Chapter 99: Back into Battle
Summary: Oh, those poor, poor souls on the wrong side of Chaotic Sexy...
Chapter 99: Back into Battle
Izuku was back on the Knight Errant’s Flag Bridge, watching the feed from the Toru II scout vessel Silent Echoes. Padmé and Sabé were present, having been granted permission to observe the operation from start to finish, though both were respectfully silent as the limited chatter of the Flag Bridge kept updates about both the enemy and their fleet flowing. In truth, it was largely routine communications for the moment, leaving the bridge largely silent as they all watched their plan come together.
Tsyk had been deliberately left without much visible reinforcement in space, with nothing larger than a pair of frigates covering the planet. That much was proving to have possibly been a bit of a mistake, given that the Hutts had sent a much more significant fleet with the Death Watch than had been expected. Still, despite them having dug up two more of the aging Rendili Dreadnaught-class cruisers from somewhere, the picket’s pair of Munificent II’s and their escorts were doing a good job of making a ‘fighting retreat.’
Part of him hated that, since it meant that some of their people were dying. Not many, since this was all working to a pre-built plan meant to minimize casualties, but it was inevitable they were going to lose at least some starfighters. It was entirely likely they’d lose a corvette or two, as well. Though there at least, he’d pulled the older Defender IIs and replaced them with the new Gungan-designed Ray-class. Eight of the new corvettes had been assigned to his new taskforce, and swapping them in for the six Defender IIs that had been part of the defensive picket wasn’t a big enough change to scare the attackers off. At the same time, the Ray-class was a larger, tougher and better armed corvette. Which reduced the possibility of casualties or lost ships still farther.
The hopefully minimal deaths they’d have on their side were, unfortunately, part of the cold calculus of war. The transports carrying the Death Watch and a few supporting mercenary groups weren’t stupid enough to come in and make their assault drops until the enemy controlled the orbitals, after all. Which, since the entire plan here was to smash the one group that had so far managed to do somewhat serious damage and push the League off a world they’d previously captured, meant paying the tithe of lives to make this look realistic.
It wasn’t something Izuku was very comfortable with, and they’d already discovered elsewhere in the Crusade that Jedi reacted extremely badly to being put in similar spots. Thankfully, Izuku wasn’t a Jedi, and his previous experiences back on Earth had actually equipped him for this better than the Jedi trained their own people. Things had gotten ugly during his training as a Hero, and the idea of having to send other Heroes and police into a sacrificial blender to protect civilian lives had become a reality they’d all had to live with. The Jedi, on the other hand, weren’t trained in a way that let them easily sacrifice anyone but themselves. Nor were they really prepared properly for dealing with the loss of lives under their command in general.
It was a subtle point Aayla had noticed, and one of the reasons she hadn’t been pushed into the position of a Fleet Admiral any longer than absolutely required. She could do it, having been exposed to the darker side of the galaxy more than most Jedi and taught very non-traditionally by Vos and Tholme. But it was still a poor fit. She was far better handling small, elite, ground teams. The personal nature of such combat didn’t put quite the same sort of pressure on her that the impersonal trading of lives in Fleet engagements did. Though even there, they both suspected long campaigns would be problematic for most Jedi, making quite a bit of history they’d dug up about the Jedi Lords and similar Jedi-forced-into-wars situation make a lot more sense in context.
It was, ultimately, simply a very bad fit for the vast majority of those who used the Force properly, rather than dominating it and others with the Dark Side. The callous ruthlessness of most Dark Siders tended to make it far easier for them to fill similar roles. It was even something Zavra had commented on, it apparently having been a well-known difference between Jedi and Sith during her era. Only very rare Jedi in her time had possessed the temperament for Fleet command, instead mostly being the equivalent of elite commando teams or special operatives.
