The Rebel Faction

"Seems simple enough...." Lieutenant Commander Felnis started as he overlooked the battle plans centered within the Ord Mantell System. The Holographic projection flickered for a few moments as the fleet reverted to real space, just on the outside of the Ord Mantell system. Felnis smirked as the faint blue lights, indicating his ship positions appeared on the holographic map as the sensation and excitement of fleet combat flooded his emotions. "I want a full tactical readout of our fleet capabilities, Ensign." Felnis started as he slowly made his way toward the thick airlocked door that lead onto the command bridge. It was a simple ship, but the Defender Class Star Destroyer Spirit of Csilla would prove a worthy match to it's opposition.

Two Victory Class Star Destroyers flanked either side of his ship, slicing out of hyperspace in a well ordered fleet, several smaller support craft at their flanks. Their perfect formation demonstrated the precision and unrelenting dedication of the Chiss Enclave's Expansionary Defense Fleet, and it was a precision that had earned the reputation it so greatly deserved. Lieutenant Commander Felnis stood on the command bridge of the Spirit of Csilla, the ever present brown, and green tint of the planet increasing in size as the small task force eased forward through the dark recesses of space.

Felnis remained silent for a moment, observing the silence of the Holographic projection of the system displayed before him. It remained silent, the faint blue lights that represented his fleet remained the only indication of a fleet within the system. "Have we heard from Red Team yet?" Felnis inquired as he gave the tactical officer next to him a questioning look, a faint grin still on his face.

Captain Alanoor had taken his own compliment of capital class vessels around to on a different approach vector; a compliment of smaller support craft, and additional larger scaled capital vessels simular to that of Lieutenant Commander Felnis' own fleet. Alanoor's fleet remained comprised of larger scale ships, but it was no secret to a Chiss that sheer size and firepower ensured victory. Alanoor was to enter the Ord Mantell system on the opposite side, and the two fleets would engage above Ord Mantell itself.

It was no secret to the commanding officers what there true mission was.... to strike fear into the hearts of Ord Mantell's reigning Governor before the visit of the Sovereign Admiral himself. The true intention of the exercise was to intimidate the planet into submitting to a diplomatic agreement of subordination.

"Red Team confirms that they are in position, and ready to being maneuvers." the tactical officer said with a faint nod, obviously not approving of their plans. "Lieutenant Commander Felnis," the communications officer interrupted. "We have an incoming message coming from Ord Mantell demanding to know what our explaination is for being within there systems amidst armed warships."

Felnis tried to hide the smug grin on his face as he folded his hands behind his back. "Inform Ord Mantell that we are on a routine military exercise.... peaceful combat missions, nothing more. There is no cause for alarm." The imposing fleet hung in space for a few moments before the heavy lines of blue ionized gas filtered forward from the massive engines of the ships as the exercises began.

At the heml of the Defender Class Star Destroyer Warcraft, Captain Alanoor sat in silence, looming behind the shadow of one of Ord Mantell's two moons, waiting in ambush. Beside him sat the figure of Lieutenant Yuuz, the ship's chief intelligence officer. "Now that our fleet is in position for the ambush," he started a faint smile on his face. "We need to keep the Governor of Ord Mantell occupied, and intimidated to complete our real mission here..."

"I highly doubt that Governor Pataki will misbehave when the representatives arrive with our fleet in the system. Sovereign Admiral Xilen should arrive shortly after we begin our engagements." another officer added.

Alanoor nodded his head, leaning back in the crisp new black Corellian leather command chair of the Warcraft. "Reguardless of what our mission is, our current goal is to score a victory for the Red Team."
Lieutenant Yuuz nodded his head, and slowly stepped up to the viewing port of the command bridge, leaving plenty of room for the Lieutenant to get a good view of the battle that was about to take place.

Alanoor's fleet emerged from it's hiding place behind the solid brown moon that hund in space above the planet od Ord Mantell, slicing through the thick blackness of space with deadly precision. The ships moved with pinpoint accuracy, outflanking into an attack position.

"We'll have to teach Lieutenant Commander Falnis a lesson or two in Guerrilla warfare. Bring us about, and flank them. Intensify the forward firepower!"

Falnis smirked, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as the faint red dots appeared from behind the moon on there flanks. "So, he wants to play rough, does he?..." Falnis smiled a broad and proud smile as he stood from his command chair, wrapping his masculine fingers around the command bridge's railing. "Shields at maximum. Maintain currend course and heading. On my mark, break off into attack formation."

"Sarael, Lieutenant Commander."

"Battle Stations! All weapons low power. Just enough for our hits to be detected by the hit counter sensors.

