The primary duty of a commander before battle
is to instill courage in his subordinates.
The primary duty of a commander in battle
is not to die, but to accomplish the assigned combat mission,
to use everything under his command economically,
in accordance with the situation, taking into account real forces and capabilities,
with the utmost exertion of energy.
***
Clouds covered the sky above the Jedi Temple, hinting at imminent rain. Yet at the very edge of the heavens, the sun still shone brightly, bathing everything around in warm, golden light.
"Master Plo, what is the situation now?"
"Stable, but…" Plo Koon replied. "We were fortunate that the ship crews were not united. That gave us time. Otherwise, the consequences could have been irreparable."
"I understand, Master. The problem was extremely difficult," Shaak Ti agreed.
The hologram of Plo Koon slowly twirled the hilt of his lightsaber between his fingers.
"If it weren't for Master Tiin's ships, we would hardly have been able to stop the Separatists' advance. In that case, the Rendilian fleet would have been lost to us."
"Not everyone approved of the military reform carried out under the leadership of Master Rancisis, despite its thoroughness and necessity."
"Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker—what do you have to say?"
The two men exchanged glances, and then Skywalker began a report that lasted nearly ten minutes.
"…Despite heavy enemy fire, I still managed to break through and deploy the barrier charges…"
"Excellent work, Knight Skywalker."
Yoda opened his eyes.
"Why so pensive are you, Obi-Wan?"
"I am concerned about something else entirely. Quinlan Vos. When we were fighting Ventress and Skorr, he came to our aid—but… no matter how hard I tried to convince him, he didn't follow us back to Coruscant. However, he did report on the fate of Master Shylar…"
"She was one of Master Tolme's agents. She hasn't been in contact for a long time. What happened?"
"She's… dead. That's all he said. And now…" Obi-Wan hesitated. "I'm confused. I sense the Dark Side of the Force emanating from him. His blade is red. Everything points to him having fallen. But his actions… are too contradictory. I don't understand his motives. He helped me. He helped Anakin... Is it possible that he's still on our side?"
"His actions speak for themselves," came a calm reply.
"Master Tiin. At Rendili you were prepared to blow the dreadnoughts and sacrifice hundreds of thousands of lives—including Plo Koon's—simply to prevent the starships from falling into the hands of the CIS."
"I was doing my duty," Tiin answered evenly.
"Hmmmm. Heard you all, we have. Master Tiin — watch over Rendili you must, that no new incidents arise. The rest — to the Temple return you shall. Brief rest before new assignments awaits you."
Two new holograms shimmered into existence in the Council Chamber—Master Adi Gallia and Master Dar'Kai Preston.
"Honorable Council, we have important news," reported the Jedi scout.
"We have destroyed Grievous's squadron!" Adi Gallia's face openly reflected her joy.
The Jedi exchanged glances. Until now, no one had ever managed such a feat—neither the Jedi nor anyone else. Grievous was as cruel as he was gifted. His squadron was truly elusive, and often his mere appearance on the battlefield was enough to tip the scales of battle in favor of the Separatists. However, he was also an unmatched warrior—on Hypori, even several Masters had been forced to retreat before his ferocity and strength.
"When did this happen? And where?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi.
"Two days ago, in the Exсarga system."
"Two days ago?" Even Piell echoed in surprise.
"We were only just able to confirm this information. The intelligence was delayed. However, we managed to capture several Skakoan specialists who commanded the ground operation. From them, we learned that Grievous himself was in command of the invasion fleet."
A hologram appeared before the Jedi—a recording of the recent battle. Silence settled over the chamber for several long minutes…
"All that remains is to congratulate you, Master Gallia. A splendidly conducted battle."
"I wonder who commanded the breakthrough unit. It must have been a talented officer from your squadron?"
"No. It was Vikt's squadron."
"Mikore Vikt?" Shaak Ti asked.
"Yes, exactly. He arrived just in time in orbit over Christophsis, and I brought his ships into the operation."
"Hmmm. Impressive. Such coordination among the ships of a flotilla he received only recently commands respect. To devise an attack plan in such a short time—and to execute it successfully—is no small feat."
Preston joined the discussion.
"All of this is undoubtedly important, but the analysis of Knight Vikt's naval talents can wait. I advise the Council to pay attention to another matter. New ships have appeared in the CIS fleet."
Another hologram flared to life before the Masters.
"Providence-class carrier/destroyer," Preston explained. "Approximately one thousand meters in length. It possesses a Class 1,5 or 2 hyperdrive, roughly a dozen quad turbolaser cannons, more than thirty dual laser cannons, at least two ion cannons of unknown power, and an unknown number of rapid-fire ion cannons—no fewer than a dozen. In addition, judging by the battle recordings, the vessel carries a significant number of torpedo launchers of various calibers, ranging from ship-to-ship to anti-fighter. It also features a large hangar, the capacity of which remains unknown. Based on the overall structure and the placement of its components, this is yet another work of the Quarren."
"Impressive," Plo Koon said quietly, studying the hologram.
"Let us hope that the new ships soon entering service will be able to offer such vessels a worthy response. In this engagement, the initiative was on our side—but we should not rely on further luck. The CIS possesses enormous production capabilities, which means that soon hundreds of such ships may clash with ours in battle. And they are nearly equal in strength," muttered Even Piell.
"The Separatists are several steps ahead of us," Mace Windu concluded.