By the time I return to the Little Revenge I am exhausted, stims wearing off and caffine no longer in my system giving me a bad crash sometime between exiting atmosphere and entering the hallway to my quarters. I barely even remember going to sleep, never mind actually getting to my room. I do wake up in my bed, so I must have gotten there somehow. I quickly take a rather needed shower, to wipe away the grit, sweat, dry blood and shame. I change into a new uniform, feeling only marginally better though I wasn’t out of the woods quite yet. At least Balshebr had surrendered in full once that wackjob of a Governor ate blaster.

  I enter the bridge easily enough and find Mi-Kus awaiting me expectantly and holding out a datapad for me. I take it with a nod and start reading. It’s a report from Coruscant, the campaign’s been deemed a success, mainly because the second phase only ever got discussed between those who wouldn’t use its failure against us. Also a retroactive affirming of my … questionably legal actions on Balshebr over the course of the last days. Well that’s good at least.

  “What happened planetside is being kept close to chest, sir.” Mi-Kus says, “The Seps would definitely see it as a warcrime, never mind the fact that it was about as judicial as the people of Balshebr would have made it. You only ended up hanging the worst of them and ordered the rest to various levels of hard labor after all.”

  “I personally hung four hundred monsters, ordered the hanging of another six hundred thirty four.” I mutter darkly, “Would’ve hung a ten thousand more if it meant the massacre never happened.”

  “Of course, sir.” Mi-Kus agrees, “Since it’s being kept close to chest, only those who need to know do.”

  “Meaning?”

  “The bridge crew that was on shift. The people of Balshebr who witnessed it or hear of it from their buds, the soldiers planetside and the superiors who we bumped the reports up to.” Mi-Kus answers.

  “So it’ll be the entire Galaxy in a couple weeks.” I mutter.

  “Padawan Kestis does not know.”

  “How?” I ask.

  “His shift ended before you ordered the first execution and he was focused on coordinating the relief effort.” Mi-Kus answers.

  “Hm.” I grunt, “Probably for the best, kid still seems to see this war as part game and part humanitarian crisis. Pass the info along to whoever you need to. I certainly won’t put a gag-order on it.”

  “Very well, sir.” Mi-Kus replies as I hand the datapad back.

  “Anything else of note?”

  “New status report for your eyes only.” Mi-Kus says as he hands me a different datapad.

  “I’ll look it over once we’re heading to Cophrigin.” I say as I take the pad.

  “All we’re waiting for is your order.”

  “Hope and Endurance overseeing everything planetside still?” I double check.

  “Until the Garrison Regiment can take over, then they’ll return to their usual duties within the 120th.” Mi-Kus affirms.

  “Alright. All ships may jump at will.” I order as I walk over to the bridgehead. Not long after, we’re enraptured by hyperspace once more.

  I look over my maps, Kestis and Mi-Kus beside me as I adjust the outlines of Republic and Separatist held space. Too much had happened during my time fighting. If I didn’t know better I’d say the Republic had done too much at once. And yet they had succeeded and failed in almost equal measure. It was … baffling to say the least.

  “Will we lose any of our ships?” Mi-Kus asks.

  “Not yet, but we may lose Krugwolt’s regiment of Anaxsi, though if memory serves he’ll have another regiment of Targonnians ready to replace them once they return to their homeworld.” I reply as I look back towards the Core.

  Trench had broken Sector General Seerdon at Tanaab. Worse yet the Harch Admiral had broken past another three defended worlds before being halted at Chazwa by Admiral Dorja. It was a good showing from the originally Cerulean Spear officer. His defenses had worked and would likely stall Trench until proper defenses could be established further coreward. Though where they’d try and hold off the Sep Admiral wasn’t very clear. The most defensible world nearby was Castell, but Castell was a former Sep stronghold and most of her old defenses were gone, not to mention a generally hostile population that would welcome Trench with open arms. After that, maybe Brentaal or Corulag. Though both of those worlds didn’t necessarily lack in defenses they’d be hard to defend due to their importance in galactic trade.

