The mission was suicide, almost assuredly a recipe for disaster. It broke ll the rules in the book of war and a few unwritten ones as well. The tactics were untested, far removed from the conventional accepted norms. The ships were battle scarred warhorses, almost written off but rebuilt for a final mission to standards enough to make them as competent as any modern vessel. In any case, they were not expected to return. The crews were expendable, as was each of the fighters and shuttles on board.
In short, it was just the sort of revolution in tactics that could make history for it's results, whether they be a spectacular tactical success or an expensive mistake. The deciding factor in the equation would be the man picked for the job of commandant. He could not be a traditional thinker restricted by the norms of military doctrine. He had to be bright, for an incompetent man (as many officers unfortunately were) would not be capable of directing such an operation. He had to be a fast thinker, ready and willing to make life and death decisions in an instant rather than being inclined to discuss things in committee and then send requests for orders on to higher commanders.
He had to be thoroughly familiar with unconventional tactics--not just studies of Thrawn, Daala and the Rebel Alliance's campaigns--but actual experience in the sort of warfare he'd be forced to fight. He had to be expendable. No Grand Admirals or Moffs would be leading this mission. But at the same time, he couldn't be a fresh, ridged minded Commander straight out of the academy, who's lack of innovation and willingness to take risks would be a liability. He would have to take risks, yet know when and how to cut his losses, and be willing to accept them.
Most importantly, despite his losses in men and material, despite the obsticales in his path, and despite the risks of the operation, he had to be the kind of man to keep going on. He had to have the mindset that viewed Obstacles as challenges to be overcome, and force himself to push into the yoke of hardship rather than submitting to the twin burdens of despair and impossibility.
The man, in short, had to be Kach Thorton. And he was off on one of the most important and unusual assignments in the Empire's recent history.
Before him, on his desk, lay two books. One was on the campaigns of Grand Admiral Thrawn's guerrilla war between Emperor Palpatine's first death and return. The second spoke of the ancient campaigns of a man named Hannibal, who ravaged a nation called "Rome." Both campaigns were similar to the mission he was about to embark upon. His job was to sow the seeds of chaos throughout his target though unconventional tactics and guerrilla warfare, and to support him he had a small battle group's worth of vessels, including half a dozen battleships.
In his studying, he had found little he did not learn during his years at the academy. He found it good to review what he had learned, to fill in the gaps where his knowledge had been eroded by the sands of time, but from the reading itself he did not grasp any new truly new revelations.
He was walking now in the footsteps of greater men who had gone before him. He would not fail.
Nearly a quarter of a million lives were under his command. Soldiers, Lieutenants, Captains, sailors, pilots and more, all unified towards the grand cause of peace, order, and justice across the galaxy. The grand cause of the Empire. Every man was good at his task. Every team was coordinated, every ship a fine tuned machine. The men were ready for what they must do, and many were totally willing to die for a cause they truly loved and believed in.
Kach was not so naive. He had lived a free and independent life long before entering service to the Empire, and remained a free and independent spirit. While he truly believed in everything the Empire stood for, he was not willing to go so far as to die for it. They may have believed that dying for their nation in battle was the greatest glory of all, but Kach had another philosophy: To do the fighting for his country, and let the other son-of-a-bitch do the dying for his.
A quarter of a million souls, ready for battle. Ready to die, if they must, for the Emperor and his Empire. For peace, order, and justice.
On the door to his study, accessible from both the hallway outside and his chambers, there was a banging. Three hard knocks, and then silence.
"Enter," he called to his unannounced guest, who happened to be a , Lieutenants. As the door opened and the unimpressive spacer entered, Thorton could see the sign on the door that said "Bang three times and then wait to be admitted." He looked up casually--he was not in a confrontational or power flaunting mood--across his desk. "Report, Lieutenant."
"Sir, The ship will be ready to depart within the hour. The rest of the squadron reports similar status. Currently, the Adamant and Inexorable are currently taking on supplies, and several support craft are being refueled. Captain Hearne is confident the fleet will be able to move out within two hours at the most." The young man smiled upon the delivery of the good news, reinforcing it's effect.
"Excellent," Thorton replied, subtly shifting his glance from the Lieutenant to the general direction of the bridge. "I thank you for personally informing me."
