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417th Flagship Ven 000417 “Red Draigon”

Preparing to jump to Ord Mantell

The bridge of the Red Draigon Venator Star Destroyer was buzzing. Over a dozen naval clones ran about busily checking their stations and readying the ship for combat. It was a short notice mission, the Senate hardly gave the 417th Legion enough time to get all the troops aboard the fleet before they were expected to head towards Ord Mantell. Senior Commander CC 33-1297, nicknamed Blue, stood with his helmet tucked under his shoulder on one side of the holographic battle table. Standing with him was the Jedi General Jiyan Krik and the fleet admiral Crezci’eri’ando. This was his first time meeting either of them.

Blue couldn’t help but think that the Jedi was ugly, his face looked mangled together by some mad scientist. He also couldn’t help but think that the Admiral was very attractive with her blue skin and deep red eyes. Perhaps both of these judgements were based on the fact that he had hardly ever known anyone with a face other than his own for his entire life. Such was the fate of every clone. 

“Commander, you were saying?” The Admiral spoke up, he enjoyed her voice. It came from the only humanoid female he had ever met. She stood there arms crossed waiting for him to finish.

“Right,” he snapped out of his inward thoughts, “as you can see the blockade is weak here.” He pointed at a lone Separatist Frigate at the end of the enemy formation. “The Navy can make short work of this vessel and cover the gunships as they run troops to the ground.” 

“Agreed, though we can’t send our entire formation after a single ship.” The Admiral placed her hands on her hips. They were not given enough time to plan this attack. The entire ground strategy was basically full frontal assaults on two areas with heavy droid activity. She didn’t like it, it felt amateurish.

Jedi Master Jiyan Krik stood silent, gazing at the holographic projection before him with his huge red eyes, as the two officers discussed the pending battle. As General of the 417th Legion, it would be at Krik's word that hundreds if not thousands of clones would go off to die today. Minimizing casualties would be essential to succeeding in reclaiming Ord Mantell. Firstly, he would have to address how to break the blockade. The lone ship highlighted before him did seem like a safe option, but it also seemed like a wasted opportunity. 

"Admiral." Krik's voice was deep and had a vibratory quality to it. "I agree that sending the entire formation to this weak point is not an option." Krik moved around the hologram to find the strongest point of the blockade. "As far as we are informed, the Separatists have no reason to expect us. Perhaps the element of surprise would be best put to use if we make a direct attack on the strongest part of the blockade." Krik raised his hand to point out his suggested target. He raised one of the three long, bony fingers on his hand to the hologram. If we come out of hyperspace as close to this point as possible, we should be able to rip the strongest point of the blockade apart before they even realize what's happening." Krik stepped back around the table, alongside the Chiss Admiral. Her eyes were a deep red like his own, yet she was much more pleasant to look at.

Admiral Cieria nodded in agreement with the Jedi's plan. He had highlighted the Separatist command vessel, one of two Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ships. "I'll move all four of our capital ships against the middle. With a surprise attack we should be able to take the command ship through overwhelming force." She moved the holograph back to the lone frigate. "I recommend sending three Acclamators to take the lone ship out and get our troops on the ground. They can rejoin the battle once they are done and flank the blockade." 

"Good idea, I would send the Big Blue under Captain Polly as the lead ship for the run on the frigate." The Clone Commander spoke up again. This was the first conversation that the three of them had ever had but the plan was forming nicely. "Sir," he said as he put his helmet on the side of the table and turned toward the general, "we really must look into the battle plan on the ground. I don't like the idea of rushing my men blindly into battle." He leaned over the table and zoomed into the Separatist facility that was to become their base of operations on the ground. "We'll have to land at least a kilometer out if we are going to avoid those anti air cannons, and even that is a little close for comfort. The urban landscape should give the infantry plenty of cover but with the cannons and the blockade we'll be hurting for air support."

Krik examined the glowing blue landscape sprawled out before him. Blue was right that the buildings provided cover, but they also forced the clones to attack via easily defensible lanes. It would be a difficult assault no matter what, but it would be even more difficult without air support. "We could use the AT-TEs. They have magnetised feet, am I correct?" Krik pointed out seven tall buildings in various places around the compound. "If the AT-TEs scale the far side of these buildings their ascent should go unnoticed. From there they should have a good elevated firing position to act as makeshift support for our advancing troops." Krik circled around the table to get a better view of the target. "Land troops on all four sides. We can divide their firepower between multiple forces, and cut off escape at the same time. That should help to ensure our victory." 

