Archonian Room
Artanis glanced at the representation of the Azguardian System,the general positions of the celestial bodies scattered about. The primary surrounded by smaller bodies, essentially rocks, too close to their sun to be of use before coming to the four planets within the habitable zone followed by a large gas giant ending with an asteroid field at the edge of the solar system. It was not far from the advance elements of the Cree ‘Ar fleet and they represented the farthest into the system Artanis’ forces could approach under any type of protection and yet still too far away to be in any kind of weapon range. It was an illusion of cover since it was still too far away to be of any use as an advantage to the attacking force. He had had a slight hope that the defenders would have invested the field wasting resources on a position too far away to support an extended defense. He could have positioned his fleet in interstellar space and bombard the fields to oblivion tearing down such a defense reducing all the enemy’s efforts in short order only to invest the system proper with only half a defense.
No, the enemy had decided to reinforce their interior habitable zone making it a virtual no man’s land of destruction. It was like sticking one’s hand into a razorback’s mouth of sharp teeth in order to pull out it’s heart. If they wanted the Azguardians, they would have to enter the system proper in order to get to them.
Standing before the Warlord of the Cree ‘Ar stood three junior Judicators and a fourth, a senior judicator, standing off to the side. They had already performed the sacred ritual of the Vanquished merging Azguardian blood and flesh to the Sacred Plinth, the receptacle of the genetic record of the Cree ‘Ar’s conquests throughout the Ages. Now was the ritual of the Conquerors. Not so elaborate as that of the Vanquished but no less important as such cleansing maintained only the most promising of the next generation of Cree ‘Ar are given the reward.
The holographic projection shifted and noting enemy movements but the movements were halting, almost timid in scope. It was a sight that Artanis dismissed as his focused on those before him. He walked up to the Senior waving absently at the display, “Have they squandered my fleet and lost us the war?”
The Senior Judicator grunted as he gestured to the three Juniors, “They fear losing a fighter craft and bringing dishonor to your great name that they have yet to make a move.”
Artanis reflected amusement. “Then let us take sword to their backside and move things along. The enemy will not wait forever.”
The Senior Judicator turned to his Lord, “Are you certain? ”
‘Junior Judicators,” Artanis called attention and the younger officers stamped their feet and straightened to attention. “Lord Artanis!” they responded automatically.
“This,” their Lord gestured to the older Judicator, “is Senior Judicator Orgo and he will be evaluating your strategies. You have been given my objectives. These are not negotiable. So tell me how we may achieve these objectives with what the enemy presents before us?”
“My Lord, I do not understand the enemy positions. We are positioned in an open claw formation inviting them to take a first strike and yet they remain stationary. A timid foe is not a worthy foe,” he remarked in a rather haughty stance. “We should turn our vast force to a more worthy enemy.”
“Such as?”
“Vladet. We should attack the next Imperial interloper and fracture them even more!”
Artanis stopped, his mind suddenly blank. It was a stark reminder that even the Cree ‘Ar had their share of fools. He frowned because the young Judicator was a favorite of a Religious Caste official which went to show that religion had no business in war.
Another second passed and the other two Judicators realized something was wrong and took a step away from their companion.
At least they have some situational awareness!
“Did you put this display up?” Artanis motioned to the Azguard System on display as well along with various starship and station designations.
“I did!” the fool announced proudly.
“Presume they are a worthy foe. Where and how should we attack?”
The foolish Judicator stared at the display intent on digging his own grave. “Here,” he pointed. “We should move everything to this position. We can eliminate their fleet while staying out of range of the orbital stations.”
“Orgo,” Artanis had heard enough. “Enlighten us.”
The Senior Judicator moved forward. “First, we are in an open claw formation. However, this is not information the enemy possesses. Which also means, what we are seeing on the display is not representative of the actual forces arrayed against us. This display is based on sensor data gathered using the same type of visual sensors the enemy is using. We are at the edge of their sensor range, so it stands to reason that while they can see the Talon forces, they cannot see the rest of the Claw. So they do not know we are in the claw formation and, if they did, they still would not know what that formation actually means. The Lesson? If they can only see the edge of our forces, using the same type of sensors, what will we see? Only a fraction of theirs!”
