The woman had never been in a real battle, and now, staring at the surveillance screens, she was terrified. The ship's artillery on both sides was firing relentlessly, which meant the shields would not hold for long…
Turning her gaze, Santorini found she could not look away.Her attention was fixed on the Jedi. He was mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time. His face had become a lifeless mask; a thin trickle of blood ran from his nose, yet he paid it no mind, continuing to issue clear, precise orders. And the woman realized that some of those orders were being carried out even before events unfolded… more than that, it seemed as though the ships themselves obeyed the movements of his hands! The comms were faltering—already a miracle they worked at all—yet the ships executed every maneuver flawlessly.
"Move Bannager to the left flank! Akagi, take its place!"
Well, here we go—the first damage…
"Attention, enemy fighters—lower hemisphere! Rindi, Valcker, roll along the axis—one hundred eighty! Open barrage fire!"
When CIS ships filled every viewing screen, the Jedi commanded:
"Ships, stand by! Launch torpedoes! Consulars, it's your turn! Forward!"
It was clearly visible how the corvettes slipped out from beneath the formation and immediately exited the strike zone. They then swept along the enemy's flanks, pouring fire into the Munificent-class frigates with impunity.
"The enemy ships are trying to turn!"
"Wait… wait! Now! Maneuver! Launch the bombers!.."
A minute later, the enemy formation shattered, their ships breaking through toward the rear.
"Begin the turn! We're entering the center of the enemy formation!"
***
"Sir, the enemy is retreating!"
Indeed, the CIS ships began jumping into hyperspace one after another.
That seems to be it. The crushing tension finally ebbed, and I leaned against the tactical table. It probably took some time before I fully came back to myself—almost half an hour, as it turned out.
Wiping the blood from my face, I asked,
"What are the losses?"
As always, Sumeragi had the report ready.
"Sir, no ships lost, but there is damage, wounded, and fatalities. We lost thirteen Torrents, four ARC-170s, two bombers, four Eta-2 Actis, and twenty-seven Z-95s."
"It could have been worse. Contact Adi Gallia…"
"Vikt, that was something! Hutt, but even so, we've taken a beating. I'll have to stay here—the Sector's ships are battered, and they won't manage a ground operation without our support. So, head to Luminara on your own. I'll arrive later."
"Understood."
Turning to the officers, I gave the order:
"Lichtendal, prepare the fleet for departure!"
"It'll take about three hours, General."
"Good."
***
Grievous leapt from the battered wreck of his fighter. Some nimble Republic bastard had nearly shot him down. With its last breath, the crippled craft had managed to reach the Providence's hangar.
"General, what are your orders?" the tactical droid asked as soon as Grievous entered the bridge.
"What is our course?"
"System DT-675. Shall we regroup and attack?"
"No. Upon arrival, establish contact with Count Dooku."
***
Luminara Unduli gazed thoughtfully at the landscape spread out before her. She had learned of this planet only recently—just before departing for this region of the galaxy—though it had long been known to many, especially since the beginning of the war.
Rotana lay in the Quieron Sector, near the edge of the Outer Rim, and served as the headquarters of Rotana Heavy Engineering, the primary supplier of military equipment to the Grand Army of the Republic. A snowy world with harsh arctic terrain, the planet appeared lifeless at first glance—but only at first glance. Numerous plant species had adapted to the cold, and herds of velchmers—massive, woolly, six-legged animals whose build and steady gait inspired the design of the AT-TE—roamed the frozen plains.
Rotana Heavy Engineering was a subsidiary of Kuat Drive Yards. Nearly the entire planetary economy revolved around shipbuilding and the development of military technology. The planet was encircled by a vast orbital ring housing processing facilities, orbital shipyards, and sealed docking complexes. Rotana was protected by over a hundred Golan I and Golan II defense platforms, as well as a powerful KDY fleet that included a massive Mandator-class Star Dreadnought, its awe-inspiring eight-kilometer hull visible even from the planet's surface.
Discovered seven hundred sixty-five years ago, Rotana remained a mystery—how such an immense infrastructure had been created in so short a time: dense networks of shipyards, mines, and factories spanning both the planet and its orbit. And even more puzzling was how all of this had been kept secret.
Secrets…
Far from the Core Worlds, Rotana remained hidden for decades, until it was chosen by the Kaminoans—because of its proximity to an oceanic world—ideal for producing vehicles and warships for the Clone Army, commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. In the fourth year, the chief engineer of the Kuat shipyards, Onara Kuat, received a massive anonymous order for the construction of enormous numbers of new military and transport vehicles. Alongside the staggering sum paid for the contract, KDY also received billions more credits to construct new hyperspace route: from Rotana to Kamino, and from Rotana to Ryloth via Excar.
The order ignited already formidable production. Literally every day, thousands of units of military hardware rolled out of the factories, and dozens of warships slid from the slipways…
"Master," Luminara's thoughts were interrupted by her Padawan's voice. "Knight Vikt's squadron has entered the planet's orbit."
"Tell him I'll contact him shortly."
