“On target.” The helmsman reported, offering a slight nod to Commodore Scoresbey. Outside the viewports, the dark fabric of space was spread out in front of the fleet. Visible in the distance was the tiny orb that was Farquak; a capital world of the terrorists.

Commodore Scoresbey could already taste the sweet taste of victory. Corellia was yesterday, the diversion at Farquak only hours old. Mon Calamari would be proceeding even now.

He savoured these moments. The empowering feeling, fuelling him, preparing him for the moment when his fleet would hurtle forward through hyperspace and strike their enemy down.

Like, the Commodore mused for a moment, the Arrow of God.

According to Imperial Intelligence, the terrorists hailed to many false Gods, in the same fashion as the fallen Empires of old. But their Gods had failed them!

Indeed, perhaps their Gods had never been fighting for them.

Perhaps the Gods were in truth on the side of the Empire?

The Wrath of the Gods!

He could smell the sour scent of sweat, lingering in the air as the fleet awaited its orders. There was no fear; such feeling was not present amongst the tried and trained Imperial fleet. Only a tense anticipation of the upcoming battle.

Every member of the fleet knew in their heart and in their mind that the New Order was destined to reign supreme. Where the Old and New Republics had fallen, the Rogue Empire, the Galactic Defence Initiative, the Divine Order, the Duskhan League, and a hundred others had fallen, the Empire had remained strong.

And where the terrorists fell, the Empire would be there still.

Even after the devastation wrought upon the galaxy by the war with the Rogue Empire and the so-called “New Empire” the Empire was strong. Stronger, even, than it had been in the days before Wrath. Imperial Space spread from the furthest extents of the galaxy to its very centre at Coruscant, and beyond.

Commodore Scorsebey had the feeling that he could recognize Imperial Space whenever he was in it, though the constellations and patterns differed immensely from system to system. Here, on the edge of Imperial Space, he could even feel as if he had only just walked out the front door.

Almost as if this space, too, was by right belonging to the Empire.

As indeed it was.

The Commodore smiled thinly, pondering in the silence all these things and more.

Captain Gavin awaited the necessary order.

Almost before the Commdore provided it, the countdown began. On every ship of the Imperial fleet, the countdown was ticking downward on their consoles.

And then, jumping as one, the fleet entered the swirling blue vortex of hyperspace.

The flight in hyperspace was just over ten minutes – long enough for the Commodore to contemplate exactly what lie ahead.

“Reversion in four minutes.” The Captain reported evenly, keeping one eye on the display built into his chair. Around them (though they could not feel it) the fleet was slowing, preparing to enter the outer reaches of the Farquak system.

The countdown was still moving.

“Ten seconds!” Came the call, and they could feel the fleet decelerating now as it reached the mass shadow of the planet.

The blue tunnel of hyperspace was gone, replaced with the tiny pinpricks of stars far off in the distance. And, directly ahead…

The massive shape of Farquak filled the viewports, blocking out nearly two thirds of their vision.

“ComScan is detecting an energy field protecting the planet.” The sensor officer reported. “And several thousand mines in orbit.”

The fleet had closed the distance to the planet swiftly, and now they came to a halt, shields fully raised and weapons armed, out of range of the enemy minefields and any surface-based weapons that they may have.

“Anything else?” The Commore asked eagerly. Their primary objective was – as always – the giant construction facilities that produced the terrorists’ machines of war.

“Negative, Sir. Probably around the planet.”

Which meant that the vaunted Imperial Intelligence had fucked up.

“Very well. Proceed with launching fighters, ensure all shields are brought back to full as soon as they’re clear. Communications, jam all enemy communications. Tactical, give me firing patterns for the most efficient clearing of that minefield.”

If all went according to plan, the battle would be short and swift.


Imperial Task Force “Insidion”

Reign Class Star Destroyer Invincible
Reign Class Star Destroyer Pandemonium
Reign Class Star Destroyer Allegiance
Attack Class Carrier Sphere Indefatigable
Star Avenger Tactical Assault Platform Stalwart
Star Avenger Tactical Assault Platform Vixen
6 Illustrious Class Fast Attack Cruisers (Illustrious I – VI)
8 Immobilizer 1227 Frigate
8 Fire Class Light Frigates
3 Shroud Class Assault Cruisers

216 TIE Defenders
660 TIE Devils
576 Starfury Assault Starfighters
18 Skipray Blastboats

The space surrounding the terrorist world was empty. Empty, of course, on a purely tactical level. Certainly, there were many mines remaining, concentrated mostly (they could see) around the massive terrorist shipyards that were just now coming into view.

"Targets aquired." The tactical officer said. "Mine field has not yet reacted to our presence."

And it wouldn't, the Commodore knew, until they entered its effective range. Which wouldn't be happening - yet.