As soon as the Jedi finished talking the door at the back of the room slid open. Commander Spook and the Commander of the Armored Division walked in followed closely by what looked like a walking cat. The three of them walked around the holo table and joined in on the discussion. 

"That all depends on how stable those buildings are. If they fall apart as soon as my walkers start to scale them it'll be damn hard to do anything." The Armored Commander spoke up. Apparently they heard that part of the plan from the next room. "Is there a problem sir?"

"Who is that?" Blue asked, he had been making a pretty dumbfounded face ever since the cat entered the room. With his luck it was going to be someone important and his words were going to sound highly disrespectful.

Commander Spook walked alongside the Armoured Division Commander and an upright feline. Spook had trouble remembering the Commander's name: he was an entirely forgettable man, coming from someone who looked identical to nearly a quarter of a million others. The feline was Vail Lencer though, their new Jedi Knight of the 1st Legion. Like the Jedi he had witnessed rarely in the training center, Vail too was quiet and unconcerned with the clones surrounding him in any personal capacity. Body shields for his advance, Spook supposed. It did not matter though, as they had breached the door of High Command. Around a holographic table stood Jiyan Krik, the Jedi Legion General, talking calmly to Commander Blue, Spook's own commander as well as comrade, the leader of the 1st Regiment. Among them was the Admiral whom he had forgotten the name of; it wasn't often the Navy and the Army mixed, therefore little interaction was had. Spook approached the table and saluted the High Command. The sudden change in tone, courtesy of Commander Blue, changed the mood though. Spook cleared his throat. "It's a Jedi, apparently, Sir. Vail is it's name," Spook interjected. He looked up at the mixture of incredulous, shocked, and unperturbed faces. The Infantry Commander stepped forward again, to the edge of the table. 

"What the other Commander said. If those buildings are unstable or if the metal inside has lost its magnetism those AT-TE's are going diving. I agree with the Jedi Master though, we can only attack from four sides. They have too much fire- and man-power to attack from any less, and any more means unorganised chaos," Commander Spook said. He pricked the hologram on the steepest of the sides. "Send the 99th up there. They've been trained for this sort of high-risk approach, I believe they can handle it." He stabbed the sloped road heading up to the city entrance. "Send the Armoured up there with a battalion of Infantry. This is mainly to draw the fire, their advance will be almost entirely halted but if they lay enough rounds down then it will keep the scum busy until the walls have been scaled, and the Armour will stop them being mowed down, Hopefully," Spook added. This wasn't sure fire, he hadn't had combat experience with the Separatists before. But these are the plans he was trained to make, the effective ones. "The remaining armour should be able to carry the infantry up here," Spook pointed to the two remaining sides, "and pincer in. This will allow the Infantry and Armour on the road to haul butt and keep them under fire while the 99th close the hole." Spook presented his plan to the Generals at the table, hoping for improvement or approval. Disgust wouldn't be well-received.

Turning his feline eyes from one clone to the other, the exotic creature would appear to have a rather unamused expression on his face. His fur pattern would draw him rather mystical to say the least, the black coloration upon his white fur spiraling and twisting into elegant shapes one wouldn't deem natural at first glance. "'It'...objectification is quite lovely, especially if it comes from a...clone..." The Jedi would think for himself, his thoughts trailing off for a moment before he turned his attention back to the war table. Jedi Master Krik and the others had been debating this for a while already and given the fact that Vail had already been introduced, he found little need in doing so again. With his arms crossed, the silent feline stood leaning against a metallic table quietly, analyzing the scene unfolding before him. Vail was a good combatant, but not very comfortable with combat briefings and plans of attack. He would much rather have someone else with a more strategical mind in charge of such a task. 

