(Confederate Takeover of Valinor and Treppok
TNO Takeover of Echtabahn, Batahn, and Echbarahn)

“You have the power, will you not help me save my people?” pleaded the man.

Silence permeated the room. Corise pursed his lips, knowing that the president from Valinor could not see him in the shadows of the room’s edge. About the foreign ambassador, the representatives of the Confederation’s planets glanced at each other. Pro-Consul Christina Thorn of Kashan turned and caught the eye of Councilor Harding of Audacia. Harding nodded. They were deep in the Atlas hall, so named because of it’s location, being the lowest level of Brandenburg’s capital hall, and because as the Titan Atlas held up the World in an ancient civilization’s myths, the decisions made here upheld the Confederation. Like the rest of Genon’s capital building, Atlas Hall was particularly opulent in the Renaissance style, with elaborate and venerable hardwood furniture, marble flooring, and a host of products and goods contributed by the member states of the Confederation. In the midst of this grandeur, the pleading seemed out of state to the room’s occupants. Thorn turned to the shadows of the room.

“Commodore Lucerne, would you kindly step forward.”

A black-clad figure stepped forward from the edge of the room.

Thorn looked into the officer’s eyes. “Is it possible for us to render this gentleman’s people the kind of aid he requests?”

Figure this would happen. Come to Atlas hull to report on the construction of the Trojan at Abhean, and this is what I get. Corise emotionlessly nodded as all eyes turned towards him.

“I believe it is. This would necessitate drawing some vessels from the fleets of Kashan and New Oceanus to beef up on the fast-response column to do that, however.”

Councilor Rapiersten of New Oceanus stared at the military man. “This would seriously necessitate such strength of force?”

“Not that I doubt the President’s sincerity of the facts he has presented, but there are often unforeseen forces and events that can occur and turn such a crisis like this into disaster for us as well. Those forces from the defence fleets would be held back close by as reinforcements in case of such an occurrence.”

“Commodore, what is your unbiased opinion about this crisis?” asked a woman from Genarius.

“I believe we can help and stabilize the planet for the good of his people and for the stability of surrounding space as well. I believe this could be the foundation for a friendship between our peoples.”

Thorn wryly smiled. “While we appreciate the political efficacy of some of our officers, it is preferable in this case for the officer to speak candidly on the issue at hand from a purely military aspect.”

“It would seem that these local warlords are fairly well-equipped for criminals, but their actual numbers are disproportionate in correlation to their widespread effect on Valinor. A well-equipped Confederation army working in unison with Valinor Governmental Security Forces should be sufficient to wipe off the presence of these men within a matter of a few weeks at the very least, given the mobility that is derived from our fleet and its support craft.”

“Thank you Commodore,” stated Christina, “It is now time for the Council to vote on this issue.”
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Pegasus-class Star Destroyer Audacieuse, en route to Valinor

It was the largest force ever fielded by the Confederation out of their own space. A quartet of Pegasus-class Star Destroyers formed the core of the fleet, accompanied by Seraphs, Cavaliers, Styrias, and Juaires. The fleet, led by the Star Destroyer Audacieuse, contained enough firepower to outright destroy some Imperial invasion fleets during the earlier years of the Galactic Civil War. Most of the fleet was experienced, taking part in any number of the numerous actions against criminal elements or the more recent Imperial incursion on Metalorn if not both. The sheer size of the fleet was a morale weapon that would simultaneously bolster the morale of Valinor’s Governmental Troops and demoralize that of their enemies.

“The Government looks like it will win even without our help,” stated Captain Fyre dryly, taking a sip out of his glass, breaking his gaze from the image in the process.

Corise nodded. The old pair of friends were in the Commodore’s quarters onboard the Audacieuse. Unlike the commander’s quarters on many warships, those onboard the ship were not a dull gray, but rather the opulent white of marble. As a military man, he disdained the flowing, neo-classical lines of his suite, which looked like it would have fit well within a luxury hotel on Alderaan. Still, the insistence of the Council had outfitted all Pegasus-class Star Destroyers in such a manner, “to make travel more pleasant for dignitaries, whether they be foreign or domestic”. The cabins were not generally not used onboard the ships, but he had been obliged to accept the rooms, as they were the only officer quarters open when he had transferred his flag from the Pegasus to the Audacieuse.

“It’s not a question of who will win, but rather when it will end,” mused Lucerne slowly, “With the government already possessing slightly over half of the planet, and slowly retaking and consolidating territory from the various warlords, and the warlords fighting themselves more than the government, the restoration of the government is inevitable.”

Fyre reclined in his chair. “Then why are they so desperate for us to help to them?”

“The economy. The longer the war goes on, the more strain is put on the economy to provide funds to equip the military and the less workers it has because they are enrolled in an army that is continually engaged in war. If the war doesn’t finish soon, their economy is going to start to take a wrong turn that it might not be able to recover from; at least not for some years. You read about the Keldarbe Mine Collapse in the briefing? It was caused by two warlords fighting for the control of the mine within the mine shaft itself. The mine was fairly modest as you know, but if that happens to a lot of Valinor’s mines…”

Fyre merely nodded, still mesmerized by the holograph of the planet. Corise ventured a glance at the rendition of Valinor. It was a semi-arid planet, mostly covered with vast grasslands and sweeping plains. In a few spots, freshwater seas existed, upon whose coast most of the planet’s populace had settled, particularly those areas with one of Valinor’s many mountain ranges. For these mountains were the heart of Valinor’s civilization, the very reason why the planet was every colonized. Mining interests had brought civilization to the planet, and the products of those mines were still the primary export and chief reason for Valinor’s exceptional wealth within the region. The barren mountains were home to large Aurodium mines, some of the largest within the Mid Rim, and deposits of fine gem stones. While the resources of the planet might appeal to the opulently wealthy, they did not amount to much within the Commodore’s reasons: for those resources, although they might be valuable trading commodities, had little application in the military field. Perhaps what amused the Kashan man the most was the commodity of water on the world. Because of the few bodies of water and the high rate of evaporation, moisture farms like those found on Tatooine had been spread across the planet, the largest making as much profit as many of the mines.

And like Tatooine, the planet had been fairly unruly and crime-ridden, with the planetary government having no control in some areas of the planet since the time of its membership in the Old Republic. Those areas had been established and ruled by entrepreneurs or criminal elements. When the unity movement had started within the planet, the planetary government had been established by most of the people and recognized by the Old Republic. The Old Republic aided the planetary government back then, breaking the rule of those criminals through a combination of its security forces and interventions by the Jedi Order. And now, decades later, the Confederation would likely fill that role again.

“Corise?”