Still, all of those musings aside, the plan itself was clearly going well. The picket force had managed to do quite a bit of damage, helping sell their ruse as they were ‘forced’ out of orbit with ‘failing’ shields that still had, in fact, an average of 20 percent reserve power meant to help them get clear from any pursuit. That pursuit did come, but the Munificent IIs were the slowest ship in the picket, and even they were significantly faster than the two enemy Dreadnaughts. They kited those Dreadnaughts out of position nicely, even as the assault transports that had been held protectively farther out system moved on Tysk in the wake of the picket’s retreat.
The fact that eight full squadrons of Fang fighters were present, along with a large number of brand new Kom’rk-class assault transports, was irritating proof that the Death Watch’s numbers had surged. It had been sadly expected, their success on Jilrua being entirely too much of a draw for the more bloodthirsty or traditional Mandalorian Clans. At Jilrua, there had been barely over a thousand Death Watch present. Now, it was looking closer to four times that if all of their transports were full. Not even including the likely canon-fodder that was formed by the other two mercenary commands with them. It would have been more than enough to crush the garrison of barely 2,000 troops that had been left on the minor world, whose population had been pleased to be rid of the Hutts.
Pity for them that the 412th was a reinforced brigade, which had landed an additional 5,000+ defenders on Tysk. Meaning that the numbers were now on the defenders’ side, even ignoring the hopeful ambush that would make things even more lopsided. Particularly since the Mandos, for all their individual skills, weren’t really organized all that well. Even more critically, they really didn’t have an answer for the heavy mechs that they hadn’t had to fight on Jilrua. The Jilrua forces had been minimal and not equipped with anything heavier than the striker mechs and the Gungan-built Copek hovertanks. The 412th, on the other hand, had both Liger and Tiger heavy mechs. With the former being a heavy artillery platform that meant it was going to be a very bad day for the idiots that made landfall.
Still, that much was for the 412th, along with Aayla, Zavra, and the Sovereign’s Guard, to handle. Izuku just had to pick his own moment to pin them against the planet and deal with the spaceborne forces. Dipping into Battle Meditation and connecting with the handful of other Force users that had been rounded up to help micro jump the taskforce in, he settled into wait. It wouldn’t be long now…
… … …
Zavra watched in silent anticipation, bouncing lightly on her toes as she awaited the start of the fun! She was seriously impressed by those awesome-looking artillery and tank mechs, and even the smaller power armors and power suits! Her former Mistress would have approved of them, and the fact that her current Master had built a military around them only made it more obvious that the Force had sent her exactly the right new Master! Of course, she was slightly concerned that the weapons would be too awesome and she wouldn’t get to stab anyone. That would be super unfun. Still, if these Mandos were even a tiny fraction as good as the ones she’d fought and fought alongside in the past, she should get to fight at least a few of them.
Which was awesome!
Seriously, the sex with New Master was fantastic, she could see why the Empress hadn’t let her near dick! It was addictively fun to ride, and suck on, and play with in her hands, or with her feet, or…well, a lot of things, really! Still, even if the sex had been amazing and the sparring was really fun too, she hadn’t had a proper bloodbath in way too long! Sure, she might not be the most Sithy Sith to ever Sith, since the Darkside was kinda yucky and gave you wrinkles, but she did enjoy stabbing people that deserved it!
Mandos usually deserved it.
Seriously, something was almost as fucked with those people as with the Sith. They might be a little less into torture-and-unholy-abomination-creation than the Sith, but they were nearly as good at the whole War Crimes thing. Seriously, even most Sith didn’t basically get a hardon for the act of conquest. The Sith wanted it to get over and done so they could lord their power over people. The Mandos were extra weird ‘cause they enjoyed the process of the fighting. Glorifying ‘growth from battle’ or some weirdo shit like that.
Mind you, apparently when they swung the other way they went just as weirdly hard, what with some of them having gone the whole extremo pacifist route these days. The whole group, both the crazy warriors and the nutso pacifists were so fucking nuts. Still, the warrior ones were at least the sort of fucking nuts that meant she got to stab them in the dick for being dicks! There was even supposed to be one of them with a lightsaber leading this group, so maybe she’d get a decent fight!
