Developed by me, Master Squater, Ntor Ragnos, and the regimental commanders — some of whom were present only as holograms — the battle plan was as simple as a stool. And to be honest, I didn't have the time to weave any tactical intricacies. I'm not the German General Staff of World War I — they had every plan laid out from A to Z, down to the actions of individual companies and platoons. As for me, commanding forces of this scale is still a challenge. I alone have nine clone regiments and a hundred tanks under my command, and Kubaz and his apprentice have a total of ten — plus a swarm of fighters and other assorted equipment.
So, in short, our plan went as follows: my LAATs would land on the planet away from the enemy base and its anti-aircraft defenses, while simultaneously disembarking ground troops. At the same time, several squads of clones aboard gunboats would land slightly ahead, closer to the separatist positions, to provide cover for the main landing forces until reinforcements arrived.
Meanwhile, scouts and commandos on speeders would punch deep into enemy defenses. Some were assigned to assist cut-off units, while those equipped with shields were tasked with destroying or at least disabling enemy heavy weapons. A hundred fighters would provide air cover for the ground forces — though once again, I regretted that we didn't have proper bombers. The V-19s weren't particularly suited for ground attack missions.
Then nine of my regiments, supported by nearly a hundred AT-TE and AAT tanks, would launch a frontal assault on the enemy base, drawing the bulk of their forces toward us. Meanwhile, Squater would begin landing near the area where his Padawan had entrenched himself with his clones. Of Squater's two ships, one was unable to enter the atmosphere due to severe hull damage and would have to remain in orbit. By that time, our commandos were expected to have neutralized the space defense guns, allowing Squater to land his Acclamator directly into the battle zone, using its own guns for support. If not, he'd have to rely on gunboats — which would significantly slow down the offensive. After that, we would launch a general assault from both sides. The Kubaz would handle the factories; I would take care of the CIS ship.
The damn Separatist commander had hidden his vessel so well that hitting it with SPHA artillery or ship-based cannons was impossible. I would've loved to blow that thing up from a safe distance — mmm... But self-propelled guns could only fire at targets in direct line of sight, and the ship was buried behind the mountain spurs, with half of its hull underground. So, we'd have to storm it ourselves.
That part of the plan was especially "interesting," since Ahsoka and I were supposed to land directly on the ship with a squad of clone commandos launched from gunboats, while the clone infantry squads attacked from below. Capturing the separatist commander and destroying their communications center would sever the droids' coordination, and while they scrambled to figure out who was in charge, we'd already have won.
Although I had a handful of "commandos" — those elite troopers in their equally elite Katarn-class armor — there were only three squads. One had rushed off to blow up anti-aircraft emplacements, another remained at the base in case of emergencies. That left me, Ahsoka, and six soldiers. Well, and as cannon fodder — two companies of our loyal B-1s.
***
Fortunately, planetary defenses weren't as formidable as I'd feared — only about a hundred heavy guns, most of them concentrated around the enemy ship, plus the artillery of the LH-1740 itself. While our fighters distracted their attention with mosquito-bite strikes, our transports began their descent into the planet's atmosphere.
Five minutes of shaking and fear later, the ships leveled out roughly thirty kilometers from the target. A vast icy plateau stretched before us, pressing against a mountain range. Behind one of the spurs lay the hidden separatist base, and beneath the ridge itself — as it turned out — were the Automatic Bactoid Plants and the Techno Union factory. This, at least, was kindly reported to me by the Kubaz Jedi.
Lovely. Just lovely. That's the most wonderful news I've heard in days... Yes, that was sarcasm. So what does that mean? While I'm out here killing droids, the separatists are down there churning out new ones — by the dozens and hundreds? No, not happening. Still, according to the plan, that's not my problem — the Squater group is supposed to deal with the factories.
Without waiting for a full landing, the gunboats carrying our vanguard and the recon platoons' speeders shot out of the open hangars. Their task was to reach the anti-aircraft guns as fast as possible and destroy them.
Then the landing supports of the ships touched the frozen ground. The ramps lowered, and seventy AATs with clones and droids clinging to their hulls roared forward. Behind them, ranks of droids ran, followed by clone infantry squads. Further back lumbered the remaining AT-TEs. To the left and right, the hulking silhouettes of ships loomed as troops continued to pour out.
Ahead, on the planet's surface, the battle was already raging — clearly visible on the bridge's panoramic displays and the tactical holotable at the command post. The advantage of these systems over any Earth counterpart was their ability to show real-time updates and shift the map scale with a simple hand gesture.
"General, everything is proceeding according to plan. The ship captains report success. The advance units are holding the perimeter, but scouts have spotted large enemy forces moving toward us from deeper within their positions. The specialists managed to destroy several of the guns; the rest have been disabled," reported Commander Zilo.
"General Squater's ship is already descending to land in the designated sector. Resistance is weak — most of the droids have been sent against us, so it'll be much easier for the general," added Captain Ragnos.
"Not bad. Everything's unfolding as expected. Stick to the approved plan. First, grind down the advancing droids, then move to the offensive," I replied, though my mind was already heavy with thought.
Well, Vikt, time to wave that lightsaber around and show some bravery, damn it... I know it's dangerous, but honestly, I need to earn some authority. Sure, the clones don't find it odd that I'm sitting here at the command post — quite the opposite, actually — but there are certain nuances in their upbringing...
As far as I know, during the clones' training, Jango Fett and his hired instructors — most of them Mandalorians — instilled the ideals of Mandalorian culture in every clone. It was, apparently, his attempt to preserve their heritage. He paid special attention to command personnel and special forces, though even some of the rank-and-file absorbed Mando culture like a dry sponge drinks up water. The influence spread quickly — including Mando'a, the Mandalorian language, which became widely spoken among the clones. Even the Phase I clone armor incorporated elements of traditional Mandalorian design.
And this fucking Mandalorian "culture" placed great value on personal bravery and heroism in battle. You could be a capable commander three times over, but if you weren't also a warrior, you wouldn't be respected. You don't have to look far for examples — Skywalker himself threw himself into the thick of battle alongside regular soldiers, surviving impossible situations. For that, the clones forgave him much — and respected him deeply.
And, to be fair, Jedi are most effective in reconnaissance and sabotage operations rather than open-field battles. Our skills and mastery of the Force truly shine there, and not to use such an asset — though calling ourselves "assets" feels rather inappropriate — would be simply irrational.
That's how it is, brother Mikore. So, let's step up to the barrier.
"Snips!"
"Yes, Teacher?"
"How about a little walk?"