The battle in space ended in our favor. After the destruction of yet another Lucrehulk (that Rinaun is a talented devil), the Separatists couldn't hold out and fled the system.
The clone captains of the ships contacted me, requesting further instructions. I highlighted the locations of the enemy forces on the maps and indicated potential landing points, but I refrained from giving strict orders, leaving the initiative to my subordinates. To be honest, I'm not yet mentally prepared to command such a large number of troops.
The Acclamators rushed toward the planet, beginning to land troops to wipe out the droids. I doubt it will take them long — after all, we now hold superiority in the skies, and we've worn the droids down considerably over the past three days. The whole picture looked truly epic: several ships, nearly a kilometer long, hanging in the air and firing into the distance; hundreds of fighters and gunboats darting back and forth like sparks from a great fire.
I decided to join in the fun as well. The droids still needed to be finished off, I still had to establish a base on this planet, and… perhaps I'd even get another "trophy."
"Commander Blam, take Commanders H and Enok with their regiments, as well as twenty tanks and all available speeders, and advance toward the enemy. Do not launch a direct assault, but support the other advancing units with fire. If you deem it necessary, you may send several companies forward, but avoid unnecessary losses," I instructed my "colonels" over the comms.
"Yes, sir, moving out immediately!" they replied. Soon, long chains of troopers stretched from the camp toward the forest, overtaken here and there by darting speeders.
Our Marat set down directly at the base, as there was ample space, and Commander Rinaun's ship landed alongside it. As it turned out, he was not transporting a full army — only one regiment and several tanks for protection — since most of his hangars were crammed with two hundred and ninety-six V-19 fighters. In other words, the commander had converted his Acclamator into an improvised aircraft carrier. Of course, this "ersatz carrier" couldn't be compared to the future Venator-class air wings, which would number about four hundred fighters, but as the saying goes: beggars can't be choosers.
As soon as the Marat lowered its ramps, the first thing we did was start loading the wounded. Construction machinery and grav-platforms laden with cargo streamed down at a rapid pace.
The commander himself arrived at my command post in a small speeder — a man of about thirty-two, light-haired, of modest height, yet presentable. Especially in his naval uniform. A true "Aryan," so to speak.
"General Vikt," he greeted me with a nod.
"Commander Rinaun. You arrived just in time. Ahsoka," I turned to my Padawan, "how many attacks did we repel?"
"Thirty-one, Teacher!"
"Are you sure? Not twenty-seven?"
"No, Teacher. We repelled a couple more while you were asleep," she said innocently, though her delight was obvious. She was still getting her revenge for the nickname…
What a nuisance.
Rinaun looked slightly taken aback by our exchange. And I didn't even need to draw on the Force — one glance at his eyes was enough.
"Um…"
"Oh, don't mind us. We have a somewhat… unique style of communication."
"I… noticed. As well as the fact that you are rather… unusual Jedi," Rinaun said, giving us a meaningful glance.
And he had reason to. My cloak was scorched and full of holes, my spare lay back in my cabin aboard the Marat, so I was standing there openly in blue armor. My helmet rested in the crook of my arm. Ahsoka looked no less unconventional: two DC-17 blasters holstered at her belt, a strap over her shoulder with grenades attached, and a tactical comms headset on her head — visually indistinguishable from its Earth counterparts, except far more practical. Altogether, we looked fierce and battle-ready — but not like typical Jedi.
"You remind me of someone, General…" Rinaun paused in thought, then added, "Exactly — you look like pirates or mercenaries. Forgive the comparison," he finished, his tone gaining confidence.
At the mention of pirates, a shadow flickered across his face. Does Rinaun have a grudge against pirates? It would seem so.
"Well, what's your impression?" I spread my hands to indicate the scene unfolding around us.
"To be frank, I'm not thrilled with the fact that both the army and navy are under the Jedi. I find it… strange, to say the least."
Turning aside, he continued in a colder tone:
"You may be capable, General Vikt, but I don't trust your comrades."
"You don't trust the Jedi?" I asked, intrigued.
"I find their tactics ineffective. The principles of your Code prevent you from acting as true commanders should, and from achieving victory by balancing your own strength with that of your subordinates. That is why the Order's peacemakers have no place in war — least of all in the command structure. You may be the best pilots in the galaxy and unrivaled saboteurs, but everything else…"
Having spoken his mind, the commander caught himself and sobered.
"I apologize if I offended you."
Hmm. I'm starting to like this man. Few would dare speak so frankly to my face.
"No. I agree with you, Commander," I said. His eyes widened in surprise. Ahsoka's too. "Our methods are sometimes… ill-considered. The losses at Ruusan and the subsequent reform of the Order had a profound effect, giving rise to less than ideal practices. We… have grown soft."
Hmm, perhaps I got carried away. Such revelations are rather untimely. Look at their faces. I need to change the subject quickly. Tintz — a spark of inspiration lit up in my mind.
"Tell me, you mentioned some instructions…"
"Yes, instructions on fleet tactics. Old materials, difficult to find nowadays, but my family maintains a good archive."
"I hope you'll allow me a look?" I smiled. "In the current circumstances, improving one's qualifications is crucial. And the Jedi Temple Archives… are incomplete."
"I think I can help," Rinaun replied with a faint smile.
***
At that moment, our captain arrived, flanked by two officers.
"General, I'm glad to see you safe and sound."
"Captain, likewise. What's the news?"
"Oh, the ship's in excellent condition — just a few scratches. Commander Rinaun has kindly provided us with several fighters to make up for our losses, and now we're back at forty-eight."
Glancing out from the raised command post (installed on the principle of sit high - look far away), he gave a low whistle that was anything but courteous.
"I see you haven't wasted time here," he remarked, clearly referring to both the new base and the heaps of smoldering scrap that had once been droids and their machines.
"Yes, it was quite entertaining," I admitted with a smile. "And the stronghold materials?"
"Unloading has already begun. In addition, once I reestablished comms, I sent a message to the fleet base. In eight to ten hours, five light cruisers should arrive — three with additional building materials, one medical, and one with food."
"Oh, that is very good news."
Just then, a sight worthy of attention came striding into view. Surrounded by swarms of repair clones and technicians, and no fewer than a couple hundred DUMs, two J-1s lumbered forward with ponderous dignity.
Rinaun, who had been silent since the zabrak arrived, finally asked in bewilderment:
"General, why in the galaxy do you need this junk?"
"Oh, if I had at least four more of these, I'd put them right here," I pointed to the ground, "and take down all these Acclamators"—I gestured toward the ships—"in ten minutes."
"They have that much firepower?" Captain Ragnos asked in surprise.
"Yes. They look clumsy, but they're dangerous even to fighters and bombers, and devastating against large ships and fixed targets. I think we were very fortunate the CIS command, instead of equipping a space defense system out of them, decided to throw them against infantry. In doing so, they essentially delivered them into our hands."
"I've never seen their kind before, but now I know," Rinaun said, looking at me with newfound respect. "You know quite a bit about Separatist weaponry."
"I've had some experience," I replied vaguely. What else could I say?
Of course, restless Tano couldn't resist chiming in, clearly eager to show off:
"My teacher commanded troops in the very first battle on Geonosis!"
"Well, not exactly commanded, but… yes, I was there." Great. Now the questions will start.
"General, would you mind sharing the details? We've only heard rumors. We'd like to hear more," Rinaun pressed, not wanting to miss the chance.
Sighing, I began my story…