“Yes?” replied the younger Lucerne.

“I think we need to get back to the bridge. We’ll be dropping out of hyperspace in nearly ten minutes according to my chrono.”

The Commodore nodded and rose from his chair.
----------------------
Valinor

Dust. It is everywhere.

Lieutenant Mikolos muttered as he wrapped the scarf around his face in an effort to keep the whirling dust from his nostrils. He looked around. Other members of the Valinor Security Forces were doing the same thing if they had not already done so. The khaki uniformed hustled about their makeshift camp, setting up personal shelters or placing sensor beacons across the perimeter to act as automated sentries. In a semi-successful effort to block the dust clouds, the group of mechanized infantry had circled their aging Arrow-23 speeders in a ring around the innards of the camp, like the pioneers of ancient times with their wagons.

“Jim, the scouts just got back.”

Mikolos swiveled around to face the voice.

“What did they find?”

“Faint repulsorlift trails. They think Hrag’s forces are a couple days ahead of us.”

The army officer sighed. Hrag’s forces had been responsible for massacring a small moisture farming enclave. The warlord’s forces had always been fairly mobile, but they had gotten even more so recently; completely dropping the use of landspeeders like Valinor’s Arrow-23s and instead using smaller, nimbler swoops and speeder bikes; trading firepower for mobility. Something Mikolos couldn’t do according to the nature of his unit and because of the hefty bureaucratic work it would take to just acquire swoops for a fourth of his unit. It had taken him weeks to simply get four speeder bikes for the purpose of scouting.

“Well, they can’t run forever. We’ll get’em eventually,” stated the leader confidently.

The messenger shrugged. “That or the fleet that the president just brought in will.”

Mikolos’ mouth dropped. And albeit the other man could not see it because of the scarf, he seemed to sense it.

“Amazing isn’t it? I just got the communication when I talked to the scouts on the com-link. I hear it’s real grand, with star destroyers and cruisers loaded with troops and vehicles. Apparently they’ll be coming groundside by at least tomorrow morning. Better get ready for some company sarge.”

Mikolos dumbly nodded as the other man walked away into the swirling dust, leaving the officer in the company of the howling desert wind.
----------------------------
Audacieuse, Confederate Flagship

The four men hunched over the holo-projector in the white room, pointing out various blinking dots across the otherwise sandy landscape displayed. Occasionally, some of the dots moved, to either the excitement or disappointment of the group, especially the man dressed in a white business suit. Two of the others, dressed in the black of the Confederate navy, frequently glanced at each other, as if silently communicating. The last man, dressed in the field gray of the Confederate army, completely absorbed himself in the map, as if the others were nonexistent within the room.

“Can’t you simply push your army through these deserts?” demanded the President, looking at General Trutzig.

The army man was silent, still studiously examining the terrain.

“Mr. President,” replied Commodore Lucerne, “it is not simply a matter of fast we can move them. If we wanted to, we could simply land all of our ships within the capitals of the criminal groups and unload our troops to stop the oppressive rule of those criminals. It is a matter of ensuring the containment of those criminal forces to make sure that none escape to ever start this up again.”

The native of Valinor fell silent, and helped himself to one of the bottles of liquid within the younger Lucerne’s quarters. Corise sighed. The president’s antics were annoying to the military men, for while the moves he suggested were politically expedient, they did not appear to be militarily practical to even the most novice student of the military arts. The Kashan men did have one comfort though: at least it was not in the CIC of the star destroyer. The idea of the president running around and telling coordinators and officers within the dark room of what to do and why was exasperating, even if it was purely theoretical. Corise did not envy Trutzig’s position at all with having to frequently deal with the President during the entire operation; for the navy’s job seemed likely done, as there were no space forces fielded by either Valinor’s government or any of the other factions trying to rip the planet apart. With space supremacy achieved, the navy only had to inspect incoming and outgoing space craft to ensure that they were not in some way supporting the criminal elements below. This was particularly made easier since the planet rested on the eastern border of the Confederation already, so Deathsaber patrols were already frequent within the area of space as well. Trutzig finally began to speak.

“Mr. President,” gravely stated the Audacian man, “at the most, I can only completely take care of the rebels in Cape Town or Durban by the end of this week. Of course, Confederation units will be assisting your security forces in the other theatres of the war during this time. I believe we can finish off the rest of these rebels within the next week or so due to our combined manpower.”

“Thank you General,” replied the man, “I regret that I have little knowledge on how to make this campaign go smoothly and expediently; I apologize if I came across a little overbearing. It’s just that…well, I don’t want to see my people suffer any more than they already have.”

The Confederate men all nodded in understanding. Below them by a multitude of decks, and several hundred meters to the side, the first of the Confederation dropships slid out of the hangar to make its descent to the planet below.

Two months earlier


Captain Racen Selere sat in the dark cantina, nursing a glass of some foul home-brewed substance. This planet's screwed up, he thought to himself as he watched the characters around the bar with amusement. Aliens and humans mingled in a manner that would disgust any normal Imperial. Such aliens were meant to be slaves, as they were on a lower tier of the evolutionary tree. Or so was the established position, at any rate.

But Selere was no ordinary Imperial. He was one of the elite. He commanded a squadron of some of the best in the Imperial military, a unit that he thought rivalled even the Guard, though others would have disagreed. His was the unit that had just recently been officially recognized by the Imperial beaurocracy. The unit that was formerly the Imperial Special Forces. A unit that was now called the Schutzstaffel, abbreviated SS.

Apparently there was some sort of history behind the name. Wes had chosen it, associating it with some sort of Bakuruan military history. Rumor had it that Grand Admiral Desaria, knowing that history, had unequivocally supported the name, and High Command had given its approval. Uniforms and unit patches would be coming soon.

None of this really mattered to Selere at the moment, though. He was currently undercover on a world on the edge of what the Contegorian Confederacy claimed as their space. To Selere, this 'Confederacy' was a farce at best, an illegal and treasonous government at worse. It therefore owned no space. But none of that mattered now, either.

The world was Valinor, a backwater planet if there was one in the galaxy. Only decades ago it had been ruled in the same manner as Tatooine, though thankfully the slimy Hutts were absent. Now, an unpopular government that had been propped up by the Old Republic ruled in name, while the criminal underworld was gaining strength again.

Another factor was present, though, one that was of great interest to Selere. A number of warlords had recently rebelled against the government, claiming a vast amount of territory as their own. These warlords had recruited a large force from the planet itself as well as hiring mercenary forces from other planets. There was reportedly even a unit of self-exiled Mandalorians fighting. That was something Selere would like to see.

