[GJW XVII - Animus] Chapter 3 and Epilogue
Bridge, Legacy-class Star Dreadnaught “Legacy”
Brotherhood Formation, Contested Space
Cor'neria System — Collective Territory
44 ABY
“Can you see what lies on the other side of this battle?” Renatus said aloud as his final conversation with Uji replayed in his mind.
The Grandmaster struggled against himself. Rage, bitterness, and sorrow pulled Renatus and Thane in differing directions.
Warbling on the lower deck broke his reminiscence as officers scrambled back to their posts.
The Legacy’s shields flared as Collective vessels fired volley after volley toward her; the silver-blue shimmers reflected against the Grandmaster’s golden eyes as he stared through the chaos.
“Sir… We’ve got contacts. Scanners have picked up activity on the far side of the planet,” one of the crew reported, their voice pitched high, “Collective vessels, sir—” “The forward assault force is taking heavy fire, Grandmaster!” Another voice shouted from the furthest edge of the deck.
The rest of the Collective’s fleet had waited in the wings, where visual detection and sensors wouldn’t give them away. They waited for the Iron Legion’s main force to fragment itself, for logistics chains to map themselves, and then they struck like a pit viper strikes a scurrier too close to their nest.
The Grandmaster cursed beneath his breath and slammed a hand on his console.
“Sir, we’re reporting heavy losses from the forward assault force,” another shouted, “both Dragon and Fate squads are claiming heavy casualties. Two-in-Five ships are incapacitated.”
How? How had the battlefield gotten so far out of hand? Renatus’s vision blurred as another battery of turbolasers danced across the Legacy’s forward shields. Why couldn’t he see the path his best friend sacrificed himself to open for them? Why did he feel apart from himself?
“The Collective ships— they’re firing indiscriminately!? Sir, the enemy is firing on one another!”
A thread.
The Collective had fractured, and they were caught in the middle of a very different conflict, caught between a cornered mouse and a prowling lothcat, and now both were fighting to survive. The Firrerreo turned to Avitus, the shell of a man who flinched every time the shields flared.
Seeds planted bear fruit.
“We’ve lost air dominance over the Nei’joule.” The cacophony grew.
Air dominance was Storm Squadron and the 121st Air Support Wing’s, meaning Barafu’s, detail. Before Renatus could even begin to process this detail, commlinks from across the fleet began to overlap as comms officers, commanders, or any warm, surviving bodies searched for help in the void.
The discordant dissonance of fear was not new to Renatus, but for so many of the panicked to be those he had held in esteem, served alongside, or broken bread with, caught the Grandmaster off guard.
“Communic—” Another deck officer began, only to be immediately cut off.
“Stop shouting! Route all communications through The Legacy; the more our men hear each other panic, the further it will spread. Move coordination to my console!” A sharp voice commanded from the back of the deck. “Grandmaster. The enemy is firing on one another, as well as our forces. Your orders?”
Grand Moff Lena Rhell’s presence commanded the rest of the deck and settled nerves that had otherwise set to panic, the brief respite giving Renatus a moment to recollect and take a breath.
As Grandmaster Renatus drew a measured breath, he cast a sidelong glance to the greying woman, blackened eyes narrowed, focused on the intense green eyes poring over the holotank before they returned to the battle at hand.
Not consequence. Responsibility. Uji’s words compelled him. He had a responsibility to lead them through this storm.
“Reserve forces, engage. Order the forward assault force to retreat and regroup. Provide support for all agile vessels and deterrence for any too damaged to move under their own power,” he commanded. “Inform the Clans.”
The bridge of the Legacy exploded into activity under the Grandmaster’s orders, as the staff began to relay and communicate orders to the rest of the fleet.
“Sir. They’re already here. I’m reading signals from Arconan, Odanite, and Taldryan Republic vessels.”
Read the complete third chapter and the epilogue of the Seventeenth Great Jedi War here.
Summary:
- A secondary fleet commanded by Rath Oligard emerges from behind Nei’kapo
- The Iron Navy, in disarray without Uji or Renatus’ presence, suffers heavy casualties.
- Clan fleets, spearheaded by Arcona, Odan-Urr, and Taldryan, arrive and inflict heavy casualties on the dueling Collective Fleets.
- Alaris Jinn unveils financial measures taken against Capital Enterprises offering Varryn Antillus a chance to peaceably surrender.
- Vigo and Velira lead a strike team into the Technodome: their mission - gather and scrub the remnants of Technocratic Guild intelligence.
- Avitus disappears from The Legacy.
- Dacien lands at the Oligard Estate.
- A funeral with full honors is held for Uji Tameike.
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Good soup!
Insert log jokes On a more serious note, this is amazing. I love how easily you mix serious storytelling with the cheesiest fucking jokes. Bubba with the PSL will live on forever.
@Tor it's a process and I learned during a COU event that writing dry technical combat, or just consistent combat can be waaaaay to draining for some of our members. The humor adds just the right touch of levity to keep members engaged, amused, and remind us that we're still humans with complex emotions, even in the worst of times.
A good send off, I appreciate the story team not only for a damn good ending to a 10+ year character but for establishing the fiction moving forward for the Fist's office in the interim.