"Three.... Two.... One.... Mark!"

The ships immediatly broke away from one another as Alanoor's fleet closed in behind, sending Alanoor's fleet straight through the Blue Team's ships. The Spirit of Csilla immediatly came about, firing a volley of light turbolaser fire on the engines of the Warcraft, followed closely by the rest of the Blue Team's fleet.

"Heavy Damage!" the weapons sergeant bellowed, followed closely by three mor edistress calls from pinpoint stations on the command bridge of the Warcraft. Lieutenant Alanoor frowned as he sat up, bringing a deep blue hand to meet with his chin. Lieutenant Commander Falnis' tactics were indeed... intriguing... He had tricked Red Team into thinking he was vaulnerable to attack, while at the same time he remained already prepared for the assault. He was like a Rancor that pretended to be down for the count that soon after lashed out with it's claws for the kill. He would keep that in mind....

Moments after the engagements above Ord Mantell, a single CR-90 Corellian Corvette exited hyperspace, flanked on each side by an imposing, yet innocent display of Chiss warships, innocently engaged in training missions that just happened to be in the Ord Mantell System. On the bridge of the Corvette's compact command center sat the well drssed figure of Sovereign Admiral Xilen Nuruodo, at this point a representative of the Chiss Enclave to the Governor of Ord Mantell. His mission was simple, yet held great tactical advantages to the Empire.... The annexation of Ord Mantell.

The planet itself ment nothing to the Sovereignty of the Chiss Enclave..... and nothing to the Chiss people. They could care less about the ideals, or desires of the insignificant beings that dwelled within the known regions. In fact, they cared only for a megar pocket of existance within the known regions, which remained the only reason Ord Mantell had captured there interests.

The Enclave of Chiss remained a mysterious Sovereignty; it's mysterious homeworld, and space remaining a mystery, even to the Empire, a faction that was known to have diplomatic ties with the Chiss on occasion. At the current time, most Chiss diplomatic meetings revolved around the Orion Space Station just outposted not far from the borders of Reecee's space, dominated by the infamous IDTech.

Captain Vequil shielded his eyes as the Nebulon-B2 Frigate threw off a fake explosion, to simulate its slender ‘neck’ being destroyed.

“Sir Spirit of Csilla is coming up in our rear. We have two Victory Star Destroyers on each side coming to pen us in, and a couple frigates out front.”

“Lieutenant Commander Felnis is no fool. Obviously going straightforward is a trap. If he really wants to keep us boxed in, he would have put more ships in our front vector, or larger ships. We are expected to go straight ahead, and destroy the two frigates, only to find that there is a trap waiting for us.”

“Perhaps he is using the corvettes hidden behind the frigate trick again.”

“That still wouldn’t have enough power to stop us, and he has enough ships to place another larger ship out front. Also, he doesn’t like to use the same trick twice in one battle, especially if they first time it failed. No, there has to be a plan.”

“Sir, I have it. Two dreadnaughts and four frigates, plus an Aegis Cruiser are moving in from in front. I wouldn’t have caught it, because they are simulating chasing a frigate, except I was looking for ships in that vector.”

“Good work Lieutenant. Where are Blood Gutter and Serpent’s Fang?”

“Coming up hard, just behind the Spirit of Csilla.”

“They have enough power to destroy it, don’t they?”

“Around that.”

“Excellent. Send Armour and Accuser back to help them out. Hell and Bringer of Death are to get on the port side of us, while we begin to turn to starboard. Our flank turns to them, and we exchange some broadsides, while our forward guns charge up, and prepare to target them. Hell and Bringer of Death roll out from the port, one under us and one above. They too fire on the Victory Star Destroyer. The other Victory Star Destroyer will turn to follow us, as will the frigates and backup. Spirit of Csilla, seeing we are evading the trap, while turn to follow us. They will all be out of position as our fleet returns to fire on them. Captain Alanoor may be credited for winning the battle, but as they play the recordings of the battle, they will notice how Lieutenant Commander Felnis played him like a fool, and only the timely intervention of my fleet stopped them from being chased across the sector, and my move, pulled four of their larger ships, plus some smaller ones, out of position, to be destroyed. The citizens of Ord Mantell will be so surprised by this brilliant move that the won’t have a clue what happened, and will even more inclined to join with us.”

“Excellent, plan.”

As Taskforce Exterminator moved to follow these orders, Captain Vequil smiled. The enemy were about to be surprised.