But for now he had business. The strongest warlord was supposed to be meeting him here soon, and he was getting impatient. Selere had a job to do, and the clock was ticking. It had taken a full week to establish a base on the planet and make contact with this man, and time was of essence now.

Then the seat across from him was filled with a cloaked form. Selere smiled, but waited for the other to speak. He wasn't going to give himself up that easily.

"Captain Selere, I presume?" the being asked. "We had an appointment. Code alpha nine nine iota tau six four eight beta."

That was it. The standard nine-diget SS code. "Yes, we did. Code alpha six nine kapa sigma eight one gamma." The nine-diget counter. There was a system to the SS code, one that would be hard for anyone to figure out, since it changed every month. This one was fairly easy, but Selere doubted anyone on Valinor would have been able to figure it out.

The figure rose, as did Selere, and they walked towards the door, Selere dropping change equivalent to the cost of his drink on the table as he left. Local currency, of course; he wasn't stupid enough to carry Imperial credits with him.

As they exited the building, Selere motioned towards a waiting speeder. The two climbed in and the door shut. This was an enclosed model, supposedly soundproof. As they began to move, though, Selere activated a personal scrambler just in case. The device essentially scrambled any electronic bugging device so that the bug would continually play the new hit song "Born Country." Selere didn't like the song himself, but he could understand why this planet did. They were all what would be considered hicks on his own home planet of Kuat.

Selere spoke first. "Warlord Zhu, I am Captain Racen Selere of the Imperial Schutzstaffel. We contacted..."

The warlord interrupted. "The Schutta-whatta?"

Selere's eyes narrowed. "Schutzstaffel. Special Forces. Protective Squadron. Whatever. The point is, we contacted you in order to offer our aid in your struggle."

The warlord humphed. "What's the price?" he asked. "With you Imperials there's always a price."

Selere smiled. The warlord wasn't as dumb as he looked. That bode well for Imperial asperations. "Here's the deal. Right now, we have two squadrons of the SS on the ground, ready to assist your forces in destabilizing the current government. Covert shipments of arms and advanced weaponry will be forthcoming for the next several months. As Valinor has no means by which to intercept such shipments (at least none that they can spare), there is little to no risk of recognition.

"In two months time, should you accept the deal, an Imperial task force will arrive. At that time, you will overthrow the government and take control of the planet. Imperial forces will aid you in stomping out the remaining warlords, those that don't pledge loyalty, and securing the planet. At that time, you may induct your troops into the Imperial army if you so wish, and you will be inducted with the rank of General and become the governor of Valinor. You will allow an Imperial military base to be constructed as well as guaranteeing Imperial ships the right to refuel and stop-over here.

"In return, you will be granted autonomy to rule the planet as you see fit, as long as you maintain basic Imperial principles and treat enemies of the Empire as enemies of Valinor. Valinor will not be an Imperial possession but an independent planet under Imperial protection. Agreed?"

Warlord Zhu thought for a moment. The deal seemed pretty good to him. And it would get rid of both the government and the other warlords. And he had a free rein. He stuck out his hand. "Agreed, Captain," he said as they shook on it.



Present

"General," called a Lieutenant in the Terabian Army, as Zhu's force had come to be called. Why that name was chosen had puzzled Selere for a few weeks until he learned that Zhu was originally from Terabia, a small province in the southern hemisphere of Valinor.

Warlord General Zhu turned his head at the call. "Yes?"

























Selere swore. "We'll have to accelerate our plans. Lieutenant, get me a secure link to Imperial space using this encription code. It's unknown to the Confederation yet. I need to contact Colonel Wesley Vos." As the Lieutenant ran out, Selere continued. "General begin mobilizing your forces for an assault. We've been feinting retreat for two months; now it's time to take back what is yours. Imperial forces will arrive very soon; when they do, execute Operation Valinor Freedom."

Claymore-class Battlecruiser Circadian
Roche Asteroid Belt

The immense figure of the Coalition Space Station that loomed only a few hundred thousand meters from the Imperial Space Station at opposing ends of the Roche Asteroid Belt was nearing completion. Though the Station was nearing completion, Julius had chosen to stay aboard his flagship, the Circadian, as opposed to the stately rooms that would one day house the Magistrate of the Station. For months the Coalition and the Empire alike had worked with the Verpine to maintain peace and stability in what had become known as a Neutral zone between Imperial and Coalition space. Julius Octavian had maintained that frail peace, and had converted his rag-tag fleet into a formidable task force of well armed warships. Though much of the fleet still consisted of outdated warships from the Civil War era, Admiral Cassius Dreti had loaned Captain Octavian several Star Destroyers and frigates to keep the peace within the asteroid belt.

In the bland Captains quarters of Julius' flagship, the Circadian, Julius sat hunched over a small projection of the fish-faced Admiral Cassius Dreti.

"... and the war against the Black Dragon Empire is coming to a swift end. How are things on your side of the Galaxy, Captain?" The raspy voice of the Admiral (a voice vaguely simular to that of Fleet Admiral Ackbar) inquired. The expression on his fish like face appeared to be emotionless to Julius, though he admited to himself that he was not one to read the expressions of aliens.

"Things have been silent, Admiral. We've become accustomed to Imperial patrols, and I believe they have become accustomed to our patrols as well. The collective mind of the Verpine have given us some intelligence of Imperial positions, but I fear this slip in intelligence has also worked in favor of Grand Moff Draysons forces. The Verpine are split in loyalty, but the collective mind still communicates equally among the insectile alien race."

Admiral Dreti noted the sour tone Julius used to describe this alien race. In fact, rumors throughout the fleet were that Captain Octavian had not been promoted for his outstanding performace during the construction of the Space station because of his xenophobic remarks and conservative racist views (something that Julius was not afriad to hide).

"Just remember, Captain... those so-called aliens are the only reason the Empire hasn't wiped you off the face of this galaxy. They are responsible for the continued safety and security of the Roche Asteroid Belt, and without there loyalty, we would surely be rebuffed."

"You doubt my performance, Admiral?"

"I doubt your political skills, Captain. You are a military man, not a diplomat. I understand that. But understand this, you will keep the Verpine happy, or you will be removed. Do I make myself clear?"

Crystal. Julius mocked silently. His eyes grew thin and he clenched his jaw tightly. It was almost impossible to hide his disdain, one reason he was greatful that the Admiral could not see him as he could see the Admiral.

"Absolutely Admiral."

"Good," Cassius allowed his fish-like lips to curl back into what resembled a grin. His salmon like skin seemed to change from a darker copper color to a ligher pink-salmon color. "Now, down to business."