The woman had never been in a real battle, and now, staring at the surveillance screens, she was terrified. The ship's artillery on both sides was firing relentlessly, which meant the shields would not hold for long…
Turning her gaze, Santorini found she could not look away.Her attention was fixed on the Jedi. He was mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time. His face had become a lifeless mask; a thin trickle of blood ran from his nose, yet he paid it no mind, continuing to issue clear, precise orders. And the woman realized that some of those orders were being carried out even before events unfolded… more than that, it seemed as though the ships themselves obeyed the movements of his hands! The comms were faltering—already a miracle they worked at all—yet the ships executed every maneuver flawlessly.
"Move Bannager to the left flank! Akagi, take its place!"
Well, here we go—the first damage…
"Attention, enemy fighters—lower hemisphere! Rindi, Valcker, roll along the axis—one hundred eighty! Open barrage fire!"
When CIS ships filled every viewing screen, the Jedi commanded:
"Ships, stand by! Launch torpedoes! Consulars, it's your turn! Forward!"
It was clearly visible how the corvettes slipped out from beneath the formation and immediately exited the strike zone. They then swept along the enemy's flanks, pouring fire into the Munificent-class frigates with impunity.
"The enemy ships are trying to turn!"
"Wait… wait! Now! Maneuver! Launch the bombers!.."
A minute later, the enemy formation shattered, their ships breaking through toward the rear.
"Begin the turn! We're entering the center of the enemy formation!"
***
"Sir, the enemy is retreating!"
Indeed, the CIS ships began jumping into hyperspace one after another.
That seems to be it. The crushing tension finally ebbed, and I leaned against the tactical table. It probably took some time before I fully came back to myself—almost half an hour, as it turned out.
Wiping the blood from my face, I asked,
"What are the losses?"
As always, Sumeragi had the report ready.
"Sir, no ships lost, but there is damage, wounded, and fatalities. We lost thirteen Torrents, four ARC-170s, two bombers, four Eta-2 Actis, and twenty-seven Z-95s."
"It could have been worse. Contact Adi Gallia…"
"Vikt, that was something! Hutt, but even so, we've taken a beating. I'll have to stay here—the Sector's ships are battered, and they won't manage a ground operation without our support. So, head to Luminara on your own. I'll arrive later."
"Understood."
Turning to the officers, I gave the order:
"Lichtendal, prepare the fleet for departure!"
"It'll take about three hours, General."
"Good."
***
Grievous leapt from the battered wreck of his fighter. Some nimble Republic bastard had nearly shot him down. With its last breath, the crippled craft had managed to reach the Providence's hangar.
"General, what are your orders?" the tactical droid asked as soon as Grievous entered the bridge.
"What is our course?"
"System DT-675. Shall we regroup and attack?"
"No. Upon arrival, establish contact with Count Dooku."
***
Luminara Unduli gazed thoughtfully at the landscape spread out before her. She had learned of this planet only recently—just before departing for this region of the galaxy—though it had long been known to many, especially since the beginning of the war.
Rotana lay in the Quieron Sector, near the edge of the Outer Rim, and served as the headquarters of Rotana Heavy Engineering, the primary supplier of military equipment to the Grand Army of the Republic. A snowy world with harsh arctic terrain, the planet appeared lifeless at first glance—but only at first glance. Numerous plant species had adapted to the cold, and herds of velchmers—massive, woolly, six-legged animals whose build and steady gait inspired the design of the AT-TE—roamed the frozen plains.
Rotana Heavy Engineering was a subsidiary of Kuat Drive Yards. Nearly the entire planetary economy revolved around shipbuilding and the development of military technology. The planet was encircled by a vast orbital ring housing processing facilities, orbital shipyards, and sealed docking complexes. Rotana was protected by over a hundred Golan I and Golan II defense platforms, as well as a powerful KDY fleet that included a massive Mandator-class Star Dreadnought, its awe-inspiring eight-kilometer hull visible even from the planet's surface.
Discovered seven hundred sixty-five years ago, Rotana remained a mystery—how such an immense infrastructure had been created in so short a time: dense networks of shipyards, mines, and factories spanning both the planet and its orbit. And even more puzzling was how all of this had been kept secret.
Secrets…
Far from the Core Worlds, Rotana remained hidden for decades, until it was chosen by the Kaminoans—because of its proximity to an oceanic world—ideal for producing vehicles and warships for the Clone Army, commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. In the fourth year, the chief engineer of the Kuat shipyards, Onara Kuat, received a massive anonymous order for the construction of enormous numbers of new military and transport vehicles. Alongside the staggering sum paid for the contract, KDY also received billions more credits to construct new hyperspace route: from Rotana to Kamino, and from Rotana to Ryloth via Excar.
The order ignited already formidable production. Literally every day, thousands of units of military hardware rolled out of the factories, and dozens of warships slid from the slipways…
"Master," Luminara's thoughts were interrupted by her Padawan's voice. "Knight Vikt's squadron has entered the planet's orbit."
"Tell him I'll contact him shortly."