“You prefer to using the enemy’s visual sensors because of the detail such instruments bring but you ended up becoming lost in those details. You ignore the advantage of your heritage and our tried and true methodology. Our own instruments may not give you the details you desire but they what they lack in detail, they make up in scope. Wars are not won with the knowledge of how visualy pleasing the foe in front of you is if you do not know the fact that he has a hundred more soldiers at his back.”
Orgo waved a hand and the display shifted to a gravimetric scan and suddenly many more icons showed up. “If we had attacked this group of ships you advocated, you can see, these forces here and here as well as the remainder of this other force over here would have skinned us like a baka beetle.”
He turned to Artanis. “I apologize, Lord. His egg must have been dropped in a C-velocity chute during gestation.”
The Cree’Ar Lord had already summoned two Parrow Lin forward to strike the fool down and carry away his body. He would not sully his Lord with his presence any longer.
Artanis turned to the remaining two Judicators. “Now, with a proper display, with the proper knowledge of our enemy positions, where should we attack?”
It was not quite fair putting them on the spot but they also neglected to speak up seemingly remaining satisfied with the fool’s actions in obtaining the information to base a strategy on. Therefore, they should rightly suffer.
The rather muscular Judicator stepped forward, “We should land our forces directly onto the planets and strike them at their heart!”
“Our wormholes do not have the range,” Orgo growled.
“Then we get into range!”
Artanis sighed and Orgo put a hand on the young Judicator’s shoulder, “You are a brave warrior and you will have the honor of being blooded by an enemy blade. Go outside until I call for you.”
The muscular Judicator stamped his foot and marched out, his head held high. Two minutes later, a Parrow Lin entered.
“Is he dead?”
The Parrow Lin nodded.
“Did you use the bladed weapon of the enemy?”
Another nod.
“Recycle the body.”
The guard left.
“I do not remember being this foolish when I was their age,” Artanis remarked. Orgo turned to him, “At their age, you were stripping the marrow out of the bones of a Creatian. The young do not have to struggle as we did so they remain spoiled and taint their bloodlines.”
Artanis grunted. “The crossing was too long and the lack of war has made the younger generations soft.”
He turned to the last junior, a female with a missing eye and scarred face. He paused because it was extremely rare for females to take on the martial role. He turned to Orgo and the company of the two fools started to make some sense. If the wily old Judicator wished to promote a student he was a patron or mentor of, what better way to make them look good than by measuring them against lesser idiots? It was a politician’s maneuver but Orgo had to know the martial testing meant life or death to those tested. A female warrior was almost an anathema and Artanis’ hand twitched as if he wanted to swing the blade to remove her head from her shoulders. But Orgo would not dishonor the ritual so lightly so he kept his peace and waved back towards the gravitic representation of the system. It did not give the details previously seen in the previous sensor display such as the type of ships they faced in sensor range but the gravitic display was the only system they had that could give them a real time display of everything in the system that gave off a gravitic signature. And while they did not have exact details, for example, the type of vessel on the screen, they would have an idea based on the intensity of the signature if such a vessel was of a smaller destroyer or larger battleship type. What did not show up on their gravitic sensors were fighters as their mass was insignificant. Perhaps when they got closer, the other scanner type would be of use but they would still be limited by the speed of light value.
If they had seeded the system with scanners, sensor pads, relays and such, they migt have used the enemy style sensors for those details at real time with a wider range but they had just arrived at the system. The Azguards would not have that problem, Artanis thought, since he was coming to them. Unlike the attack on Coruscant, the strike at the Azguard system was not a surprise attack. With the Declaration and their relaying to the galaxy at large the Azguard System’s location, they had had the time to marshal their forces and prepare what defenses they could. The only surprise would be when Artanis would deign to appear and now he had.