Julius relaxed his jaw and flicked a few controls over the datapad infront of him. "I'm sending you an encrypted message on an Old Republic frequency. One of the Verpine on the Imperial Space Station mentioned to the collective mind that a top-secret message had been received from Valinor. The information has been distorted a bit during the passing from mind to mind, but I am concerned as to why the Empire has any interest in the planet. Not long ago, the President of the planet appealed to the Contegorian Confederation for military assistance in rebuffing a collection of rebel forces and Commadore Lucerne arrived at the planet not long ago. Our scouts have detected two Imperial fleets departing the system for destinations unknown. I believe that the message from Valinor and the dispatch of these fleets are related. I strongly feel that the fleets are leaving for Valinor. I'm transmitting the data we've collected now..."

"Interesting," Cassius nodded as the scrambled data began to pour through the frequencies and collect on the other end. "Take your fleet and randezvous with the Confederate fleet in orbit of Valinor. I will dispatch a small task force from my own fleet to substadize the security of Roche in your absence. Admiral Dreti out."

The static blue image of the Admiral vanished into the darkness of the room. Julius sat back and sighed. Finally, he thought, a chance to get the hell out of this dump.

Minutes later, Julius strode through the airlocked doors of the Command Bridge and ordered his fleet into Hyperspace.

Audacieuse, Confederation Flagship, in orbit around Valinor

Noise.

It is inescapable.

He sighed and rose from the command chair. Yet the din of the bridge crew continued, as various Confederate personnel continued on their tasks in coordinating the Confederation. It was no small task. The mainstay ship of the Confederation, the Seraph Mk III, alone each carried sixteen hundred soldiers and two squads of repulsor tanks for ground operations. Thousands of shock troopers and hundreds of tanks were deployed to the dusty planet’s surface. Over Valinor’s blue skies, the wraith-like Deathsabers soared overhead, performing occasional air strikes or simple reconnaissance work. In orbit, the warships of the Confederate Expeditionary Force coiled around the planet as a python around its prey; a rigorous inspection of all ships entering or leaving the planet. Such a massive undertaking took the bridge crew and the CIC personnel on all Pegasus-class Star Destroyers to effectively coordinate. The massive influx of information routed and passed through the systems was too large for one man to oversee. As such, the younger Lucerne had decided not to attempt the impossible: to take a look at or micro-manage any of the operations at all. Instead, he had given the command crews of each bridge or CIC one of the eight equally divided portions of Valinor to direct and advise. Walking down the command walkway towards the viewport, the younger Lucerne glanced at the various rows of consoles in the crew pit; not really looking at the data, but ensuring that the work was being done in an expedient fashion by his crew.

He reached the viewport and gazed down at Valinor and the orbiting ships. This is the end of those warlords; the end of this avaricious violence; violence being quelled. Order will be restored. And they shall finally know internal peace; if only on Valinor. His face went blank as he lost himself within his thoughts. Mere seconds later, the steady tread of boots on the command walkway broke through his idealistic pandemonium of thoughts, and to the violent galaxy in which he, and the people of Valinor, lived in. A voice came from behind him.

“Commodore sir,” approached Captain Sato, “we’ve detected a message outgoing of Valinor.”

Still staring at the stars, Corise smiled. “You came up here to tell me this?”

“Well sir, there’s more to it than that,” elaborated the Audacian, stroking his moustache, “it’s encoded. And encoded well enough that our analysts believe it to be from only a galactic superpower.”

His mind spun.

The younger Lucerne murmured. “There’s only one superpower that would use internal strife on a neutral world to its advantage. Well, see if you can get a lockdown on where the signal is coming from, assuming that they haven’t rerouted it through several transmitters, which wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they are even somewhat professional.”

“Yes sir.”

“One more thing Christian,” stated the younger Lucerne, turning to face the former scout, “tell our soldiers to be careful. We might be dealing with Imperial Special Forces here, or perhaps Imperial Intelligence. They are opponents to respect if anything.”

Sato silently bowed, leaving the Commodore adrift in his thoughts.

0530 hours
Warlord Zhu's Headquarters
Valinor

"Is everything in place?" Selere asked.

Zhu and Selere had spent the night making sure all elements that would begin this attack were in place. The SS troopers that had come in with Selere had served as runners for the most part. Now each led a detachment of guerrillas that would infiltrate government agencies and strike quickly and silently to eliminate planet-side government officials. Without a head, Selere believed, the armies would be without direction and unable to fight, and hopefully the entire governmental system would collapse, leaving a power vaccuum into which Zhu would insert himself.

That was if everything went according to plan. And assuming the Imperial fleet arrived in time to occupy the Confederation ships still in orbit above the planet. A reasonable assumption, since Wes had never yet been late, but there was always a first time. And the first strike was to be executed by a junior captain. It was only his second or third command, and his first in command of a fleet.

But those were worries that did not belong to Racen Selere. His job was simply to coordinate the ground operations and do as much damage as possible to the current government. Now, at 0530 local time, they were about ready to begin.

Captain Lomax of Green Squadron, the other SS squadron on the ground, saluted and answered, "Everything is ready, sir. We're prepared to go on your signal."

Selere looked up at the still-dark sky. It would be another hour or more before the first rays of light began to peek over the horizen. It was time. "Do it," he said. And with that, the warlord's bid for power began in earnest.

Audacieuse, Confederation Flagship, in orbit around Valinor

“They did what?!”

The younger Lucerne clamped his jaw shut at the President’s outburst. I guess I would be in a state of shock if they did that to Pro-Consul Thorn. He smiled. Not that they’ll likely ever get her given the high security standards set by the Contegorian Council. The Kashan man grabbed the stunned Valinorian’s arm and set him back on his chair.

“Thank you,” stammered the other man, “I should get ready to make my address to the public.”

“Mr. President,” stated the officer earnestly, “Given the recent surge of violence by those so-called Freedom Fighters and the relative ease in which they seemed to have penetrated the city, for your safety, you should make it from the Audacieuse.”

The other man slowly shook his head. “I can’t. That would only further to enhance the false impression set by those ruffians. No, I will go down there myself, accompanied by Valinor’s own guard. I’ll need your people to secure the city and quickly quell this violence.”

The man looked at his chrono. “This must happen soon, or the possibility of their ranks rises.”

Corise nodded. “You can use my personal shuttle, the Courage, if you so desire. A flight from Greywind Squadron will escort you down.”