Oh, look, they were coming right down on the empty garrison now. Pretty decent drop, even if they were losing more people to the anti-air than they should’ve since some of their pilots were clearly newbies. Any second now they’d get close enough to the ground to finally realize just how badly they’d fucked up…
Ah! There was the artillery! Sweeeet! Let’s get this party started!
… … …
Aayla was a very confused mix of impressed, aroused, and disturbed as she followed Zavra through the chaos of the battlefield. The woman was a cackling dervish of destruction, her dual-bladed lightsaber cleaving a whirlwind of destruction that even Aayla’s own dual-wielding of two sabers had trouble keeping up with. Though a portion of that was the fact that Zavra was all attack, all the time. Even her defenses and blaster reflections were either a setup for the next attack, or a direct ‘return to sender’ style of bolt reflection that few ever mastered to the level she was showing.
Of course, her ability to go through Death Watch like a scythe through wheat only explained the ‘impressed’ bit. The ‘disturbed’ bit was equally simple, since the woman was entirely too gleeful as she mowed down Mandalorians. To the point that she was pretty sure it was actively demoralizing the Death Watch despite their continued battle lust. No, those two parts were easily explained. It was the ‘aroused’ part that was really throwing Aayla for a loop as she fought by the woman’s side. Half of that was the fact that the woman moved even more like a feline than Aayla herself. A smooth, predatory gait that was all arrogant, lethal grace. Which just so happened to be sexy as fuck.
The other half, even more disconcerting to her in a lot of ways, was what Zavra was radiating in the Force. She wasn’t radiating anything like lust. She wasn’t getting off on the killing, or even enjoying that aspect of things at all. Instead, she was somehow embracing, practically glowing with, the concept of life. It was like, somehow, riding the very edge of life and death through a battlefield was the most pure expression of life that Aayla had ever felt before. Its ups and down, its thrills and terrors, all of it embraced in a ‘live in the moment’ mentality. An encapsulation of pure life that she was fairly sure would have left Master Qui-Gon Jinn, supposedly the greatest master of the Living Force in centuries before he kicked it on Naboo, both impressed and utterly baffled.
That sheer, raw zest for life, untainted by any anger or battle lust, was damn near addicting to be anywhere close to. Doubly so since life was inherently an aspect of the ‘Light Side’ of the Force, making Zavra a beacon of it even as she cheerfully slaughtered her way through the battle. Aayla just knew she was going to need days of meditation sessions to untangle this experience.
“Oh! Hey, looky Blue! There’s the Mando Poodoo with the stupid looking Black Lightsaber! Let’s go say hi!”
Aayla only barely managed to keep up as Zavra made a beeline for Pre Vizsla, the crazy Sith woman bouncing through the battlefield by using Mandalorian helmets as stepping stones. Somehow, she suspected that the supposed ‘Secret Mandalore’ wasn’t going to enjoy the next few minutes of his life. Which were, most likely, also going to be the last few minutes of his life…
… … …
Izuku jolted to full attention as the Force warned him of an incoming danger. Pushing the command to initiate jump immediately to the other Force users, the bulk of Taskforce Sovereign were caught by surprise as the jump initiated several minutes before the original plan. Thankfully, the taskforce had been slaved to a handful of veteran ships, all of which had an Iron Knight, Jedi, or himself aboard. As such, despite the abrupt departure from the exact plan, the entire taskforce jumped smoothly, compensated properly for the different intended arrival point…and dropped right between the picket and another arriving force.
“Sovereign of Tythe, take the original Dreadnaughts! Pillar of Justice, match fire to the Knight Errant. Deliverance and Freedom’s Grasp take the trailing unknown cruiser!”