  Even so, Tanaab had been a defeat and there was little I could do about it. Seerdon had been removed from command and shunted to Administrative duties while the Jedi took over the operations of Steel Blade Command until Trench was forced back out of the Core. I turn back to look at the Cerulean Spear’s command and smile. At least there was some good news.

  “Do you think these attacks will stop Trench?” Kestis asks, gesturing towards the Perlimian as he does.

  Various worlds had been liberated. Many formerly lost worlds to the north of the Perlimian returned to the fold of the Republic alongside three systems along the Perlimian proper. The Jedi Generals Tiplee and Tiplar had seized Euceron with elements of Blazing Claw Command and begun probing attacks on Ringo Vinda. And yet that wasn’t even the best news!

  Roche had been liberated from her constant siege by Admiral Meade. The old snapping turtle defeating the Sep forces so thoroughly outside of the system wide asteroid belt that the Seps had abandoned the small holdings they managed to keep within. The Verpine had been so relieved in their liberation that they had promised the full production of their shipyards to the war effort, where previously they had done their obligation and not a bolt more.

  Meanwhile Admiral Z’timin had seized the Rearqu cluster alongside a simultaneous assault on Giju lead by none other than Sector General Therbon. They had successfully isolated Lantilles from even a chance at Separatist resupply and placed the system under a Republic siege. Honestly the only negative I could see of the entire ordeal was that it would turn the Vaathkree Trade Corridor between Gizer and Contruum into a warzone with Republic and Separatist convoys and privateers likely massacring one another like madmen as they tried to supply opposing armies.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “No.” I answer. Trench was too far into the Inner Rim. Dangerously close to Carida already.

  “Do you think he’ll make it to Coruscant?” The Padawan asks, hiding his nervousness rather well, all things considered.

  “Also no. Trench will be halted at Anaxes. It is too valuable a world, too much a symbol, for the Republic to allow the fortress to the Core to fall.” They would rather sacrifice a hundred planets before that. The grim reality of that thought hurts me like a shot to the gut. And yet I cannot find fault in it’s inherent truth.

  “So many worlds.” Kestis mutters in horror as he looks between the Chazwa and Anaxes.

  “I doubt he’ll take them all. It’s more likely he’ll circumvent less militarily defensible or politically weak worlds such as Yabol Opa and Delle II.” Mi-Kus ponders.

  “And yet those worlds are important in other ways.” I counter. Yabol Opa may not have defenses or astronomy which made her easy to defend, but the world had a rather famous university and Delle II may have little political influence, but she supplied much of the agricultural produce of her Sector, with any surplus after that going straight to Coruscant. The gaping maw of the ecumenopolis at the center of the galaxy always hungering for more.

  Mi-Kus nods solemnly in agreement as he holds out another datapad. I read through it before passing it along to Kestis. The Padawan looks it over before speaking: “Another two squadrons?”

  “Another Jedi lead taskforce at that.” I reply. Jedi Knight Forte’s forces had been reorganized and supplemented into the Taskforce Midnight Voulge. Two squadrons, consisting of twenty ships of the line and sixteen light ships and pickets. A decent force, probably another squadron short of a true battlegroup, but a decent force none the less. And yet with only five Venators and eight Dreadnoughts, the Jedi had been tasked with establishing a siege of the Dellalt system and, if possible, seize the system entirely.

  “He’ll need reinforcements.” Mi-Kus mutters.

  “How far along is the current production line of new ships?” I ask.

  “Should be finishing up, I think five of the Dreadnoughts were already assigned to Midnight Voulge before we had any say in the matter.” Mi-Kus answers.

  “Lovely, that leaves us with … One Invincible class dreadnought that’s had almost all her weapons torn out so she can act as a fleet tender, the new Venator designation Pammant, twelve Dreadnoughts, an Acclamator II, two Arquitenses and … was it thirty or forty new Sphyrnas?” I ask.

  “Forty four total, but a couple have already been assigned and a bunch will likely be needed to restock our losses from Operation Silken Tubers.” Mi-Kus answers.