“Thank you Commodore.”
Presidential Palace, Valinor

A man confidently strode through the ranks of Valinor’s volunteer government army. Conscription had been proposed previously, albeit never implemented by Congress because of the political repercussions from the act and the seeming quelling of the warlords. Things might have to change later, but not now. The President bit his tongue. Valinor’s army is patriotic if not reasonably well-trained, and hardened after these battles. But so few have remained here at the capital. He looked up to see another two Raptor Transports soar overhead to one of the many Confederation landing zones. Soon we shall enough troops and fire support to deal with this menace. He neared the podium and press assembled for the conference. It seems like a bold move to have press conference where a bunch of rebels just ransacked the place because it is. Of course, with the Valinor and Confederate armies swarming the place, it would be foolish on any of their parts to try and attack the place.

“People of Valinor. I am proud to be your president. When you elected me to my office, I swore an oath to defend and protect our great people. To defend not only our physical bodies or any material goods which we own, but also the intangible; like our freedom. As many of you know, Congress recently voted and petitioned me to get Contegorian assistance in restoring peace and order on our beloved planet. For too long we have had warlords and other criminal elements wreck havoc in our lives and destroy what we have. Who can forget the Massacre at Dome’s Homestead where Warlord Hrag viciously butchered everyone in the near vicinity simply because he needed to give his ruffians booty. The Warlords have not been successful. Every day, the valiant forces of our people had driven them farther and farther away from us on a relentless trek across the globe. So many have been sent, that there are little men to spared here in my palace or for those of our ministers.

Two months ago, my administration decided to forgo the traditional number of troops assigned to security detail in order that they might be freed to help in the pursuit against those devils that have attempted to plunder our planet. Some of us hired personal security details, such as the Minister of State.

Sadly, this has not been enough for our own safety. Doubtless, many of you have heard the statement issued by this so-called Freedom Army under one General Zhu. Zhu is no general, nor is he interested in freedom for our peoples. His razing of several homesteads who refused to supply his men with food is well-known. It’s a matter of public record, and any number of local media can support that. I am saddened that the Minister of State has been forced to lie by these criminals.

I believe those words were forced into his mouth. If a man shoots your hand off, do you readily agree with him by your own will? Surely not, especially when you have espoused the opposite end for months at end. Furthermore, it is unlikely that Minister Firehawke would have ever made a factual mistake in one of his own speeches. Remember when he dressed down Major Freske for failing to report the facts on the warlords movements correctly? Being Minister of State, Firehawke is well-acquainted with those factions around us by pure necessity. Surely he would know that the Contegorian Confederation has only been in existence for little over half a year, not years at end. Again, I implore you to investigate this yourself, whether you support our government or not. If you want truth, many times you must investigate it yourself; it is a sign of the intelligence to not blindly follow any somebody’s word, especially when they do not even give you their name!

Contegorian troops have arrived and will be aiding our forces in their eradication of this criminal menace to our society. If any of you have any doubts about their intent, I ask you to meet them in person. Many of them will patrolling our streets and escorting civilian traffic between urbana and country in order to protect us. If you have any doubts about them, I ask you to investigate them yourself. I have met a great many of them myself, and I am convinced of their character and personal integrity in this mission to our planet. I will take any questions now…”
-----------------------------
Seraph Mk III Song of War

“Atten-hut!”

Over a thousand boot heels clicked together, reverberating throughout hangar. Lines of gray-armored shock troopers and Metalorn’s Paladins stood at attention. Behind the infantry, the deadly Sentinel Tanks that formed the core of the Confederation’s Armour. On paper, the Song of War carried sixteen hundred infantry supported by two squads of Sentinel Tanks. It was enough firepower that generally a single Seraph’s ground complement could easily overrun most criminal’s base with ease. While the Contegorian fleet was reasonably hardened against major galactic superpowers, the army was not, mainly because the fleet was the first line of defence. The army had seen experience against various criminal elements, including Black Sun at Genon. Veteran soldiers formerly of the New Republic or other factions were widespread throughout the ranks. And even the new recruits had seen rigorous training under the tutelage of the army’s many combat veterans. The more you sweet in training, the less you bleed in combat.

General Trutzig reviewed the pristine ranks of the highly disciplined army. The native of Audacia had previously commanded Metalorn’s defences before being assigned by Commodore Lucerne to head the ground elements of the CEF. Having heavily trained in the New Republic before this, and before that, as a guerilla against the Empire, he was uniquely well-suited for this mission, mainly because he had been in his opponents’ shoes before. Beginning to pace the deck, he cleared his voice.

“At ease gentlemen. As many of you have seen the address by our Commodore and the President of Valinor, I have little to add to their words. Many of those civies down their have known nothing but fear from those frack’in thugs that call themselves freedom fighters. They disgust me. Many of you know this, but I fought for the Rebellion as a freedom fighter before I settled down on Audacia. Let me tell you something, freedom fighters don’t raze homesteads. Freedom fighters don’t kill people unnecessarily. And freedom fighters, never, ever force those that they’re fighting for to give up their livelihood. Make no mistake, these scumbags deserve to die.

But that is one thing you won’t do if at all necessarily. The President wants as much of this scum alive for trial as possible. Prisoners are preferable, but not worth your death. If they get holed up and won’t come out. Throw a nonlethal grenade in there. If that does work, just kill them with a thermal detonator. That’s all I have. Urrah-ra!”

The soldiers raised their rifles in unison and shouted back.

“Urrah!”

The Song of War continued forth into the planet’s atmosphere, its silver hull gleaming in the light of Valinor’s star. Seraphs were atmospherically capable of supporting troops right on the ground. And that’s the way the Confederation typically deployed their men. But with the blockade in place, some of the Seraphs were forced into using their dropships to ferry their men down below. A single lambda-class shuttle carrying 2nd Lieutenant Ferris departed to the ground: he would never make it.

0800 hours local time
Warlord Zhu's Headquarters
Valinor

"Sir, have you seen the most recent holonet transmission?"

Captain Renee Lomax, who had returned from her assignment, ran up to Selere. Selere turned towards her, replying, "No, I haven't."

"It's the president's response to our propaganda."

Selere smiled. "Well, let's see it then."

The holoprojector was turned on, and Selere's good mood faded as he watched the response. When the president was finished, his eyes had narrowed, and his brain was fully engaged in formulating a response. "Get Zhu in here, now. We need to reply to these accusations."



0830 hours local time
Warlord Zhu's Headquarters
Valinor

It hadn't taken long for Captain Long of Gray Squadron to hack the holonet. Despite the planet being in a state of war, the security systems of Valinor were extremely outdated and low-tech. The cameras were positioned, signal scramblers and location scramblers were in place, and Zhu was ready to address the people of Valinor.

The lights clicked on, and Zhu began. "Fellow citizens, I come before you today with a heavy heart. No doubt many of you have seen the most recent series of accusations made against me by our president, and I am shocked that he would stoop to such a low level.