That was the extent of the surprise and looking at the preparations, the upcoming attack would be a very different animal.
They would have sensor relays scattered over their area of defense and theirs would not be limited by the speed of light. Neither communications nor sensors would be diminished in the opening moves. Only when the Cree ;Ar advanced to such a degree and destroyed their enemy’s network infrastructure would their detection systems degrade. But how far they would degrade would be anyone’s guess.
So if we cannot remove their detection systems, we will have to make use of them to our advantage.
“So what would you do?” Artanis asked.
The female stamped her foot and straightened. “We use our wormholes to harnessthe asteroids from the nearby field.”
Artanis sighed, disappointed. “Again, our wormholes do nothave the range to hurl the asteroids at their ships. The asteroids would not be moving fast enough to threaten anything but a stationary target. We would simply be littering their system and putting obstacles in the way of our eventual advance. And if we struck their worlds, my objectives will have failed.”
“No, Lord. You misunderstand me. I do not mean to hurl the asteroids into the enemy system.”
Artanis had already been ready to signal a guard when her words registered. Turning to her in surprise,”Explain.”
“Lord, you have made no secret that we were coming and they have obviously prepared. But does the display represent the total sum of that defense? Are we to assume they have made their bulwark so high and no higher? Or are more forces on the way behind us? It is not… practical to simply assume that we arrived as they put the finishing touches on the entirety of their final defense.”
“Reinforcements.” Artanis stated.
“Lord, stellar cartography and celestial dynamics tell us everything in space is moving from small rocks to solar systems to galaxies. In plain language, no matter where someone wants to go, there will be some celestial body blocking their path. That is how the powers of this galaxy move about the galaxy. Hyperlanes are based on the principle that in traveling their route, there will be nothing that blocks the path thus making the route safe and quick. The longer the hyperlane, the more extraordinary they are and rare. Otherwise a ship would have to stop, make and make a course correction before continuing on. If you look at the way the enemy is arrayed, they are covering all the approaches they know about in the only way they know how. Our space travel is based on the principle that we do not allow the galaxy to dictate our routes to us so we do not use hyperlanes. But they can only reinforce what they know and they have. But while those routes are not necessarily the ones we will use, they do represent the route any potential reinforcements will use. We use wormholes to place the asteroids near us and project them behind the fleet along those same routes. If we cluster them, they will prove to be a simple interdiction. They may not damage any reinforcement ships but they will bring the reinforcement out of hyperspace prematurely.”
Artanis stared at the junior Judicator for a moment before turning to Orgo. “Orgo, explain.”
The senior Judicator gestured to the display. “While the Claw formation is like an open -hand inviting attack where the talons would fall back as the hand closes into a fist to envelope any enemy, the open claw is also an enveloping tactic. While we have talons entering the system passing the asteroid field to clear a foothold out of range, we also have talons circumnavigating the solar system in a three-dimensional manner. We do not need asteroids to provide an interdiction as such interdiction could serve to be unreliable. But our wormholes will create the same interdiction and slow any incoming reinforcements What the wormholes will also accomplish is warp any signals leaving or entering the system. We will in effect isolate the Azguard system from the rest of their Coalition. To achieve any word, a ship will have to physically enter or leave to break free of the interference. We may not be able to prevent the enemy from inside the system from communicating with each other since we are attacking a reinforced position, but we can effectively cut them off from everything else until we have won or lost.”
“You cannot cover the system completely. No one can unless you commanded every starship in the universe,” the junior pointed out.
“Nor would we try. We have the same stellar maps they do. We can figure out the same hyperlanes that enter the system and those we can cover. Does this mean that a ship cannot go outside of a hyperlane and try to make their way out through a series of microjumps? No. It is possible to do but the moment a ship leaves the hyperlane, the calculations for successful, successive jumps becomes much more difficult and complicated. But not impossible. However, it would take time and give us enough time to accomplish our goals.”
