WotH-2 Chpt 5

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 5 / Book 2==
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===Communication Breakdown===
Date: April, 3017Location: Beloria, Independent world
"Uh, Captain, did you give orders for Profit Margin to shift formation?" A B1 asked.
 
"No," Nep Valva shited in his chair. "Establish communications with the ship. I will correct Prirrikoak Tandoy in this error."
 
"Link's established," the droid replied.
 
"Merchant-Captain Tandoy, you will return to your position in the blockade immediately, or I will see to it that your commission is revoked."
 
There was silence on the comms for several seconds before a figure appeared on the holographic pedestal.
 
"This is Major Paige. While I appreciate the offer of a commission in the Trade Federation's internal ranks, I think I'm perfectly fine where I'm at. And we thank you for your contribution to the Marksman's fleet."
 
The Merchant-Admiral was stunned into silence as the only other Lucrehulk moved outside of the formation.
 
Then, the fast-moving droids crewing various stations began to slow down. The enhanced programming boosting their overall efficiency and ability to think independently dropped as the second networked core fell out of the network.
 
"Open fire on the Profit Margin!" Valva finally screamed. "We cannot allow them to capture more of our vessels!"
 
"Roger Roger! Roger Roger!"
 
The turbolaser batteries across the Trade Federation battlegroup began to open fire, their first volleys shattering harmlessly against the Lucrehulk's shields before it disappeared into hyperspace.
 
"Corellian, nine hells!" The Merchant-Admiral swore. "Begin bombarding the Mercenary base. Overwhelm their shields and destroy it."
 
"Uh, sir, are you sure?"
 
"Of course, I'm sure!" Nep retook the seat. "Do not stop firing until all that is left is glass."
 
"Roger Roger."
 
"We can't find the base," a droid reported.
 
"What do you mean you can't find the base?!"
 
"The monsoon, it's blocking all scans, sir."
 
"Then send in another group of droids! I don't care what you have to do, but I want this mercenary group eradicated now!'
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===Driving Rain and Wind===
Meanwhile on the surface, droid teams marched slowly through the shrieking wind and torrential rain; the only illumination provided was the occasional lightning strike and the droid's lights mounted on their backpacks.
 
Later studies would show that the Trade Federation had gone cheap on the B1 droids photoreceptors, and as a result, the few columns missed the architecture that seemed out of place in the deserted city. The tracked vehicles that had entered the city scarcely thirty minutes prior were lying in wait in small alleys and hidden by the surrounding storm.
 
But their photoreceptors of the droids and the sensors of the AATs missed all of it, their artificial eyes gliding over the blocky structures as their columns moved towards the shield generators.
 
If they'd been in a 'Mech of their own, this is when Bitchin' Betty would have told them, <{"Mech Power up detected!"}> But unfortunately for the droids, the only sign they got before destruction was the illumination of a brilliant searchlight.
 
Ruby and green beams illuminated the dark sky, the lasers carving away at one column, a steady roar of what could only be described as a heavy slugthrower shattering the few Droidekas that had rolled into the city.
 
And in the rear, the AATs were stopped by the electromagnetic pulse of a brilliant particle beam. The artificial lightning melted armor and slagged controls when the insulation failed, and the electricity arced into the controlling droids.
 
Then it was gone. The giant war machine vanished into the monsoon once again.
 
Then, paired-up tanks began to light up the darkness across different city sections with their armaments.
 
A Jaguar and a Hunter shattered the foot troops with the first missiles fired, the machine guns finishing off those that remained as the AATs and Hailfire-Class droids returned fire, shattering armor panels and melting portions of others before the tanks vanished into the night again.
 
At another column, a pair of Jaguars targeted the droid armor first, eliminating the AATs before all of the missiles of one Hailfire destroyed the tracks of the lead Marksman tank, the personnel within abandoning the tank and disappearing into the buildings and darkness as the rain intensified.
 
Lightning flashed again, and thunder echoed through the city. The Trade Federation forces began to regroup and push forward, and the tactical droid began analyzing the situation and shifting troops to cover the gaps that had been created.
 
There was a problem, though. The Trade Federation columns had slowed to a crawl as they analyzed every city block for possible ambushes.
 
" –Sk S–gro," the communications were static. "--l –t of t– city. E–m–a–e mercenaries. P–fit Margin –pt–ed."
 
"Blasted device," Losk slammed his fist into the pedestal, shorting out the device. "With the lack of any orders from above, we will with the last objective we were assigned. Pull the columns together. We will destroy the generators before falling back and waiting for the monsoon to clear."
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===Reinforcements===
Date: April 20th, 3017 AD/20.04.7956 CRC (Coruscant Reckoning Calendar)Location: Location: unnamed system, Seswenna Sector
"Alright, we've got confirmation that the Trade Federation is still in the system," Frye looked at the holograms of the various captains in her battlegroup. "Stick to the plan we worked out, and remember, it's monsoon season on Beloria, so make sure that the ground forces are prepped for that eventuality."
 
"I will join the ground forces," Count Dooku stated from his place on the bridge. "I believe Knights Tachi and Olin will participate in the battle for orbital control."
 
"We brought our fighters," Olin leaned over the view of the system. "We can fold into your squadrons."
 
"Unless you've worked with them before, you'll just confuse the squadrons," Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell shook his head. "You can go in as an attached pair to Hitman, but the other squadrons are still too green to know how to coordinate extras."
 
"We can work with that," Siri replied, exchanging a nod with her old padawan.
 
"Captain." Frye glanced at the captain of the Liberty.
"Sound Combat stations," the man ordered as he secured his helmet. "You might want to get to the fighter bays; we're about to jump."
 
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The Marksman battlegroup in Beloria had had not been idle when the Trade Federation had entered. They had been positioning and preparing for reinforcements to jump into the system. They understood that, given their smaller numbers, they'd only be sacrificing their lives. So, as soon as the first vessel from Commodore Frye's relief force jumped in, they acted.
 
The Leviathan, Victoria Jewel's flagship, was the lynchpin of their plan. The ancient vessel moved and powered up the interdiction field. Fighters, CR-70s, and a lone Dreadnought flanked her as she blocked off the Trade Federation's escape.
"Welcome to the party, Kaylee," Victoria grinned as she noted the other woman's flagship among the reinforcements. "Let's give them hell."
 
"Just keep them from leaving. We'll handle the rest," Frye replied.
 
The five Dreadnoughts and their escorts launched fighters and began targeting Federation vessels.
 
"I want that Lucrehulk dead," Captain Mattis ordered the Liberty's crew.
 
"Aye, sir!"
 
The ship turned, and its batteries began focusing on the donut-shaped ship, her escorts fending off the cruisers and frigates on her sides while the large vessels started to exchange fire.
 
But the Lucrehulk, for all of her upgrades and modifications, was not a dedicated warship like the Liberty or her sister ships, and her shields began to fail under direct fire.
 
"Jack of All Trades is breaking apart," An aide reported to Frye as she looked at the battlefield.
 
"Get Search and Rescue ready. We're not done with this fight yet," Frye tapped a button on the table. "Polite Society, pull back and rotate out with the Independence. There's no need to take more punishment."
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The battle in space didn't last much longer after the Lucrehulk was destroyed, and the few remaining cruisers surrendered instead of having their vessels destroyed and their lives lost.
 
Search and rescue teams were dispatched, and the salvage teams began combing through the debris, pulling whatever they could from the wreckage.
 
But down below, the storm was still ongoing, and the Federation ground forces hadn't heard the ending bell….
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Chapter 2-5