Chapter 16

Losses.

" Move it now!!!" The ship captain screamed as they maneuvered away from the stream of fire.

" We've lost squadron Alpha and Krega " Someone reported as explosions in space produced brief Flames.

Just then, a coms came on revealing a figure bloodied and dirtied. He coughed and heaved, seemed weak and shivering.

" Contact...the..[Cough]...republic. We..need...pzzsh" .

It cut off as a ship exploded and ripped itself apart. Scores of vulture droids refocusing on a new target. One by one, ships fell apart further weakening their defenses.

Minutes by minutes, they became ever more out-gunned until they were no more. Several engaged emergency hyperdrive transits in an attempt of survival.

The planet was free of space defenses, there would be little if any resistance on the ground. Quickly, the ships pulled in and set up a defensive position as a report was sent.

" Sir, the Jorna system has been claimed. Orders?" A B1 reported.

" Send in a Vanguard force to secure the planet, report on our scout ships. " The commander said in response.

Ahead of time, Munificent refitted starship as scout ships were sent to scout and help guide in seperatist forces . This way ensuring accurate scouting data for combat and of the planets defenses.

Then we'd send a fleet with a battle plan, launching a suprise offensive and decimating their defense force faster than they'd expect.

Common tactic is clearing out their fighters as our Frigates engaged their main fleet. Due to our superior numbers, several squadrons would focus on harassing their ships.

A select group of squadrons would then focus on actively taking down ships. They don't have the numbers to equally contest against our fighters. Further dividing those numbers makes them easier pickings and more chaos amongst them.

Once we've established space supremacy, we send in a Vanguard force. Whilst over kill would also allow us to hold the planet, a little over one thousand battle droids.

This current tactic would only allow a few hundred worlds to be taken and even less to be held....but that's not the point. It's a distraction, a pebble.

A single stone in a path can be ignored, a hundred. Perhaps even a thousand pebbles would certainly catch your attention....slow you down cause you will have to be careful.

Then there's the Jedi whose tactics would slow them down even more....anyways, I am buying time. Dooku and the seperatist allaince has ordered the securing, defense...possibly the fortifying of planets that seceded especially one's that are considered important.

That's why I have my two general's doing what their doing as I lay back and reinforce worlds to my satisfaction. Some would have factories established in them, some become supply worlds....some fortresses.....some storage worlds.

Currently am working on some planet that seceded along with the initial batch. 10 Munificent Frigates, 1 lucre-hulk, 10 Recusant- class light destroyer and some support ships.

The lucre-hulk mainly carried cargo for building and construction for a whole system maybe even sector depending on the amount we invest in each world.

Now, while defending each world would be preferable. It would be too expensive and stupid so I am going for choke points. Like the Acrbi system and the Roplu system, one is a vital hyperspace route and another in a supply route.

Ah, there was also an order to cut off supplies to the core world's. A lot of supplies come from the outer Rim planets, food and such kinds.

Special spices or ingredients found on planets in the outer rim. Whole planets dedicated to the production of it and whole systems depend on that production.

Some cultures were actually built around it, now cutting them off from the republic which would force even more planets to secede...apart from the stubborn, unfortunate or loyal ones.

Still, a brilliant plan as these resources could potentially be sold on the black market which would reach corusant but would be more expensive thus giving the seperatist confederation even more credits to pocket.

This setting is one of the reasons the style of dedicating systems or planets to a single production whilst depending on another for something else is in-effective if not potentially destructive.

It will take a few weeks to make that system as painful to take as I want it to be. Another reason I chose to focus on these is to allow me to divert resources. This was one of the ways I had planned, focusing my plans on efficiency and possible getting the ire of Palpatine.

Those 'spare' resources dissappear. The storage units designed to store them are already under construction. We'll need droids for maintenance which can be easily procured seeing as where we are.

Energy is already solved using tech that generates energy from the sun courtesy of Fallen empires. So much plans and talking, a lot of repetition but it is expected.

Contact with the empire is after all just another way to buy time....time...time...3 years is not enough....5 years would have been preferred.

I wonder if I should wait a few more months to begin my strip mining or maybe I should start now. An air base on each planet would be over kill.

Ground bases, maybe a battalion of droids posted there along with several guns and such....then on planets likely to attack, I will keep in storage another 2 or more battalion of deactivated droids.

Now for that choke point, I've already scouted the planet and it's surroundings. If they are sensible which I doubt they will be, they would focus on taking out the capital and it's 6 other main cities.

Whilst this route is not a way to and from the outer Rim. It's does provide one of many accesses to the more far off planets...at least on this side.

I mainly need to fortify thus system from space, the planet is of little value....unless. Hmm, they would detect the bases on the planet from a planetary scan which could simply be bombarded.

So....what if I hid them underneath the planet. Mostly fighters, could be used either to hold the system or retake it. The option is which one, having two of them on this system would not be worth it especially if Dooku is ordered to abandon this system.

Plus, it's just more fighters which would not be actively used somewhere else....short term planning would only say surface base to hold the planets.

Long term planning has it's cons, but for me....for pro's. Even if Dooku abandons the system, my fight with the empire could see their reactivation and thus more use to me.

Having both would make one suspect there might be the other. Having one could have the same result....so, an underground base for the star fighters and a space one for holding the system....problem solved.