"Stalwart and Vixen to move forward." He ordered calmly, watching the two Assault Platforms break formation and head into the minefield, slowly.

Immediatly, the enemy defences locked onto the largest target they saw. But the SATAPs were equal to that, their shields taking the assaults with (from this distance) ease. They were equipped, Scoresbey knew, with a complete network to disperse enemy ion fire.

They could handle it.

And all the while, their anti-missile defences were firing back, along with the quad turbolasers and laser cannons. Fire lanced out in all directions, cutting the tiny mines apart.

But there were thousands of mines, all firing on the two ships. Eventually, if this continued, they would be overwhelmed.

"Devils and Starfuries foward." The Commodore ordered with casual grace, and the two groups - more than a thousand ships all told - moved forward.

The mines ignored them, their tiny profiles presenting no target to the unsophisticated droid brains of the enemy devices. At any rate, they were occupied with the two Star Avengers.

Lasers blazing, the fighters came in from the flanks, tearing into the sides of the minefield and detonating dozens of mines as they flew.

The mines ignored them, content to waste fire on the SATAPs. But there still many of them. It would take some minutes for the fighters to clear them, if this were to continue.

"Missiles primed." An officer reported, and the Commodore nodded. There were not many - but these warheads were special.

"Fire." With one word, the missiles were released into the midst of the mine field. Not ordinary missiles. These were special.

They made their way into the midst of the minefield and exploded. The Diamon Boron Missiles had been designed to work against shielded starfighters.

Against unshielded, tiny mines, they were devestating. By this time, large gaps were appearing in the enemy mine field, and the fleet began to slide forward, still hanging out of range, but closer to the yards.

"Intel reported the presence of a shield network on the surface." Scoresby said, and smiled thinly. "Eliminate it."

It was all part of the plan. Unlikely that their enemy would be so foolish, but a part nonetheless.

The Immobilizers - small frigates armed with a plethora of Ion cannons - dropped into the atmosphere, taking care to keep away from the mines and unleashed their cannons against the shield generators below.

They would be useless for the duration of the attack, at any rate.

As the Immobilizers rejoined the fleet, Scoresbey smiled.

"Ensure all enemy communications are jammed."

The battle ws going well.

The battle was indeed going well.

The Imperial forces had succeeded in breaching the outer perimeters of the mine shell, the SATAPs and fighter craft pushing through and cutting a path to the yards themselves.

A previous Imperial attack had left one of the shipyards a wreck, and the debris torn from it since the fight was still visible hovering in orbit above the planet.

By all appearances, the Galactic Coalition had abandoned the planet – and the facilities there.

“Status of our ships?” Commodore Scoresbey asked, watching as the ion fire continued to pour in and attack the Vixen and Stalwart. The amount of fire had dropped considerably in the last few minutes, but every second the ships spent in the minefield the more risk they faced.

“They’ve suffered some minor systems failures.” An officer reported eagerly. “The Phalanxs are still functioning, though.”

That was good, at any rate. For every ion shot that connected with the ships, three were detonated by fire from the anti-missile defences. It was a game of give and take, and it might have ended in favour of the Coalition if it were not for the fighters still moving through the field and blasting mines out of their paths.

The squadrons acted like the massive machines farmers used to tend to their lands, raking across great tracts of space and leaving nothing but churned debris from the broken mines in their path. Turbolaser fire from the two Assault Platforms only added to the mayhem.

By this time, a great tunnel was clear of mines – not a single unit remaining in range of the Empire’s forces as they came on. Drop ships were launching from the undersides of the Reign Class Star Destroyers now, and making their way quickly towards the shipyards that graced the planet’s orbit like massive sentinels of old.

The shield generators below were offline, and not likely to come back on before the Empire’s task here was done. The Immobilizers were very efficient at their tasks, and had done a remarkable job in ensuring the units would take hours to activate once more.

That was far more time than the Imperial fleet needed.

Shuttles were hitting the decks of the orbital shipyards, now, and Stromtroopers and Naval Troopers were rushing to secure the command decks of the massive steel construction facilities. Little resistance was met – the civilians encountered were quickly subdued with stun shots as the soldiers rushed to their destinations.

All was going according to plan. Better, even.

They were ahead of schedule.

“Enemy defences?” The Commodore asked, casting a long look at the two Assault Platforms hovering in the midst of the rubble.

“Nonexistent, Sir. All remaining mines are out of effective range.” Of the 25 000 that had been visible at first, less than a fifth remained. The others had been reduced to dust by the Empire’s advance, left derelict or destroyed over the planet.

“Ensure anything large enough to strike the surface is destroyed. With their shields out, we can’t afford for anything to slip by.”

“Aye, Sir.”

Ahead of schedule…