  “So closer to twenty in reality.” I mutter.

  “That seems like a lot of pickets, shouldn’t the shipyards focus on more capital ships?” Kestis asks curiously.

  “Adjutant, explain the situation, if you please.” I ask of Mi-Kus.

  “Mon Cala and her colonies have demanded they be permitted to finish their current production line, which heavily consists of Merchant Fleet Star Cruisers. That, alongside them only recently receiving the license for the Venator, means their larger yards will be slow to activate. In contrast the command has a variety of corvette production sites, the most famous being Dornea’s, but she is far from the only one. So once production goes into full swing we’ll see we can produce pickets and capital ships at a decent rate,-” Mi-Kus leads.

  Kestis gets it quickly: “But the command will have trouble making cruisers, light cruisers and frigates.”

  “Frigates won’t be too much of an issue.” I mutter. The MC30c was a wonderful frigate after all and the yards that usually made them could be retooled for the Pelta easily enough, “The problem is the larger yards only want the big contracts for capitals and the smaller yards will only make corvettes, since they’re cheaper and easier to produce on mass.”

  “Can’t you just bundle the frigate deals then?” Kestis asks.

  I consider the kid’s suggestion a bit before exchanging a glance with Mi-Kus. He gives me a shrug as I think it over. Frigate yards could usually produce a corvette and a half for every frigate, bundling them could prove an interesting offer. Eventually I answer: “I’ll propose it when the next contracts go out.”

  “So how many of these ships do you think we’ll be able to keep?” Mi-Kus asks.

  “Maybe half.” I answer, “I’ve already discussed reactivating the 2055th Logistics Section, to be used as a front line support unit.”

  “Meaning?” Mi-Kus asks.

  “I’ve traded two Dreadnoughts for two Acclamator ones and two Consulars. Use them, our Invincible in name only and two more Dreadnoughts to reactivate the 2055th.” I answer.

  “And they’ll do what exactly?” Mi-Kus asks.

  “Act as a mobile refueling, rearming and patrol force in the northern Ash Worlds and our conquests in the Triellus Trade Route. We can also take them along whenever we get the order to raid the Sep’s industrial heartland south of the Perlimian.” I answer.

  “Yeah, they’ll need the Dreadnoughts then.” Mi-Kus agrees.

  “Commander Kestis, what do you propose be done with the remaining ships?” I ask the kid.

  The Jedi in training raises and eyebrow at the shift to formality, but goes along after a moment’s thought: “You should probably keep them in reserve. Use them as replenishment for the losses over the last weeks.”

  “A solid answer. We’ll do exactly that, with the exclusion of the ships already allocated to garrison duty.” I reply.

  “Don’t worry kid, that means every ship except for the Dreadnought designate Cophrigin and maybe half of the corvettes.” Mi-Kus placates.

  The Padawan nods in understanding as I look over a new datapad R4 handed me. A report about commendable work done over the last campaign. I feel the smile on my face grow: “Ah, the best part of any job, the rewards.”

  I wake up from my nap with a start. Someone was knocking on my door with a fervor. I get up quickly, not bothering to try and make myself more presentable as dread pools into my stomach. What could possibly be so important? Had the Seps countered and retaken a world just liberated? The alarms weren’t blaring, so we weren’t under attack.

  The door opens with a hiss to reveal a panicked looking Padawan Kestis in front of me. I blink in mild confusion, this wasn’t part of his usual duties: “Commander, report.”

  “The Jedi Temple was just bombed.”

  What? My confusion is plain and I shake my head in confusion: “Alright kid, come inside and get the report out.”

  The fourteen year old follows me inside as R4 whistles to ask what’s going on. I gesture towards the kid and she gives a whine of affirmation as I put up the map and take the report from the Jedi’s gloved hands. The first thing I notice, this was an internal matter of the Jedi, the second, the Jedi have rather nice datapads.