Izuku continued cycling through the taskforce, assigning targeting priorities but letting the captains of each ship handle actual combat orders. Even as the Sovereign of Tythe practically erased one of the original Dreadnaughts with its Particle Beam Cannon, engaging the other with more traditional weapons, the computer finally spit out an tentative ID for the two much larger and more heavily armed cruisers that had jumped in to try intercepting the fleeing picket.
Dor’bulla-class warships.
They had virtually no data on them, what little they did have coming from the shipyards captured over Nal Hutta and their current combat scans. Those yards had been preparing to lay down hulls for two of them…but there had been no indication any of the class had existed elsewhere yet. Which meant that, most likely, these were prototypes that had been manufactured inside Bootana Hutt. Private clan warships made by a Hutt Throneworld and slipped out either via an unknown hyperlane or before the League had bottled that subsector up.
At 950 meters, the pair of ships massed nearly as much as his Volitions, despite a slimmer profile. They were also very clearly warships, bristling with enough firepower to realistically go one-on-one with a Volition-class. Something only made truer, to Izuku’s dismay, by the fact that someone had finally adapted fully to the Null Torpedo/Graviton Beam mix.
The solution was exactly the same one his own ships used. Three times the usual number of shield generators creating overlapping shields in a style similar to Mon Calamari ships, though even more robust. When the Null Torpedoes blew away a single shield layer, there was already another right under it to intercept the Graviton Beams, and the numerous generators meant reestablishing the damaged layer was fast. No one shield layer was as tough as it would be with a more traditional shield architecture, but the layers meant the total shield strength was over half again what you’d expect from a similar ship of the same class. At least in terms of its sheer ability to soak damage.
It was an expensive and power intensive solution, which is why no one had been able to jump on it immediately. It also wasn’t a total solution, as Null Torpedoes still bit major chunks out of your shield strength, but it reduced both systems to merely ‘impressively powerful’ instead of nearly impossible to overcome. Of course, the refits required to make it work would have been extensive, which probably explained why they were only seeing these two ships now. But one way or another, it was a frustrating sign that the enemy was adapting.
Nor were the two ships, Heavy Cruisers at the very least by the League’s definition, alone. They’d jumped in with a dozen Gozanti-class C-ROC refits and eight Ubrikkian Frigates, the latter a design that was painfully good as anti-starfighter operations. It was, in fact, an extremely good fleet mixture that would have ripped apart the picket and stood an excellent chance of defeating the nodal fleet at Hollastin. A nodal force which had a grand total of three Volitions. With those Dreadnaughts added in, this Hutt Fleet would have had very close to a dead-even fight, which might well have gone the Hutts’ way.
Thankfully, Izuku had four Volitions, plus both the Sovereign of Tythe and one more nasty surprise. A surprise he savagely grinned at ordering into action when it became obvious the Hutt ships realized they were out matched.
“Veto, pin them down!”
The very first ship of the new Veto-class had clearly been waiting for the order as it hung back behind the rest of his taskforce. For the first time in a modern naval engagement a set of brutally powerful Gravity Well Projectors powered up and locked down any chance of jumping back to hyperspace without outrunning or destroying the ship projecting the new gravity well. Izuku’s rapped orders became sharper as he felt the enemy panic. The Sovereign of Tythe turned to take one of the Dor’bulla-class ships under fire…but the other cruiser saw most non-ion weapons fire stop firing as its shields buckled.
Even if it cost him a bit more damage, Izuku wanted that ship intact. Both so they could get a better idea of the class in general, and so they could get an idea of just how the Hutts were adapting against the Graviton Beam/Null Torpedo mix. Thankfully, he had the firepower to make that happen. So long as the crews aboard the ship weren’t fanatics that scuttled their own vessel in response, at least…
… … …
Izuku braced himself and caught Zavra as the Sith girl skipped off the transport and flung herself at him. He instinctively spun her around to bleed the momentum, getting a happy ‘weeee’ from her, followed by an ‘ahh’ of disappointment as he eventually set her down. She was radiating an almost disturbing amount of good cheer, clearly having enjoyed herself in the battle down on the planet. Which wasn’t quite as disturbing to Izuku as it likely had been to Aayla. While he didn’t enjoy death, he’d certainly picked up enough of Miruko’s love for the thrill of combat to more completely grasp the feeling of ‘being alive’ that Zavra was radiating.