The soldiers before him had been throwing ideas back and forth but seemed unable to come to a consensus. Master Krik appeared to enjoy a full frontal assault given their element of surprise, but that idea seemed to be challenged. Meanwhile, the proposition of striking towards the separatists weakest point was being debated. Slowly raising his hand to scratch his chin, Vail's claws gently made their way through his fur and unto his skin. He would add his own opinion on the matter, but truthfully he wasn't a tactician. Vail wasn't a military man or a soldier. On the battlefield he would do better in leading an attack rather than planning one over a table. Silence would continue to grip the cat as he placed his hands on the edge of the table, halfway sitting on it while listening to the others speak. This was their first battle, wasn't it? The clones were designed for this very purpose, the very concept of choice foreign to them. Despite this being their first real fight, they were ready, prepared and eager to begin. Combat had a thrill to it unmatched by anything else, but hopefully they understood what they were getting themselves into. "No matter how we do this, our enemy has the upper hand. I am unsure of how effective a Clone Trooper is in combat, real combat...I am curious to see how far they are willing to stretch their humanity..." Clones already had a reputation, and some people saw them as nothing more than weapons with opinions. It would be interesting to see what they were truly capable of. Hopefully the Republic hadn't created the 'Flesh Droids' some believed these warriors to be. Each and everyone one of them was an individual, something that would be glaringly obvious in the face of danger. It was after all said that nothing got you to know someone more than the heat of battle. "Whenever they've decided on an attack plan, I'll be ready..." The cat's feline eyes would continue to analyse his allies, from one person to the other. "This ought to hurt more than a simulation..."

The second Jedi remained silent, Spook had obviously struck a nerve when he used the word 'it'. Blue gave the other clone a stern look with a clear message, watch your mouth around the Jedi. "Sorry general, we aren't used to seeing different faces." 

The admiral slammed her hand down on the holo table drawing attention back to the discussion. "We have orders from the Senate to jump to Ord Mantell within the next two hours. Let's figure this out right now!" She was getting a little flustered, for the supposed command of the 417th Legion, they were beginning to act less than professional. "Master Krik said the tanks are going to scale the buildings and fire down on the enemy until I can give you air support, he's in charge so that's the plan." 

Blue nodded in agreement. "She's right, now we have one more plan to sort out. Dar Stochen and his Resistance are located here." He turned back to the table and brought up a view of Fort Garrick on the planet surface. "The clankers have them surrounded but their formation is packed too tight. Spook, I know you want to support the charge on the urban facility but I need the entire 2nd infantry Regiment at Fort Garrick if we are going to have any chance of breaking their offensive."

"Divide and conquer." The admiral spoke up again, "Agreed, we'll also have to send half of our armored units with the second regiment."

"Right, with how the enemy is spread around Garrick we should be able to encircle them entirely with the Battalions under Commander Spook's command and half of our Armored Division. We'll outflank them and cut off any chance of retreat. They'll lose half of their droids before they even know what's happening." 

"That depends on if your troops can pull such a maneuver off." The admiral said crossing her arms again. "The Clone Army is still untested."

"Oh don't worry about us admiral, we're the blasted best there is." Blue said with a chuckle. He turned back to the Ongree Jedi Master. "Of course this is all up to you sir. We're awaiting orders."

Krik had been silent since his former Padawan Vail Lencer had joined them on the bridge. Now, it was finally time to give the orders. "One last time then, now that everyone is present." Krik brought the hologram out to show the blockade, intending to run through the entire plan once more. "The Venators will come out of hyperspace and target this command ship here, accompanied by all but three of the Acclamators. These three, led by the Big Blue, will target this weak point here at the edge of the blockade. Once the blockade is dealt with, the Admiral will assemble our own planetary blockade to prevent any threat of escape and secure safe supply lines. From here, myself and Commander Blue will take the 1st Regiment and half of our AT-TEs to this complex here. The AT-TEs will scale the buildings and provide fire support for the four-pronged attack. General Lencer and Commander Spook will take the 2nd Regiment to lift the siege at Fort Garrick. It is crucial that you totally encircle the besieging forces and trap them between us and the militia. Air support will be crucial to the success of this task. Once the fort is secured, reinforce your position and make contact with the Resistance leaders, and ensure you are prepared for a counter attack." Jiyan Krik stood up as straight as his slouched form would allow him, and looked around the the faces of every member of the High Command. "This will not be easy. Expect fierce resistance and heavy casualties. Whatever happens, keep in contact, so that we can adjust according to how this unfolds." It was now time for the official orders. Krik's first orders as a General of the Grand Army of the Republic. 

"Admiral, set our course for Ord Mantell. Prepare your fighter wings for combat and ensure some are kept in reserve in case the Separatists mobilize air forces against our ground assault. Send word to the rest of the fleet and get the bomber wings prepared to support General Lencer and Commander Spook's forces on the ground. Commander Blue, Commander Spook, ready the gunships and inform your men of the plan." Krik wasn't sure if his commands had come accross how he'd wanted them to. They seemed so convoluted in his mind as he ran through his words. Still, it was unimportant. They had a battle to fight. "May the Force be with you all."