The female warrior nodded accepting the senior’s words.
“What is your name?” Artanis asked.
“I am called Hatra, Lord.”
“Hatra, you bring your senior honor. This war will require our warriors to think in terms of goals and accomplishments rather than simply defeating the enemy before us. This is because it is not the enemy we see we should concern ourselves with but the enemy we cannot see.”
“So the Talons are a probing and interdicting force.”
“The enemy is fortified. We would be fools to rush into their waiting guns without knowing how they are fortified. So yes, the Talons will probe to give us that information while also isolating the system as best we can. This attack will have a beginning, a middle and an end. This is just the introduction. Watch and learn. Note our victories and note our mistakes.”
“My lord, I must confess that I still do not understand your objectives.”
Artanis amusement showed, “You will, Hatra. You will.”
“In the end it will come down to Faith. Whose will be greater? Theirs? Ours?"
“Faith in what?” Hatra asked confused.
“Faith in ourselves! Not Faith in our machines over their machines, or technology but something deeper. Faith in ourselves! Faith that we can and we will overcome any obstacles! Faith in our glorious purpose! Faith that, in the end, we will win.”
Interlude - Capricia, Republic
The ancient house was being renovated with outdated systems being removed and the more modern hard-light system installed along with the most recent upgrades. The last vestige of the old power center of antiquity were being converted into something that future generations could share and find a connection with their common culture or serve as an aid to those wanting to understand the Caprician way of life. The old Noble House was being converted into a Heritage House. A collection of irreplaceable relics and artifacts of a forgotten past, the writings and histories of the Clans, their consolidation, stories of the Invaders, the positive influence of their friends from the old Corporate Sector, the formation of the Commonwealth and finally the rebirth of the Republic. It was not so much a return to the ways of the Old Republic and a repeat of the mistakes that had led to its stagnation and corruption but a continuation of those ideals that had made that once proud government such a resonating bright light in the galaxy. The new architect’s intent on merging the tried and true ideologies of individual freedom with the economic vigor of advancing sciences with a vigilance that such a society needs to make secure.
All in all, the best of both worlds.
At least, that was the dream.
But with such ugliness in the galaxy torn asunder by fear and war, it was becoming harder and harder to maintain perspective.
The Republic had no formal relations with the Cree ’Ar Dominion but, under the previous administration of the Commonwealth, there was a sort of understanding garnered in the few interactions the two sides had had.
But how long and how far did that understanding stretch?
That understanding was before the Commonwealth had reorganized into the Republic. That understanding was before the Cree ’Ar had attacked Imperial Center and shattered the Empire. That understanding was before ...the Reavers.
The Republic had not interfered in the activities of the Cree ‘Ar but those activities were widening in scope and intensity. The Cree ‘Ar had not interfered with those refugees who fled across the Republic border whether they be force users or not but how long would that… understanding last?
It did not sit well with Scipio and she knew preparations were already being undertaken to plan for as many contingencies as they could. But she could not think of that now as the prisoner was brought before her, shuffled into the office she had claimed for this meeting. She studied him as the guards shackled the prisoner to the rather heavy-looking chair before her.
Normally, Republic Military Police would be handling such a prisoner, but this was no ordinary personage. No, this prisoner was special and held a special meaning in Caprician Society. Hell, even with the big man, Seth Vinda himself and so some things just could not be left in the hands of bureaucrats.
She leaned against an old desk facing the prisoner chained to the solid chair in front of her, her hands folded across her chest frowning at the inconvenience his presence represented while at the same time, her eyes savoring the fact that he was, in fact, caught.
The prisoner’s eyes cast all manner of emotions until finally settling on amusement. “The roles are now reversed Caprician,” He purred. “Do you intend to inflict pain on me as I once did to you?” His lips were licked in anticipation.
“I would sooner shoot you in the head and throw your body into a ditch,” she remarked.
“Not very representative of your Republic’s high-minded morals,” the prisoner remarked, smiling slying. “Where is my court-appointed lawyer?”