  A handful of deaths, both servicemen, Jedi, Clones and staff, a decent bit of property destruction and a clearly upset teenager. I let out a sigh as I give the map back and gesture R4 forwards. The report had leaned towards possible sabotage and more or less ruled out the idea of it being an accident. There’d probably be an investigation, someone would eventually be found, tried and dealt with.

  “What do you want me to do about it?” I ask into the room, “I shouldn’t’ve even seen the damn report yet.”

  Kestis shrinks in on himself slightly: “Master Tapal … isn’t here right now and I’ve been having trouble not focusing on my anxieties.”

  “And this was the tipping point.” I sigh out in understanding. I take a deep inhale before letting out a hiss of a breath. Alright, might as well console the poor kid, “Kid, this is a tragedy. I can understand the … anxiety the war can bring, especially when it hits home. You can’t focus on it. Work around it, use it as a motivator if you need it, but don’t focus on it. Things will resolve themselves sooner than later and you can put this behind ya.”

  The kid tries to process it as I look over the map. If the Seps were conducting more terror attacks things could easily devolve. Wasn’t it a Sep terror attack on Coruscant that had thrown peace talks out the airlock? Were there secret negotiations the Seps were trying to undermine or was it simple sabotage? Maker knows we’ve caught our fair number of sabotage agents from Sep Intelligence, though one of them did blow up a small Hersch-Kessel plant on Lothal that supplied us with Starchasers.

  “Can we help them?” Kestis asks.

  “Who?” I ask the boy to be more precise.

  “Is there anyone we could contact to help in the investigation?” Kestis clarifies.

  I hum absentmindedly. There probably were a couple folks I could contact from the HONO Clique, but this was Jedi business. I slowly shake my head as I answer: “It’s an internal Jedi investigation. The military might try to muscle in, but we don’t have much authority to do anything other than support Jedi action. Unless the Jedi submit themselves to a military investigation, in which, if you still want it and General Tapal approves of your request, I can pull some strings I have on Coruscant.”

  The kid relaxes slightly at that and I let out a bit of a sigh. I take his silence for him thinking it over, he does it about as often as I do now that I think about it. Nodding to myself I walk over to my desk and get out the guestfood. It was about time for breakfast anyway and the kid and I both needed something comforting.

  “You eaten anythin’ yet today?” I ask.

  “No, Admiral.” Comes the reply and I nod to myself, deciding that I might as well get out the good stuff for the kid.

  “Call me Thraken kid. At least when we’re in private like this.” I order before getting to work.

  R4 rolls up beside the desk so she can watch me do work and annoy me with corrections if I dare to make a single mistake. The bread comes out of the storage unit first, then the cheese and knives. Practiced motions and soon enough there’s a small open faced sandwich for each of us. I gesture the curious looking kid to take a seat and take out a pitcher of water and two cups. Pouring myself a glass first and taking a sip of it before pouring the kid a glass. Then I take a small bite of the bread and swallow.

  “As the guest, take a sip of water and a bite of the food before doing anything else.”

  “Wh-”

  “Eh!” I warn the kid. He gives me an odd look, but takes a sip of water and a bite from the food anyway.

  “Alright, then. Ask away.” I say before taking another bite.

  “What is this?” The kid asks.

  “A traditional Fondorian guestmeal. You haven’t eaten, I haven’t either, you and I are both stressed, so I do what my parents and their parents and so on did. I sit down, I enjoy this meal and I think.” I reply.

  “So … why?”

  “Because it’s tradition. I’ve had this meal with most of my direct subordinates and quite a few indirect ones, might as well introduce ya to it too with you and your Master sticking about. Mind you, for a formal dinner this is usually, simply, the appetizer, a formality and insurance of good conduct.” I explain.

  “And … this helps you?” The kid asks incredulously.

  “Helped both of us.” I reply, taking a sip of water before continuing, “Every action must be precise, so it acts as a quick way to focus on something relatively benign and for you, it was sudden and seemingly random, which snagged you from your spiral. Now eat your food, drink your water and enjoy the quiet, Maker knows it will not last.”

  The kid nurses his water as he contemplates and I take another bite. Not a great start to the day, but I could certainly be worse.