Space over Ord Mantell

"Admiral, we'll be exiting hyperspace in five, four, three, two, one..." The abrupt drop out of hyperspace sent the entire bridge crew forward with a slight jolt. The Draigon appeared as close as it could to the droid command ship without plunging into it head-first. 

"Concentrate fire on the Lucrehulk, deflector shields at full power." She yelled at her bridge crew. The clones ran about their stations with a hurried pace. The ship made as sharp a turn as it could to avoid contact with the enemy ship. "Send out the fighters." The ship's hangar opened and dozens of clone fighter pilots flew their ships into combat. 

HotShot, Striker Squadron's leader, lead the charge. His ship sped out of the hanger first. The Separatist didn't even have anything in the air for him to shoot yet. He banked his ship hard to the right and started an attack run on the Lucrehulk with his pilots in formation following him closely. They made a full pass over the enemy before they even started firing back. Eventually dozens of droid fighters entered the battle. He made another hard turn and shot the first one he could see out o the sky. It exploded so close to his own ship that he had to dodge out of the way of the debris.

"That's one!" He yelled over the open comm. 

"Keep the chatter to a minimum Striker One." The Admiral's voice filled his head. He simply grunted and shot another droid out of the sky. The Draigon began taking a few hits but the enemy was still in disarray. The concentrated fire of all four Venator Star Destroyers broke through the Lucrehulk's shields and began taking chunks of metal out of its hull. 

"Sir, the enemy frigates are closing into our position." Captain Proto yelled from across the bridge.

"Get a few of our Acclamators to cut them off, the command ship is almost gone." As soon as she finished her orders the Clone Captain relayed them to the rest of the fleet. At least he followed orders well enough. The Draigon took another hit, this time sending a bump throughout the entire ship. She cursed under her breath and checked the console to her right. The shields were holding well enough but they couldn't take this combined fire for much longer.

A squadron of droid bombers headed for one of the Venators was interrupted by HotSHot and Dog. Each of the clones gathered two confirmed kills from the enemy squad. "WooHoo!" HotShot let out a cry of glee. He was having much ,ore fun than the simulations were ever able to give him.

"Shut it HotShot, you've got one on your tail." Dog said over the squadcomm. He fired at the droid chasing his friend and destroyed it, the battle was heating up.

"Karabast, thanks Dog." As he finished his statement the Lucrehulk exploded. The force sent large chunks of metal flying through space. He rolled his ship to dodge the debris bu one of the larger pieces killed one of his men. He cursed and rolled to dodge again.

Admiral Cieria smiled, but only briefly. "Split our ships down the middle and cut their formation in half. I want a U-Shaped battle line to surround the edges of each side of the blockacde in the middle." One of the enemy frigates also exploded. So far the battle was going well, the Separatist armada was cut off from each other. The Draigon headed for the other Lucrehulk in the fleet. "Did the Big Blue and the others get the troops on the ground yet?" 

"The gunships are entering the atmosphere now sir." Captain Proto yelled back.

"Good, we've got a long way to go."

Surface of Ord Mantell

The gunships flew into the atmosphere above the enemy urban complex with the shutter doors closed. Twenty clones including Commander Blue and Lieutenant Kai from first company stood in the darkened passenger area with General Krik. A dim red light illuminated the plain white body armor of most of his men signifying that it was not yet time to unload. 

"Nothing like a good battle to wake a soldier up eh Commander." Kai spoke up, a few of the other clones chuckled.

"If it wakes a soldier up I can only imagine what its doing to you Kai." That sent another wave of chuckles throughout the transport. The humor was short-lived however. The flak from the anti air guns could be felt bombarding the skies. The gunship next to their's exploded in a ball of fire. 

"I'm going to have to land sir, this can't be flown through." The pilot's voice came over the comm. 

"Understood." Blue answered back. "Get ready boys, we're about to show the tinnies how a real soldier fights." 

"Damn straight sir." One of the men said. The ship landed roughly on the ground. After a few seconds the lit turned green and the doors opened. Droids were already on them, the man to Blue's left was shot in the chest and fell to the ground dead.

"Go go go." Kai yelled. The men sprinted forward firing their weapons. Blue took two of them down before taking cover behind a pile of rubble. They were in the outskirts of the facility and the battle had just begun.
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