"It is for this purpose that I take precious time away from defending myself and my followers to address you today. I wish to review the president's speech and bring you the truth, without all the political twisting that so often comes when politicians like him speak."

A short clip began running off to the side, complete with sound, and the people of Valinor once more began to hear their president speak. "People of Valinor, I am proud to be your president. When you elected me to office, I swor an oath to defend and protect our great people. To defend not only our physical bodies or any material goods which we own, but also the intangible, like our freedom."

Zhu paused the clip and formulated his response. "I will not argue that the president was elected, or that he was charged with defending our freedom and liberty. However, I do not believe that protecting our liberty involves allowing a Confederation invasion army to swarm through the streets of our planet, using their droids and professional soldiers to subvert those very freedoms! Look out your windows, and you will see the result of our elections! Is this what you want, Valinor? Is this your intention?"

The clip began to run again. "As many of you know, Congress recently voted and petitioned me to get Contegorian assistance in restoring peace and order on our beloved planet. For too long we have had warlords and other criminal elements wreck havoc in our lives and destroy what we have. Who can forget the Massacre at Dome's Homestead where Warlord Hrag viciously butchered everyone in the near vicinity simply because he needed to give his ruffians booty."

Zhu came back on. "Yes, Congress petitioned for Contegorian assistance. Many of you do not know that I myself supported that decision. Many of the warlords were not concerned with the freedom of the people, but rather their own personal gain. Warlord Hrag was one of these. But how long has it been since the Massacre of Dome's Homestead? Six months? And is one rogue warlord's actions reason enough to call down an invasion army? I also ask, how often have men under my command been involved in such a massacre? I can recall one time, and those men were rogues who have since been caught and executed."

The Warlords have not been successful. Every day, the valient forces of our people have driven them farther and farther away from us on a relentless trek across the globe. So many have been sent, that there are little men to be spared her in my palace or for those of our ministers.

"A relentles trek? I would say so. How would you like to be hunted like an animal simply for wishing to live in peace with the rights that are supposed to be guaranteed by our constitution? How would you like to live in holes simply for fear of being caught by our 'just' government? We have not been successful, he says. That would depend on what our goal actually is. The president would have you believe that we are intent on destroying the freedoms of the people of Valinor, but this is not the case. We wish to secure our own freedoms and the freedoms of the people. Why else would we call ourselves the Freedom Fighters? Why else would we retreat from those security forces who are just doing their jobs? It is true, the president has spent no expense to stamp us out. But is it because he is concerned for the people? No! It is because we are a threat to his power. It is because we exist to keep him in check. If he was concerned about the people of Valinor, he would listen to our concerns! He would not have called down an invasion army on our heads!

The clip skipped ahead a bit. "Doubtless, many of you have heard the statement issued by this so-called Freedom Army under one General Zhu. Zhu is no general, nor is he interested in freedom for our peoples. His razing of several homesteads who refused to supply his men with food is well-known. It's a matter of public record, and any number of local media can support that."

Zhu shook his head, his face sad. "People of Valinor, these insults hurt me. The president only presents that which he wishes to present with no regard for the actual facts. This razing was done by a rogue group of troops. Not only that, but these troops were fired upon by the owners of the homestead. They justifiably defended themselves. The razing was done later, by forces under Warlord Hrag. Both of these forces were hunted down and brought to justice by men actually under my command, and General Hrag has as of this morning surrendered to me. His forces will no longer be committing such acts on pain of death. I give my word on that."

"I am saddened that the Minister of State has been forced to lie by these criminals. I believe those words were forced into his mouth. If a man shoots your hand off, do you readily agree with him by your own will? Surely not, especially when you have espoused the opposite end for months at end."

Zhu laughed. "Forced to lie? What, because my troops shot a blaster out of his hand when he attempted to kill them? These words were not forced into his mouth. Once we showed the minister evidence of the president's treachery, he was shocked and saddened. He agreed that the population must know the truth. He did not want them to be deceived as he had been. It is true, we were forced to shoot him. But it was only done with the greatest regret, and even now he is being treated for his injuries.

"Another point - for those of you that watched the Minister's address, you heard the emotion in his voice, you saw the expression of his face. Can such be faked? I think not."

"Furthermore, it is unlikely that Minister Firehawke would have ever made a factual mistake in one of his own speeches. Remember when he dressed down Major Freske for failing to report the facts on the warlords' movements correctly? Being Minister of State, Firehawke is well-acquainted with those factions around us by pure necessity. Surely he would know that the Contegorian Confederation has only been in existence for little over half a year, not years at end."

"It is true," Zhu replied, "the Confederation itself has only been in existence for half a year, perhaps a little more. But the people of Kashan have been exerting their influence in this area of space for many years before that. Those other nations in the Confederation have been encroaching on Valinor's sovereignty for some time. It is this to which Minister Firehawke referred."

"Contegorian troops have arrived and will be aiding our forces in their eradication of this criminal menace to our society."

Zhu's face grew hard. "Our president calls me a criminal menace. If fighting for the rights to life, liberty, and property makes me a criminal menace, then I readily agree with him! If calling down a Contegorian invasion army is not criminal, than I want nothing to do with legality! The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants, fellow citizens. If it requires my blood to secure our freedoms, I will gladly give it, so long as my blood mingles with the blood of those who would take those freedoms away! I call to all citizens of Valinor who value these freedoms to join me! Fight this Contegorian menace that swarms through our lovely streets! Overthrow the tyrant who has called them down! What country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let us take arms! Join me to restore our very liberties!"

The camera went off and the lights dimmed. Selere stepped out of the shadows. "Well done, General. Should this coup fail, there is most certainly a position for you in the INS."

Zhu chuckled. "When your opponent makes such a blunder, little talent is needed to turn him into a vile tyrant."



0845 hours local time
Valinor City, Valinor

As the Confederation troops stormed through the city, Freedom Fighters were taking up strategic positions. Mines had been laid, ambushes set. Now it was simply time to capitalize on their advantages.

The first explosions took out an entire rank of Paladin droids, the combination of heat, shrapnel, and plasma turning them into nothing more than scrap metal. Several ambushes wiped out Confederation infantry. Interestingly, no Valinor natives were killed in the attacks. As the news spread, more and more people surged to the plains to join the gathering armies of the combined warlords under the command of General Zhu. The same thing was happening all over the globe, with Confederation forces bearing the brunt of the assault. Their troops may have been well-trained, but as is true with any conventional army, their training was mainly in conventional warfare. When faced with guerilla tactics and an enemy that would not show himself, would not attack without a clear advantage, the Confederation troops were, in general, unable to effectively fight.

