force. As the eyes of the other members of the High Council turned to him, he gazed upon them all, nose upturned at them showing his station over them. Silence hung in the room for a few moments before the Master Lord said simply.

"Fondor is ours. I suspect the Republic had no idea we were coming."

Pleasure rippled out from the other Council members. This was extremely good news in comparison to all of the bad news originating from all of the other engagements around the galaxy. A win, however bloodless, was more welcome than even the completely unknown outcome of the battle suspected to have occurred over Korriban, which was the bait set up to lure the Republic in the wrong direction. Some of the Council members wondered at the possible motives of Lord Deixar, a definite candidate to challenge for a seat on this very Council. The Master Lord, unconcerned with the petty politics of those beneath him, held the doctrine that no news was good news.

But now, all eleven beings in the room knew exactly what came next. They were to move on to Duro, leaving behind only one of the Imperious-class Star Destroyers to hold Fondor. The Master Lord was very confident that the Republic would not attempt to recapture Fondor while an absolutely massive Sith invasion fleet was coming ever-closer to their precious Coruscant. Not that defenses there would matter in the slightest. The Sith Master Lord let a very rare smile, laced with pure bloodthirsty malice, grace his fierce features. His predatory emotions infected the Dark side coursing through the room, and the other Council members could not help but reciprocate his mood.

Yes, the Republic was in for the fight for its very life, and the Sith planned to tear out its jugular before it could land a single counter-punch.

Mig calmly flipped through the switches & buttons that shoved his fighter into hyperspace. The cockpit had need to be heavily, if temporarily, modified in order to function with the Jawa's much smaller than human stature.

Of course that wasn't the only difference. Unlike the usual flight suit favored by most pilots, Mig wore the dusty (if functional) spacer leathers he had ever since he had left his home world of Tattooine with the rest of his clan. It would still keep him alive if he got spaced (even though this was just a simulation), but it was much more drab than the glossy orange favored by most. The second was that he was actively smoking a roll-up heavily laces with spice. The smoke dribbling from the end of it, & the corners of his lips, drifted in lazy swirls in the reduced pull of the compensator.

-Mig
11 copies. 12, bring it in tight & lay in your spurs.

Pushing the throttle as far forward as it would go, Mig corkscrewed off to catch up with the Old YT that seemed to be leading the charge.

Fondor traffic was as heavy as usual. Coalition membership, as one of its founders, gave it a bit of prestige. Granted, their shipyards weren't like that of the CEC of Corellia, but Fondor docks were still reputable. After all, the Executor, the first of its kind, was developed here. Granted, that is a... dark example, but it was a gargantuan ship, the largest of its kind ever developed. Fondor's shipwrights, time and time again, were relied upon by various nations to supply top-of-the-line warships and spacecraft.

When the Vigil exited hyperspace, its sensors would detect a fleet present in the system. The Coalition Third Fleet, codenamed Ackbar Command, made its home here. After all, a great number of its personnel were native to the Tapani Sector and its former commander, Director Gorgano, had ruled Fondor as Consul of the Union. Now things were managed by Admiral Gates and Chairman Valerian, Graemon's younger brother.

Military channels had been reporting odd occurrences across the Coalition. A Mandalorian convoy at Thyferra, a sudden appearance over Corellia, so things were a bit more on the alerted side of things. It did not impede too much, but security checks were performed when need be and the Union sought to ensure efficiency in monitoring the comms and sensors. The arrival of the Vigil was noted on the logs of the Planetary Security.

The closest ship to the Vigil was a Nova-class Battle Cruiser, Phalanx. Its commander answered the communication.

=Captain of the Phalanx=
This is the Phalanx responding to the oncoming vessel, Vigil. In accordance with the laws of the Union, and that of the Coalition, we request that you state your business with Fondor Shipyards. The Guild of Shipwrights does not do business with just anyone after all.

Although the former government of Fondor, the Guild of Shipwrights still had political influence and managed business on the dockyards. There were rumors of the government and guild working on creating a company that could serve the economic interests of the dockyards, but this was still in development.

The Captain of the Phalanx's eyebrow went up slightly at the response.

=Captain of the Phalanx=
You are welcomed to deal with Kuat and Corellia. Of course, you'd likely have to deal with the higher taxes for purchases from the CEC and KDY. Sluis Van is slower on their orders. Always have been. And Hypori doesn't have a shipyard, ma'am.

The captain responds with an informed knowledge. It came from the fact that, on Fondor, shipbuilding was the ideal profession for any citizen. One had to learn ships, starfighters, shipyards, and more to be viewed as capable and worthy for a job up on the docks. However, in the end, this captain saw opportunity with the navy given the events of recent. Coalition Navy had options and careers more readily available.

=Captain of the Phalanx=
Maintain your position while I contact the Shipwright Council.

The transmission cuts out afterward as the captain relays the request to any available member of the committee, including the chairman. This could take awhile considering the busy state of the shipyard and the committee's role in seeing orders fulfilled. Coalition sure made a lot of orders for warships and starfighters.