Blood Gutter and Serpent’s Fang came into range of the stern guns on Spirit of Csilla, and they all opened fire. The gunners had been concentrating on the turn that Spirit of Csilla was no making to compensate their aim for it, when Armour and Accuser fell on it. They opened fire, still speeding along, above the Defender Star Destroyers. The Corellian Corvettes rolled back and forth, dodging the return fire. This was excellent tactics, and was clearly infuriating the gunners on Spirit of Csilla. A Defender Star Destroyer being forced to suffer strafing runs from two Corellian Corvettes, and not even being able to properly return fire had to annoy them. The corvettes turned and manuvered in tandem, rolling together, though opposite ways. Blood Gutter and Serpent’s Fang were slightly less elegant, just plain opening fire on the engines of Spirit of Csilla. As much as it tried bring it’s starboard or port weaponry on them, the two ships were just to fast, matching every move, always staying on the aft, where the weaponry was weaker. Shields were falling rapidly on the Defender Star Destroyer.

Meanwhile, Exterminator had begun to fire on the Victory Star Destroyer to port, while the one to starboard was still out of range. As Exterminator started to turn, Hell and Bringer of Death rolled over and under the ship, firing at the same target. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Commander Felnis, and been to smart for Captain Vequil, four frigate came from underneath the Victory Star Destroyer, firing madly.

“Damn, I should have guess he would have reinforcements for the Victory Star Destroyers, in case we saw his trap. Helm, is there any chance for us to turn back to destroy Spirit of Csilla?”

“I’m afraid not sir. Any such turn would just leave us in the frigates and star destroyers guns for longer, or crash us into the star destroyer.”

“How about a small micro-jump out of the battle, far enough to turn around and micro-jump back in?”

“Quite possible. Navigation is working on that, and Communications can send it to Hell and Bringer of Death. Our fleet is still far enough away that their ships will be out of position, if we complete the manuvers.”

“Excellent. Do that.”

“Course laid in and it has been sent to the other ships.”

“Jump.”

Exterminator, Hell and Bringer of Death made a micro-jump and quickly turned around.

“Jump back into the fight, straight at the Spirit of Csilla. I want it to be destroyed.”
Taskforce Exterminator made a second micro-jump, just as Taskforce Red came within range of the battle. Since the ships sent on the trap were all turning around, to duplicate the first micro-jump, and then the second jump.

“Incoming message from Captain Alanoor.”

“Put it on,” sighed Vequil. Why was the captain calling now, off all times?

“Excellent strategy Captain Vequil. That double micro-jump was very effective in confusing the enemy, and put him right out of position. I also see that you are in a good position to destroy the flagship. Excellent thinking by you and your staff.”

Captain Vequil frowned. Here was an incompetent commander who would probably get a lot of credit for the win of the scenario.

“Thank you sir. Myself and my staff will be glad to do that.”

Captain Vequil signed off, full of disgust with his commanding officer to do anything else.

“All right, full speed ahead, destroy Spirit of Csilla. Once she is down we have gotten rid of their best tactician.”

“We copy sir.”

Exterminator, Hell and Bringer of Death sped up, and brought their weapons to bear on the front of Spirit of Csilla. They now had it penned in, right where they wanted it. The gunners would want to turn it to fire on both attacking forces, to do the most damage, but the attacking ships were to swift for it. The shields were failling rapidly. And then suddenly, the turbolaser blasts impacted against the hull, turning sheets of durasteel into blackened, melted hunks. The ion cannon bolts played across the hull, destroying weapon emplacements. Laser cannons, chewed away into the hull, the concussion missiles creating explosions. Suddenly another fake explosion went off at the engines, and Spirit of Csilla started to broadcast as destroyed. As taskforce Exterminator turned back into the battle, Vequil noticed the ships assigned to the trap against him were all moving to the destroyed area. The taskforce was giving out a beating to the enemy forces. Suddenly the CR-90 that the Sovereign Admiral, Xilen, was arriving on, came out of hyperspace.

"Mission over, calculate you dead, then report to the taskforce commanders. Taskforce Exterminator, escort the Sovereign Admiral in."

"This is Captain Vequil, we copy."

"And a game well played to you all."

"Lieutenant, what did we lose?"

Taskforce Exterminator move forward, and escorted the corvette down to the planet, with Armour, Accuser, Hell and Bringer of Death actually going down to the surface.

"Sir we lost 101 Chiss Clawcraft and 7 TIE Defenders."

"Excellent. Report that to Captain Alanoor. With our termendous kill and loss ratio, he would have to be an idiot to have lost the simulation."

"Done sir. They report back that Taskforce Red and Taskforce Exterminator are the winners."

"Excellent, now we just have to wait for the Sovereign Admiral to conlcude the plan."

Captain Vequil leaned back in his chair, smiling...