It was Scipio’s turn to break out into a predatory smile, “You confuse us with the Coalition. While it is true an accused person would have a legal right to a defense in court, the proven guilty do not. And in your case, you are not a legal citizen so your claim to any rights under our laws are tenuous at best and, further, you have been proven guilty so there is no need for such a defense. A proven-guilty person in the Republic finds their claim to rights vastly curtailed depending on the severity of the offense. And, your offense, unfortunately for you, is high.”
The prisoner shrugged. “If I knew were you going to dismantle your own culture, I might have saved myself the trouble of trying to ground your people to dust.”
“You were not trying to grind us to dust. You were trying to find out why you found us worthy to be fodder or raw material for your macabre genetic creations!”
“Yes, yes. You were quite unwilling to bend in the face of overwhelming power and, in the end, such resolute defiance became the rock on which we dashed ourselves to pieces. The contest of who would win: the unstoppable force or the immovable object? In this case, the unstoppable force was…stopped.” The prisoner laughed at his own joke.
“Why?” she whispered.
The laughter stopped. “Why what?”
“Why all the killing? Why the attack on my people? Why all the torture? All the destruction? Why all the waste!?” she snapped, irritated.
The prisoner suddenly sat back and tried to stretch his legs as far as they could go while still shackled. “Because we were not an unstoppable force. Oh, we were. Eons ago in our own galaxy until …we weren’t. You see, my dear Caprician, we were the dominant race in our galaxy until we weren’t. And after, we were forced to flee. And so we crossed the vast gulf between galaxies to find others to dominate. But, more importantly, to find a new home. You see, what you call the First Invasion, was simply our vanguard force. When it arrived, these forces explored this new galaxy sizing up our potential foes but also weighing who could be molded to be the repository of our genetic material and form the basis of a new and improved Yuuzhan Vong society. The genetic material of a race that refused to submit to overwhelming power is not to be discounted so easily. Individually, it can be attributed to stubborn refusal to face reality but collectively? Now, granted you could be just a race of collective fools but then we would not have been defeated. This ...belief. This…faith in yourselves defied all logic and yet it became a source of strength! It was…” he smiled, “..like witnessing a religious experience. A transfiguration!”
“If you had won..?”
The prisoner smiled broadly, “You would be experiencing a very different life right now. Maybe you would be one of our scarred warriors? Maybe a den mother of inconsolable pain? Maybe simply meat to feed the next iteration of Yuuzhan Vong? Whatever the case, your genetic material and ours would have been merged into the building blocks of a new and greater society upon which we might emerge once again as an unstoppable force.”
“So who were you running from?” the Caprician woman asked, refusing to be goaded.
The prisoner’s expression darkened. “You’ve met them! Your galaxy cannot stop talking about them! The Cree ‘Ar, of course!”
Before Scipio could ask anything else, the prisoner’s eyes cast back as if unseeing what was in front of him, “A long, long time ago….we came across these Cree ‘Ar. They were quite different from what you know them to be now. They were actually, like you in the sense that their planet, their sun was very old. While your people were found only in one system, they had a society that spread across many systems and, like you, they had a rich culture, lived for the arts and dabbled in the creativity inherent in such races. We saw them, like you, as easy prey. And we tore into their society with a gusto and a glut for delicious, searing pain that rivaled no other. It was, however, not an easy conquest and conversion. It was an effort that would last hundreds of years for while we felt them to be weak and decadent, they were brilliant! Soon all our attention was focused on them and they alone because they had stopped us. The unstoppable force was halted as each generation we advanced a little more and then a little more. But always halted and it became such an embarrassment that we ignored other cultures and races. Some took advantage of the time and fled. Others did not and simply felt themselves safe but each generation, new creatures we conjured up would allow us to chip away at their society.”
