**Chapter 361: Blood Along the Kessel Run**
**Scene 1**
The flight to Falleen should have taken a few hours.
Instead, it stretched into nearly 5 days because I made deliberate stops along the way — first at Savareen, then several other planets and systems strung along the dangerous stretch of the Corellian Run that bled into the Kessel Run. Every stop was an opportunity.
Onboard the *Scimitar* (my personal stealth vessel, kept docked inside the *Sovereign*), I used the old Hutt holodiary we had confiscated during the Jabba operation. Combined with Ethan Clairmoor's relentless drive and the advanced coding techniques pulled from the Jedi holocron, we turned the journey into a quiet hunting expedition.
We destroyed a total of twenty CIS ships — mostly Munificent-class frigates and hard-shelled transports, but also a handful of Pyke Syndicate vessels, Black Sun gunships, and even a few upstart Crimson Dawn raiders who thought the chaos of war made them untouchable. Over thirty additional shuttles and light frigates were confiscated intact and sent onward to Lantilles for impoundment and eventual salvage into my growing fleet.
We also secured more than thirty-five inhabited planets along the route. Most had no real cities — just scattered settlements and mining outposts — but under suggestions from Tarkin and Pellaeon, we left small garrisons on each: fifty clones supported by two hundred and fifty regular army troopers. Every outpost received five MAAT gunships and one Gozanti-class cruiser for base defense and rapid response. They would serve as waypoints, supply caches, and early-warning stations for the Corellian Run. Small seeds of control in a lawless stretch of space.
By the time we finished, the Kessel Run felt a little less lawless.
**Scene 2**
"Sir, we've picked up a possible CIS detachment from the Regency of the Arkanis sector near Mon Gazza," Captain Ray reported from the *York*.
Tarkin's sharp eyes narrowed on the tactical display. "Mon Gazza… that world is under Mining Guild control."
I leaned forward in the command chair of the *Sovereign*. "Very well. All ships, prepare for battle stations. We clear the route before continuing to Falleen."
**Scene 3**
The five *Valiant*-class cruisers emerged from hyperspace in tight formation, supported by fifteen Lancer-class pursuit frigates and seven Venator-class Star Destroyers.
- *Sovereign* — Grand Captain Wilhuff Tarkin
- *Hood* — Grand Captain Gilad Pellaeon
- *York* — Grand Captain Ray
- *Enterprise* — Commander Ethan Clairmoor
- *Vanguard* — Admiral Solvan Kobayashi
Facing us was a modest but dangerous CIS detachment: one Providence-class carrier, three Recusant-class light destroyers, two Recusant-class heavy destroyers, three Lucrehulk-class cargo freighters, and one Lucrehulk-class battleship acting as the flagship.
I stood up from the command chair. "I'm taking a Skelter. Ethan — you're my co-pilot."
"Yes, sir!"
The advantage of the *Valiants* was the electromagnetic launch system I had insisted on during their design. It flung fighters into space with tremendous initial velocity. The moment the launch tube cleared, my Skelter screamed out of the *Sovereign*'s forward catapult, variable wings sweeping back as the plasma-modified ion engines roared to life.
The Skelter proved exceptional in its first real combat test. Its blistering speed let me weave through the enemy formation while Ethan handled targeting and reload coordination. Sovereign-based drones rapidly rearmed our missiles mid-fight, giving us near-unlimited ordnance for the short engagement.
Meanwhile, the *Valiants* showed their teeth. Their broadsides — especially the AV-7 flak cannons and heavy turbolaser batteries — tore into the Confederate ships at close range. The Lancers darted like wolves, shredding Vulture droids by the dozen. Venators provided heavy fire support, their hangar bays launching additional squadrons to overwhelm the enemy screen.
I dove straight at the lead Recusant heavy destroyer. Skelter cannons blazed, stitching bright lines across its hull while Ethan ripple-fired concussion missiles into the breaches. The ship shuddered and broke apart under the combined assault.
One by one the enemy vessels died.
The Providence tried to launch its full fighter complement, but Skelter squadrons from the light carriers tore through them before most could even form up. The Lucrehulks — slow and lumbering — became easy targets for the *Valiants*' synchronized broadsides. The final Lucrehulk-class battleship burst into flames as a full salvo from the *Sovereign* and *Vanguard* punched through its core.
"Sir, all enemy ships destroyed," Tarkin reported, voice calm and satisfied as the last Lucrehulk vanished in a silent fireball.
I keyed the comm from the Skelter cockpit. "Excellent work. Contact Master Plo Koon and inform him of the cleared route. Then prepare the jump — all ships to Falleen."
As the fleet reformed and hyperspace calculations finished, I guided the Skelter back toward the *Sovereign*'s recovery deck. Zule waited for me in the hangar, arms crossed, a small proud smile on her lips.
The road to her homeworld was almost clear.
Falleen awaited.