One team, positioned in the city, noticed the descent of a single Lambada shuttle. Though only armed with shoulder-fired weapons, one of these was a proton torpedo launcher. Two shots, one after another streaked towards the shuttle. The Confederation shuttle's shields managed to hold for the first, but the second penetrated. The guerilla commander smiled and congratulated his man on a sure kill. This day was going well.

Presidential Palace

Slumped in his chair; the President watched the Warlord’s speech. If that man was here, I’d grab him, and try to choke him to death. Nothing but deceit. Nothing but lies. And the citizens know that too. After a while, people begin to think that the lies are truth, but this is the first day in his life Zhu has had the courage to openly address the public. People only believe lies after being fed them for months on end. Support will waver for him; there are people here who’ve seen the horror these men have done. He closed his eyes. This must stop. He rose from his chair and turned to the aide.

“I’m going to have to make another address to the public to make a rebuttal to Zhu’s points.”

The aide shook his head. “Sir, that’s not possible at this time. Our forces have started jamming all but a few encrypted frequencies that they use. Public communication cannot exist except through redundant landlines; and those will work some of the time, you know, with the bombs ripping apart the earth and well, the sheer lack of maintenance to our communications system in general. Only a half of the city got any of the addresses from you or the warlord,” sighed the man, “How far we have declined. Wait…I think we may be able to get a broadcast rerouted through one of the Confederation ships; their communications systems combined should be strong enough to punch through the jamming.”

“Very well,” stated the President, “I’ll go and address the people through the holo. But that will not be enough because of the communication’s disruption. I’ll take to the streets to show them truth if I have to.”

“Sir?”

“Prepare a landspeeder. As soon as I am done releasing the press release, it will be time for me to talk to our people face-to-face.”

“What about the freedom fighters?”

The Valar man simply smiled. “Let them come. If they want to talk peace with us, let them.”

Valinor-Confederation Command Centre, Presidential Palace
Valinor City

“Alpha 3452 is down. Vital signs are still good. He’ll be fine if we can get a medic to the area.”

General Trutzig continued to pace across the command station set up within the Presidential Palace, glacing at various consoles and their attendants. So this is what it’s like from the other side. It’s so easy to press a trigger to a bomb when you never see their face; when you only see their silhouette. He looked at another console and grimaced. But our opponents are green. Bombs are a bad choice in any are populated area; it’s bad press when you kill a dozen civies to get three or four soldiers. We won’t be able to use frag or proton grenades either. Or we become as bad as they do. But we have some things going for us.

“Sir?”

“Yes Colonel?”

“Well, we’re pulling in the infantry that got ambushed; not in too bad of shape for the most part because of the Eagle Mk III armor. Fine stuff that is. There are some who’ll need a drop in the Bacta tanks above. We’re already shuttling them up as they come in.”

Hans smiled beneath his helmet. If the Confederation was known for any technology standard, it was for its impressive defence capabilities, perhaps best exemplified by the Eagle armor used by the shock troopers. Using a superconductor, the armor shunted away low-powered energy blasts, such as those taken from long-range or grazes, and dissipated the energy as heat, using the entire surface as a radiator. The large area dissipated the heat quickly enough, meaning that it took several consecutive blaster bolts in the same area of the armor to actually pierce and possibly kill the armor’s wearer.

“Have we adapted the sensors to take care of the bomb threats?”

“Yes sir. They can run, but they can’t hide.”

Like the armor used by stormtroopers, shock trooper armor included multiple sensors; some for viewing through clouds of smoke, or heat-seeking. But something that was becoming increaseful useful was the basic weapons detectors; originally added for security duty. Now the sensors were being used to spot bombs or notice hidden weaponry on the people. While not entirely effective, it was enough that several potential ambushes had simply failed, the threats already spotted in advance.

“Very good. I want the city cleared by 1300 hours.”

“Yes sir.”

A third voice interrupted their conversation.

“We’ve got most of the tanks down now sir. We’re ready to rumble.”

“Excellent. Prepare the armoured column in the Presidential Courtyard; then we shall start our drive to victory.”

“Yes sir.”

Valinor City

They must think that I am mad. President Hunt slowly grinned. They are not mistaken. I’m beginning to think that I’m mad. His face softened. The end of days has always been described like this. The open-topped limo ferried the President around the streets of Valinor City already cleared of Guerillas and checked for bombs. He met people invited them to talk, to share their feelings, their views, right on his limousine. Audacious yes, but not as brazen as some people think. He spared a quick glance at the outer perimeter of Valinor guards and shock troopers, who quickly screened the oncomers for weapons of any type before allowing them to proceed to the landspeeder. Valinor and Confederate snipers had taken to the roof, waiting for any of their opposite counterparts to merely show themselves. A rustic voice of an old man snapped Hunt’s mindset back to his constituents.

“This Zhu guy said the Kashan have been around for years. I don’t remember hearing such a thing. Is my memory that bad?”

Hunt smiled. “Well, I’m no doctor, but I never heard of them until roughly a year ago. The Kashan have existed for some time, how long, I do not know, but they’ve been in isolation. It’s not exactly like anyone knows where this Kashan is. Maybe I will go there some day, and I can tell you more about it.”

“Thanks Mr. President.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Hi ma’am, you have a question?” asked Hunt.

His eye caught the glimpse of his second rebuttal speech being played on a café’s projector. He briefly closed his eyes as he recalled his speech to the public.

People of Valinor. We have come so far together; through the good times and now the bad. Through profit, through ruin. It has been a honour to live among all of you for these many years; a honour that soon may not exist for any of us. A honour which will fade away like the vestiges of a dying fire. For freedom will not survive here at Valinor, at least not under Zhu’s rule.

I cannot either repudiate or affirm the Warlord’s latest stance on his own personal viewpoints or actions, even if I wanted to. But let us have a talk, as if we were at one of our famous cafés. As many of you have noticed; this is the first time we have ever seen him simply speak. Some of the only things I know about him come from the reports of him from the press and the military. But the most important things I know about this man have come from you. From what you have told me, from what you have seen with your own eyes. Chances are, if you have never seen what the warlords, including Zhu, have done, you know someone who has. Search around, there are people who have seen such toils, such oppression that has emanated from men like these. It is a tradegy. It is a tradegy when people are massacred, no matter by rogue elements of Zhu’s forces or those officially conducted by Hrag’s. It is a tradegy which those perpeutrators should pay for, not under Zhu’s law, but rather our own. In our own tribunals, with our own juries, with our own witnesses. I call upon Warlord Zhu, if he is telling the truth, to turn over the custody of those criminals not to me, not to valinor’s government or any of its allied forces, but to the people themselves. Yes, I believe Valinor’s people can make the right decision like a town hall meeting. Everyone should get their say, and the will of the people will be the law.