The prisoner glanced at Scipio and said softly, “Until the inevitable happened and we pushed them back to their home system and homeworld. The home of their Red Sun. Oh how we rejoiced and felt blessed by the Gods. And with big pomp and ceremony, after regrouping, we finally set our sights to overcoming our old enemies and so assailed their world.”
Scipio smirked, “Let me guess. They refused to lay down and die?”
The prisoner smiled sadly, “Even then, their belief… their faith in themselves was still strong but after hundreds of years of seeing their empire shrink and shrink and shrink until there was nothing but their homeworld left…? One had to think that their faith would have been at least shaken to its core. It was an anguish so delicious that we salivated at the bit to charge into them and cut them down. And so we landed on their world in overwhelming numbers!”
The prisoner wanted to stand up but the shackles restrained him. “We laid waste to that world. And yet they still fought on.”
He started to chuckled. “In our society, the people we conquer do not remain subjugated forever. They undergo a conversion. We mold them. Shape them into Yuuzhan Vong so that eventually, there is only Yuuzhan Vong. But, unknown to us, as their empire was undergoing a conversion, so too were they shaping us. We were never very religious before we encountered them but during the centuries of conflict, our religious caste grew in prominence. And the Cree ‘Ar also underwent a conversion but not the total conversion that was our goal. Over the centuries, their faith in themselves remained solid because along with the territory they surrendered each generation, they also surrendered a part of their soul. Their emotions were sacrificed for the practical and the efficient. No longer were there tasks done for the pure enjoyment of it but every action was relegated to what was functional. Their enlightenment hardened and instead of living, they simply existed. We had already declared victory over our old enemies as we assaulted the final continent, the dark hour it was called for their Red Sun was eclipsed by a moon, when, quite unexpectedly, our forces were in full retreat. In a single day, we were pushed off their world and within the week, their entire system. And we have been on the backfoot ever since.”
“What happened?” Scipio asked, somewhat shocked by the tale.
The prisoner sighed, “We don’t know. There are fragments of reports of a massive counter-attack that seemed to catch everyone by surprise. But from where, how they managed to conceal such forces, let alone support them when their resources and infrastructure were in shambles? I could not tell you and our genetic memories passed down from that time are unreliable. But something happened. And we eventually fled our home galaxy to find our fortune in another. And now it seems they chased us across the emptiness of extra-galactic space not willing to let us go. So they still retain some emotion as there is no two races that hate each other more than the Yuuzhan Vong and the Cree ‘Ar.”
“So you came to make a new home for yourselves by conquering us but the Cree ‘Ar seem to have launched their own conquest of the galaxy rather than simply rooting out where any Yuuzhan Vong are still hiding.”
The prisoner shrugged, “Their enlightened empire is now their dominion and to prevent tomorrow’s threats, they will attack you today. The Cree ‘Ar, above all, is preeminently practical. There is nothing they do without cause.”
The Caprician thought a moment, “They attacked Coruscant..”
“Of course. That single world that most represents a unified government. Planets, nations and empires have rallied around Coruscant in the past so to deny the denizens of this galaxy that unifying world raises the Cree ‘Ar prestige while lowering the Empire’s (or whoever would have owned it). You have to understand that the Cree ‘Ar are attempting to dominate and eventually control this entire galaxy. The sheer size of the Galactic Empire, after winning several wars with their foes, ensured that no other galactic government would attack them and so the Cree ‘Ar did not set out to conquer the entire Empire, they shattered it into smaller, bite-sized empires for their enemies to consider a real shot at the bull’s carcass. Remember, the Cree ‘Ar have limited forces so they have to pick and choose what they attack to derive the most benefit from their actions.”
“So they ensure The New Order is broken into several smaller empires and then they halt to see what the rest of the galaxy will do with this new set of circumstances. And they have revealed the Azguard home system’s location and they also wait to see what is done with this news?”
“The Galactic Coalition is the next threatening government after the Galactic Empire,” the prisoner pointed out.
“Regrad will not surrender.”
“He did to Simon Kaine.”
