It was a pity we couldn't simply blockade the planet.
Well—not with **six Acclamators, the *Terminus*, and a couple of corvettes**. Especially not when Jabiim sat far behind the front line, deep inside Separatist-controlled territory.
They would crush us.
Even with our numbers.
The sector command couldn't allocate larger forces. There were already more than **two million clones and nearly a thousand warships** operating in the region, and every one of them was busy.
And even that wasn't enough.
Truth be told, we needed **another million troopers and another thousand warships** just to stabilize the front.
Still… I could do something.
Without air support, the next best strategy in a civil war was simple:
**Bleed your enemy dry.**
Alright. Think, Jedi. How are we getting out of this?
Remembering Ahsoka, I glanced at the girl.
She was quiet.
Too quiet.
That alone was strange.
Her presence in the Force felt… muted.
Doubt?
Perhaps.
I decided to leave it alone. When the time was right, she would speak.
For now, I had more urgent problems.
First—my own pieces on the board.
Spotting the man I needed, I headed straight toward him.
"Colonel." I nodded. "I need to discuss a few things with you."
**Lyonen Tamauskas**, a man of about forty-five, was responsible for supply operations. Officially he was only a deputy, but I preferred dealing with him. He handled operational problems quickly and often solved them on the spot.
We had only met a few times before.
"I suppose this is about Jabiim?" he asked.
"Yes."
I briefly showed him the authorization code on my datapad.
"Well, General… let's go to my office. I think we'll also need **Colonel Dirckhem** and **Major Ferrero**—repair services and medical services respectively."
"If their presence is necessary, then I rely on you, Colonel."
"Master?"
A Togruta voice called out behind me.
"Yes, Snips?"
"Do you have time to talk?"
"Can it wait?"
"Actually… yes."
"Then we'll talk later. Time is pressing right now. Can you wait a couple of hours?"
"Okay, Master." Ahsoka nodded. "I'll wait for you on the *Terminus*."
"Better wait on the **Akatsuki**. The *Terminus* will soon be heading to the repair dock."
I activated my comlink and contacted my officers.
"Blam. Ragnos. Listen carefully."
"Yes, General," Captain Blam replied.
"Captain," I said, "start unloading all equipment immediately."
"All of it, sir?" the Zabrak asked.
"Yes. **Everything. Including the SPHAs. We won't need them.**"
A brief silence followed.
"Sir… does that mean we have a new assignment?"
"Oh yes," I said calmly.
"**Jabiim.**"
Ragnos swore loudly.
"General… there's a civil war going on there."
"Oh? So you've heard about it?"
"Yes. Before the war started, people in our circles discussed the situation. I assume things are bad?"
"You have no idea," I said. "Rare ores have been discovered there. A lot of them."
"Poodoo," Ragnos muttered. "So the Separatists want them."
"Exactly. And we've been ordered to stop them."
"We'll need serious preparations. What are our options?"
"Landing on the surface," I replied dryly. "And 'providing support to forces loyal to the Republic.'"
"That's bad."
"Blam," I continued, "call **Commander Sumeragi**. I want a full status report in twenty minutes—troop numbers, equipment, supplies. Everything."
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
At that moment we reached the supply office.
The colonel ushered me inside.
"The others will arrive shortly."
We waited only a few minutes before the door opened again.
A **Duros colonel** entered first, followed by a woman in a major's uniform who looked more like a civilian doctor than a soldier.
"General," they both saluted.
"Sit down," I said. "We don't have time for formalities."
Once everyone had taken their seats and opened their datapads, I began.
"Let's get straight to it. I need your full cooperation."
I leaned forward.
"First—**we begin loading my seven ships immediately.**"
"You have **three hours**."
I turned toward Major Ferrero.
"Next. A **Pelta-class frigate**. Can you convert it into a mobile medical base?"
The major raised her hand like a student.
"Sir, will the hospital remain in orbit, or will it be deployed on the surface? And we will require specialists."
"The surface," I answered. "And yes, I'll need qualified medics."
I looked at Tamauskas again.
"And a **medical battalion**."
The colonel rubbed his forehead.
"It pains me to do this, General…"
"We won't be able to evacuate the wounded from the planet," I said quietly.
Ferrero nodded.
"I believe we can spare **two medical teams**. General… how much medicine will you require?"
"Three standards," I said.
Then I reconsidered.
"No. **Four.**"
"Sir… that's a lot."
"It won't be enough."
My datapad beeped again.
Opening the new report, I scanned the list.
"First priority: reinforcements. I need **2,832 infantry replacements**."
"Next—**two engineering battalions**, plus a **repair battalion**."
"And a **sapper battalion**."
"I'll keep some infantry LAAT gunships, but I need **cargo variants** instead—another **fifteen units**."
I looked up again.
"Now about armor. How many **Saber tanks** do you have?"
"One moment…" Tamauskas checked the registry.
"Forty units, General."
"Excellent."
"I'll take them all."
The colonel chuckled.
"You're robbing us like a gangster in a dark alley, General."
"That's fine," I replied. "I'll leave you all my **SPHAs** in exchange."
I paused.
"Oh—and do you have any **Juggernauts**?"
"Which model?" he asked.
"There are different models?"
"Yes. We currently have about **ninety A5 Juggernauts**. The **A6 models** will arrive with the incoming convoy—around sixty units."
"I'll take them all."
The room went silent.
"General—"
"Not negotiable."
I folded my arms.
"Wheeled vehicles are the best solution for **Jabiim's terrain**. Mud, storms, unstable ground."
"I'm not bringing **AT-ATs** into that nightmare."
I continued.
"Next: **three hundred speeders. Minimum.**"
"That's manageable," the colonel said. "We have plenty of **BARC speeders**."
"Good."
I tapped the datapad again.
"What about artillery?"
"Since SPHAs are unsuitable for you, the best option would be the **AV-7 Artillery Cannon**."
"What kind of monster is that?"
"A **proton artillery system** mounted on a four-legged walking chassis. Maximum range **ten kilometers** with heavy charges. Blast radius roughly **ten meters**."
That would do.
"Do you have **two dozen**?"
"Only **ten units**."
"I'll take them all."
"And triple the ammunition."
I slapped the table lightly.
"Now defensive equipment."
"I need **stationary firing positions** that can be integrated into a defensive network. Not overly heavy—but durable."
"And equipment for constructing a **ground base and fortified positions**."
"For that," the supply officer replied, "I recommend **DF.9 anti-infantry batteries**."
He brought up a diagram.
"There are three variants."
"**T-1:** single medium laser cannon. Range **sixteen kilometers**."
"**T-2:** twin rapid-fire blasters. Range **six kilometers**."
"**T-3:** missile launcher system. Forty missiles per launcher."
"Crew sizes?"
"Three for the T-1 and T-2. Four for the T-3."
"Armor?"
"Decent plating and **deflector shields**. The only drawback is that they cannot engage aerial targets."
I shrugged.
"If anything, air attacks are the least of our problems."
"How many do you have?"
The colonel checked his inventory.
"**122 T-1 units.
206 T-2 units.
50 T-3 units.**"
"Only **one command bunker** to coordinate them."
"Understood."
"And construction materials?"
"A few hundred tons of modular panels, reactors, and structural equipment. That's everything currently available."
I leaned back in my chair.
"That won't be a problem."
They all looked at me.
"The **captured Techno Union transport** we seized earlier," I said calmly.
"It should provide more than enough materials."
---