As Winston Churchill once put it, ‘Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.’ Izuku had never come to embrace that concept fully the way his mentor had, but he’d certainly come to understand it, and had at least absorbed a little of it through osmosis by being around her for years. Even if he, and Miruko too honestly, had preferred it to be ‘fight to the beatdown’ rather than ‘fight to the death,’ he could still understand Zavra’s enjoyment.
Though he might want to keep her away from more traditional Jedi when she was in this particular mood. He’d give it even odds if they tried to claim she was a Dark Sider or if they fell to the Dark Side themselves after being unable to process what would, to them, be conflicting input. He was pretty sure enjoyment in violence and combat producing life aligned Force energy would really do a mental number on all too many of them. Nor, in truth, were they entirely wrong if you considered the average person. It took a very specific sort of personality to enjoy the thrill of the fight without actually enjoying the death and suffering. Zavra just happened to be, so far as he could tell, one of those personalities. Which honestly probably explained how she’d been able to function as a primary point of contact been Jedi and the Sith Empire.
“Oh, oh! Master, lookie! I got this suppppperr edgelord lightsaber from the head badguy!”
Zavra retrieved a lightsaber…from her cleavage…and snapped it on. A black lightsaber blade sprung to life, unusual not just in color but in the fact that it was shaped much more like a traditional sword. Flat, thin, and tapered to a point, instead of the traditional cylinder of a lightsaber blade. Something had even added utterly pointless serrations to the guard.
“See! Kinda cool looking, but super cringe edgelord, too! Not to mention it’s a completely dumbass design! Who gives up an omni-directional blade for one you have to care about edge alignment with? Given that the mag-field holding it all together isn’t really much narrower than with a normal lightsaber blade in profile, and drags like a bitch in any other direction, it’s extra stupid! Maybe I can use it to slice toast or something?”
Aayla stared for a moment, then broke down into helpless giggles, making Zavra smile hugely at her despite likely not having a clue why his love was giggling at all. Izuku wasn’t quite sure either, given the pure amusement coming from his link with Aayla. Sending her a questioning pulse, he had to wait for her to wrestle her giggles under control before she answered.
“S-sorry. It’s just that the Darksaber is a Jedi relic that the Mandalorians stole from the Temple. Vizsla used it as some sort of weird rallying point, but I was just picturing what the reactions would be if a Pureblood Sith just strolled up to the Jedi Temple with the Darksaber and told them, ‘Hey! I heard you guys lost this!’ handed it over and then just walked away…”
Zavra, clearly imagining the look on the more stuffy Jedi’s faces, broke down to join Aayla’s renewed giggle fit. Izuku’s own lips tugged in a grin as he imagined it himself, though he managed not to outright laugh aloud.
Barely…
... ... ... ... ... ...
A/N 1: A not-so-side observation by Izuku and Aayla about Jedi and Warfare. Hmmm, I wonder just how important that might end up being... ;-)
A/N 2: Okay, Zavra is pretty fun to write. It was a little hard getting into her headspace at first, and I'm not entirely sure I've got a grasp on it yet, but it was fun to experiment with at least...
A/N 3: Aayla, everyone who has ever thought Harley Quinn was hot feels for you right now...
A/N 4: So, I wonder how many of you guessed what the solution to countering Null Torpedoes was? I DID mention that there WAS an solution and someone would eventually hit on it. They are still effective tools, but they CAN be countered if the enemy has enough time to think about it and money to do refits. Of course, the Republic and CIS have no idea yet, really.