“Simon Kaine did not pose an existential threat. The Cree ‘Ar..”
“..are not the Yuuzhan Vong. Remember, they do not shape conquered peoples to become Cree ‘Ar the way my people did to their conquests. The Cree ‘Ar have let other cultures survive while part of their Greater Dominion. Emperor Gevel and his Empire is now under the Dominion on Coruscant. Corellians are still Corellians under the Dominion.”
“But…But.. why? What is the point to conquering our galaxy?”
“Like any self-perpetuating action, the Cree ‘Ar Dominion has a momentum that keeps it growing and expanding. Maybe there is no reason anymore. But they do have an interest in you.”
“Me?”
“Capricia. You see, you, like them, have faced an overwhelming Yuuzhan Vong conquest and refused to surrender. Then you, like them, won. You went on to become the Republic and they went on to become the Dominion so there is perhaps some confusion as well as interest in you. You represent their story. You are the “Cree ‘Ar” of this galaxy. But you are not Cree ‘Ar and they are conquering the galaxy so what will happen if two immovable objects crash together?”
“You think it inevitable that we will fight each other?”
“The Cree ‘Ar are attempting to conquer the galaxy and right now the Empire is fractured. The Coalition has been targeted and, if they too fall, it will be harder to get support once your leadership decides to do anything. If you wait too long, if you do decide to fight, you will be at a serious disadvantage. The Coalition will not go down easily. Nor will the remains of the Empire. Not as long as their will to fight remains!”
“And that, my dear, is why fighting the Cree ‘Ar is such an insidious prospect. They seem to use your own strength against you. If you are not careful, itwill be you who end up defeating yourselves.”
He grinned a wicked grin. “That would be such a shame.”
Scipio stared at the Yuuzhan Vong who had escaped capture for years after the Conquest of Capricia ended for a long time. How did one punish a sadist? How did one punish someone who reveled in pain?
She smirked, “Tslah Vhess. I see you have shaped yourself to blend in with our society. We are going to continue the process by removing your scars. Your hidden piercings and secret implants that are designed to draw pain from certain movements. No doubt you use them to remind yourself that you are Yuuzhan Vong despite what appearance you show the world. We will cut your claws, file your nails and soften your skin.”
She leaned forward, “When we are through with you, even you will not remember what being a Yuuzhan Vong feels like.”
Tslah Vhess stared at the Caprician with hatred in his eyes wishing for the hundredth time that he had killed her when she had fallen into his hands during the beginning days of the Conquest. “You can try to hide behind your isolationists attitude thinking the burning galaxy is not your concern but I hope the Cree ‘Ar take that pride and turn it against you as the ashes of your Repubic sting your eye, remember this moment. After you have pissed away all your potential allies in a bid to stay safe, when you are the last, when everyone else has been consumed, think back to me .. your enemy. Who told you the nature of the fires consuming the galaxy and how you did nothing. Think of me when you burn! Think of me as your skin is tearing off your corpse and when you think the pain cannot get any worse, maybe I will deign to spit upon your face. Before I laugh.”
“Guard! Take him away!”the Caprician woman shouted.
After the Yuuzhan Vong was taken away, two men walked into the room with grim faces.
The older of the men cast a concerned look at Scipio, “Are you ok?”
The woman exhaled loudly. “That was not easy, Seth.”
“Those bastards give me the creeps,” remarked the other man, casting his thumb over his shoulder at the door the prisoner had been escorted out of. “And they were running from the Cree ‘Ar!”
“Cowards are always afraid,” Scipio Arien replied and suddenly grinned at the other Caprician, “sort of like when you come home late to Organa. I seem to remember you wanting Achinta to go in with you for a nightcap hoping to distract her.”
Tyscio Korban held up his hands, “Hey, that’s fighting dirty!” then he frowned, “Did you just call me a coward?”
“We need more information, “ Seth Vinda concluded. “And we are not going to get it sitting here in the Republic.”
“The Stellar Explorer should be on site soon if they are not there already.”