It is my opinion that Zhu is one of those men who should be given into the custody of the people. If Zhu is truly concerned about our people, let him give to him. Let his men show restraint in the recent waves of attacks that have not only injured our allies, but our own people! I am sure you have heard them, seen them. Bombs are dangerous things, not because of their inherent lethality, but their inherent lack of accuracy. The blast radius of a standard grenade is five meters. That’s not going to only hit the soldiers, but injure any innocent bystanders who could simply be watching the commotion from their homes. That simple bomb could shatter the bodies of our youth, our children. If Zhu is truly interested in the welfare of our people, why does he persist in his violent ways? Why won’t he continue to act as he has in the past?

Zhu claims that I intend to conquer Valinor for myself; that I crave power. I tell you that I am not such a man, otherwise you would not have elected me. Many of you know me personally, you know my character. You know my intentions. For those that do not, I will be around Valinor city to meet you, and you can come judge for yourself whether Zhu’s claims are true or not. Yes, I bid you to meet me; let us discuss these turbulent times. Let us reason together to find a solution to our woes. I salute you, people of Valinor. People of Valinor.

"Sir, the first reports are coming in."

Racen Selere looked up from his discussion with Warlord Zhu and Lt. Commander Lomax. The young Lieutenant stood over them at attention, saluting. Selere also stood returning the salute, and replied, "At ease, Lieutenant. What have we gotten so far?"

"Sir, the initial reports seem good. The ambushes are causing confusion amongst the enemies troops, and their armored divisions all seem to be gravitation towards the center of the city. They're massing in the courtyard of the presidential palace."

Zhu smiled. "So things are going well. Now, shall we execute our plan?"

Selere paused. "Is there anything else, Lieutenant?"

The young man smiled. "Yes, Sir. President Hunt appears to have taken to the streets in an open limosine, greeting the people personally. He's guarded by Confederation troops, but I think a well-placed sniper could take him out."

Zhu's eyes widened, and his smile grew bigger. "Then do it," he began.

Selere cut him off. "No," he said. "We don't want to kill him yet. If we kill him now, we prove everything he just said. Instead, hold the line. Don't fire on any Valinor Security Forces, only Contegorian troops. Make it clear that you only want to fight the invading army. If the Security Forces get too close, retreat. If you have to shoot, use non-lethal weapons. Then they become the bad guys."

Zhu cocked his head and scrunched his brow. "But what of our bombs?"

Selere looked up, shocked. "You're using bombs? In a crowded city? Are you a kriffing lunatic?!? How many citizens do you think you've killed in the last hour? A hundred? One is too many! You may have just undermined your whole operation! Why did you not clear that with me first?"

Zhu, stunned, sat back. "But that's what we've always done..." he began.

Selere was almost screaming by now. "I don't give a darn what you've always done! You are an Imperial officer now, and you must always clear things with your superiors! You set off one more bomb in that city, and I'll kill you and pull my men out of here. That'll be the end of your precious coup."

Zhu's eyes narrowed. But reason overcame anger, and he conceded. "Alright. I'll order my men to cease bombing the streets. But I want you to know that if this coup fails, your head will roll."

Selere's eyes also narrowed, and they seemed to burn a hole through Zhu's forehead. "If it's going to fail," he said sinisterly, "then it failed long before I came."

Presidential Entourage, Valinor City, Valinor

President Hunt casually leaned against the side of his dusty landspeeder, quietly listening to a woman. If the storm of war covered Valinor City, with bombs being detonated and blaster fire criss-crossing the city, the entourage was at its eye. People had coalesced around his landspeeder, engaging and chatting as if at a friend’s dinner party. As the woman finished her tirade, the president looked her in the eye.

“No, no ma’am. I’m not sure what he-”

A deafening thud and the roar of explosions dominated the sound waves. People briefly screamed in terror. Hunt turned around to see the rising smoke from near the Presidential Palace. It’s a hell of a good thing I wasn’t there. His eyes scanned the horizon, noting several trails of smoke drifting horizontally across the sky. That’s strange. I don’t remember there being any starfighters or small ships around the capitol. The Valar man frowned. There weren’t, and why the hell would they be blown if they were Confederate? That section has been cleared according to Trutzig. If not, oh frak…

Confederation Command Post, Presidential Palace

“Sir, the casualty reports. It looks like there won’t be any survivors from Sentinel Seven.”

Trutzig solemnly nodded. That’s the second confirmed tank crew we’ve lost in that attack. We’re probably pretty lucky that our missiles lock onto repulsorlift signals. They might have escaped otherwise. That and the tanks are anti-aircraft units. Hans continued to pace around the impromptu command center, watching the various portable consoles. Some of which displayed live feed from the Confederation shock troopers and Paladin II Assault Droids. He stopped and hovered over one, noting the multitude of blue stun bolts emerging from the combined Confederate and Valar lines. He rested a hand on the chair’s shoulder.

“Have the Paladins take the main assault, then have our organic infantry follow up after them to mop things up. Effective for all actions.”

“Yes sir.”

Across the raging battlefields, the black and red giants from Metalorn advanced at the enemy fire. For the engagement, the droids had only been using their gauntlet repeating blaster, set on stun. Combined with its Soni-optics target imager, the droid had little difficulty picking out most concealed men on the battlefield and gunning them down in a flurry of stun bolts. Occasionally, the streams of enemy firepower proved too much for the droids, pounding the battle droids into oblivion. Behind them, Confederation shock troopers and the native Valinor Security Forces picked off remaining targets from a distance, using precision shots rather than the Confederation droids’ tactic of flooding the target area with stun fire. Once an immediate area had been deemed clear of insurgent activity, Valinor Security Forces hauled off the incapacitated insurgents to jails, and if those were too crowded, to heavily guarded holding areas; one of which was the square in front of the Presidential Palace.

Trutzig continued his walk about the centre, stopping at the control station of the 14th Audacian Armored Brigade, composed of Sentinel-class Tanks. Sentinel Seven had been part of the group. The General slightly pursed his lips. Sometimes it’s hard to move on after losing one of your own. He blinked. Or it’s easier if you’re enraged. Let’s hope they aren’t.

“They’re heading out, sir.”

Trutzig nodded, grabbing the comlink headset from the officer in charge.

“Sentinel Seiben war eine tapfere Panzer Besatzung. Wir sollen Seiben nicht vergessen. Aber gehen wir zu den Krieg. Fur die Bundis.”

The brigade commander acknowledged back in their native Audacian tongue, and the tanks began to their trek through the city streets to make the final push.