"Yes sir," the young man replied, just a bit of sparkle in his eyes. "I will keep you informed if there are new developments." And with that, he smartly turned about and left Thorton to his thoughts
In short, it was just the sort of revolution in tactics that could make history for it's results, whether they be a spectacular tactical success or an expensive mistake. The deciding factor in the equation would be the man picked for the job of commandant. He could not be a traditional thinker restricted by the norms of military doctrine. He had to be bright, for an incompetent man (as many officers unfortunately were) would not be capable of directing such an operation. He had to be a fast thinker, ready and willing to make life and death decisions in an instant rather than being inclined to discuss things in committee and then send requests for orders on to higher commanders.
He had to be thoroughly familiar with unconventional tactics--not just studies of Thrawn, Daala and the Rebel Alliance's campaigns--but actual experience in the sort of warfare he'd be forced to fight. He had to be expendable. No Grand Admirals or Moffs would be leading this mission. But at the same time, he couldn't be a fresh, ridged minded Commander straight out of the academy, who's lack of innovation and willingness to take risks would be a liability. He would have to take risks, yet know when and how to cut his losses, and be willing to accept them.
Most importantly, despite his losses in men and material, despite the obsticales in his path, and despite the risks of the operation, he had to be the kind of man to keep going on. He had to have the mindset that viewed Obstacles as challenges to be overcome, and force himself to push into the yoke of hardship rather than submitting to the twin burdens of despair and impossibility.
The man, in short, had to be Kach Thorton. And he was off on one of the most important and unusual assignments in the Empire's recent history.
* * *
Before him, on his desk, lay two books. One was on the campaigns of Grand Admiral Thrawn's guerrilla war between Emperor Palpatine's first death and return. The second spoke of the ancient campaigns of a man named Hannibal, who ravaged a nation called "Rome." Both campaigns were similar to the mission he was about to embark upon. His job was to sow the seeds of chaos throughout his target though unconventional tactics and guerrilla warfare, and to support him he had a small battle group's worth of vessels, including half a dozen battleships.
In his studying, he had found little he did not learn during his years at the academy. He found it good to review what he had learned, to fill in the gaps where his knowledge had been eroded by the sands of time, but from the reading itself he did not grasp any new truly new revelations.
He was walking now in the footsteps of greater men who had gone before him. He would not fail.
Nearly a quarter of a million lives were under his command. Soldiers, Lieutenants, Captains, sailors, pilots and more, all unified towards the grand cause of peace, order, and justice across the galaxy. The grand cause of the Empire. Every man was good at his task. Every team was coordinated, every ship a fine tuned machine. The men were ready for what they must do, and many were totally willing to die for a cause they truly loved and believed in.
Kach was not so naive. He had lived a free and independent life long before entering service to the Empire, and remained a free and independent spirit. While he truly believed in everything the Empire stood for, he was not willing to go so far as to die for it. They may have believed that dying for their nation in battle was the greatest glory of all, but Kach had another philosophy: To do the fighting for his country, and let the other son-of-a-bitch do the dying for his.
A quarter of a million souls, ready for battle. Ready to die, if they must, for the Emperor and his Empire. For peace, order, and justice.
On the door to his study, accessible from both the hallway outside and his chambers, there was a banging. Three hard knocks, and then silence.
"Enter," he called to his unannounced guest, who happened to be a , Lieutenants. As the door opened and the unimpressive spacer entered, Thorton could see the sign on the door that said "Bang three times and then wait to be admitted." He looked up casually--he was not in a confrontational or power flaunting mood--across his desk. "Report, Lieutenant."
"Sir, The ship will be ready to depart within the hour. The rest of the squadron reports similar status. Currently, the Adamant and Inexorable are currently taking on supplies, and several support craft are being refueled. Captain Hearne is confident the fleet will be able to move out within two hours at the most." The young man smiled upon the delivery of the good news, reinforcing it's effect.
"Excellent," Thorton replied, subtly shifting his glance from the Lieutenant to the general direction of the bridge. "I thank you for personally informing me."
"Yes sir," the young man replied, just a bit of sparkle in his eyes. "I will keep you informed if there are new developments." And with that, he smartly turned about and left Thorton to his thoughts