“I hate to put so much pression on an unarmed science vessel but needs must.” The Corporate man cursed softly. “We need more time.”
“Then it is up to the Azguardians. They have to hold or nothing we do will mean a damn.”
Scipio’s fist went down onto the desktop, “They will hold. They just have to believe in themselves. No matter what.”
Talons
Each Talon was centered around a Rhedron Cruiser, an off-shoot of the Ja'Mha Rerodon cruiser from the Cree ‘Ar home galaxy. The Rhedrons were exclusively made in this new,Corusca, galaxy. Along with the cruiser was an Arbitrex, the c-velocity chute and gravity manipulation escort incorporating new upgrades since the construction of the Arbiters. Flanking this simple core were four squadrons of Tie-Fighters.
It not a relatively strong force but their purpose was not to assault fortified locations or enemy warships covered by overlapping fields of fire. They were the skirmishers, the initial thrust that would confirm intelligence and verify sensor readings.
Talons were sent to specific locations outside the system but along lanes allowing hyperspace travel to and from the invested solar system. Their purpose was to interdict these lanes cutting off both physical and electronic access. How long that would last would be anyone’s guess.
Yet, Talons were not only circumnavigating the system through their chutes but had also advanced to the asteroid field and beyond. The Rhedron cruisers had stopped advancing once the chutes opened on the other side of the asteroid field depositing each Talon several kilometers apart, their scans and sensors reaching out to confirm their gravitic findings. In special terms, their advance across the asteroid field did not open up the rest of the system to conventional scanning so there was still quite a bit that had yet to be verified but the advance still meant that at least that much more area came into scanning range. What the scanners revealed did offer one very important confirmation that was unpleasant to contemplate.
The Azguardians had not been idle.
The squadrons of Tie-fighters kept advancing leaving the Arbitrex and Rhedron vessels in their wake.
“The Emperor provided the fighters willingly?” Orgo asked his master but Artanis simply grunted. “He had no choice but to authorize their release.”
“He must not have liked that. These Imperials are too proud by half.”
“His concern is governing the territories in your grasp. His station no longer need concern itself with foreign policy. To be counted as part of the Greater Dominion, even he must contribute.”
“Is he aware of the bonding ritual?” Orgo asked, surprised.
“He need not concern himself with such knowledge until his territories have been pacified. He cannot reap the rewards of Dominion unless we have faith that he can meet the demands Dominion places on him.”
Orgo bowed and backed slightly away to leave his Lord to his thoughts. Hatra moved up, “Senior Judicator? Why advance with such a…a paltry and weakforce?”
Orgo chuckled,”Ahh..the impatience of youth. What you see here is a measured approach. The sensors do give us reliable information as to what we are facing.”
“But?” Hatra prodded.
“But,” Orgo nodded in acknowledgement, “it is still long-distance data. You may hear the cry of Tektra in the jungle which gives a hunter an idea of what is out there.”
“A Tektra sound heard could mean only one or a flock because only one will sound the call.”
“A skilled hunter will know this and so will still measure their approach to verify what they hear with their eyes. The humans have a phrase, ‘trust but verify’. “
“Trust but verify,” Hatra mouthed. “I like that”
“The success or failure of this battle will largely depend on whether or not the enemy will hold onto their nerve. Their will. So by dangling these morsels out there…”
“..we also see and can gauge their reaction!”
Orgo was satisfied and nodded. “Remember what the Lord said: This battle will have a beginning, a middle and an end. It is one story in the epic that is to be our conquest of this galaxy. And this is just the beginning of the beginning. With the capital of the Imperials, we caught them by surprise as if we quickly clasped cupped hands over a fly. And we captured it. With the capital of the Azguards, look!” he pointed to the display, “they are better prepared. Would you quickly clasp cupped hands over, say, a sting-wing? No, you would treat it with a little more respect. Tactics should reflect the objectives and fight in front of you. Not the fight you or I might wish. And so we probe.”
