The Art of War

It's during times like these, that battles are won or lost, heroes are born, and the losers die. Every person thinks about times like these before going into combat. They wonder what they will do. They are wondering if they will live or die, win or go home. Some wonder if they can stand the pressure that comes with being under fire. Having people trying to actively kill you. Its not something you cannot think about. It doesn't matter how many times you have been in this game, the game of life and death, you will think about it every time. From an Admiral to the lowest Private, each man and woman will have their fears, and their doubts. But its what you do with those fears and doubts that makes all the difference. Battle, however bloody, is where legends are born, and heroes made of the most average players in the game of life.

So it is the same now, entering this battle. Dark Jedi Knight Hades, Gladius of Tarentum, Aedile, and one of the few people with the power for his whole House, and with the Sith starfighters involved, his Clan to win in this battle. His House was on the surface, searching for the Stone. They were first, that was luck. Staring out the viewports of the Victory class Star Destroyer Corsair, it was time to find out if he was one of those people who legends are made of, or one of those people history forgets in the cold ashes of defeat.

Time slows down in these moments of truth. His plan for this battle were going the way he wished it to. The Sith fighters in his plan were just now engaging the lead forces of the other Krath Houses in the Dark Brotherhood. There are some fighters of some sort, and there are some capital ships. But not anything close to a VSD, but things like that can change.

..its time.

"Chief of the Deck, prepare for main engine emergency power. In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..Now!" were the words spoken by the Dark Jedi..
The large ship lurched forward, its two powerful drive engines putting out more than double its safe power amount. Using the gravity of the moon the Corsair is hiding behind, she spins very rapidly around what would be the equator of the moon. After a minute, the ships on the other side are perfectly clear. His approach is fast and to their aft. Perfect..

"Chief, slow to 2/3 ahead full. Missile batteries, make your target that closest Carrack Cruiser. Your next salvo the Strike Cruiser. After that, we will be within turbolaser range. Take targets of opportunity only. Turbolasers, destroy any ship that poses a clear and present danger to this ship. Hopefully the rest will bug out into Hyperspace. If not, wipe them out.." Hades smiled, time to be a legend..

The VSD took the first Carrack Cruiser by surprise. The eighty missiles hitting her on her starboard side. She immediately began listing to her port, energy waves pour over her as countless systems winked out of existence, just like most of her crew. The ship began a slow spiral towards the planet without hope of escape from its fiery doom. A few escape pods jettisoned fast enough not to be pulled toward the planet.

"Lieutenant, have an armed shuttle pick up any survivors from this battle, ours and theirs." Hades said, his eyes glued on his next victim. The Lieutenants reply fell of deaf ears.

The Strike Cruiser proved a bit more difficult. Half of the missiles fell to turbolasers from the ships cannons and a few to some Z-95s that flew out of her shuttle bay before most of it became molten metal.
"Turbolaser batteries fire on that ship! Quads take out those Z-95s. See if you can task one of our Sith fighters to cover our rescue shuttle." Hades ordered, so far, so good.

"Sir! Three TIE Fighters and two TIE Bombers have launched from the other Carrack Cruiser. Its now turning away from the battle at high speed. The Clan who is operating the ship is unknown sir." the OPS officer reported.

Sacrifice five lives to try to get away? Or just buying time.. but for what? Hades frowned, he has seen enough ship Captains become cocky and not see the obvious before it killed them. But, Hades cannot be overly cautious, that could get him killed just as easily. "Must find that balance.." he commented to no one.

"Lieutenant, disable those two TIE Bombers, do NOT destroy them. We will tractor them into the hold and use them on their own mothership." Hades grinned, this just might work out after all.

"But sir.. tha" the Lieutenant became short of breath. His throat becoming constricted. Hades had already enveloped himself into the Dark Side. The Force flowing through him was great, his anger and hatred for the ships that were out his window was peaked. His eyes glowed as he looked upon the gasping lieutenant. "Do as I say or I will finish this.. you get a second chance." the voice that said this was almost not at all like Hades.. but the tone was enough that the lieutenant nodded. With the renewed sense of life and duty, the order was given and the TIE Bombers were captured and loaded with heavy rockets. They were sent out with an escort of two A-9b Vigilante Sith fighters as escort.

The Sith fighters who were being led by Krath Arch Priest Kodiak were as deadly a foe as could be conceived. His leadership excelling, any ship he looked upon fell under his guns, or guns under his command. The taste of blood again fresh on his tongue. The two forces were closing together. The freighters in between were becoming fewer and fewer. Some were fleeing but some were fighting their way to the surface. But this was part of the plan, or at least the plan allowed this to take place. But no matter, it will be taken care of.

"Sir, the TIE Bombers are firing on the Carrack Cruiser. Both have unloaded their ordinance, and are returning to us. The Sith are drawing their fire. Direct Hit!! She is loosing power!" Shouted the OPS officer.

"How far is she from us Major?" requested Hades.

"About eight klicks sir. Shall we pursue sir?" was the reply. Hades had to think, he looked out to the enemy ships. About eight ships were left and Kodiak was taking care of those real quick. Hades turned back to the Major.

"Come about to new course 314, all ahead Flank. Order Six Sith fighters to fly escort for us. Reload the TIE Bombers quickly and send them back to help KAP Kodiak with the remaining enemy ships. And get me the list of ships who got past us. I want to know where they landed on the planet." Hades demanded. The Major nodded and went back to work.

Minutes later, the VSD was closing on the Carrack Cruiser, its list was easy to see, as well as the damage, but most of her crew should be alive. A Dark Jedi capturing team was being sent over to retake the ship. But to Hades, something wasn't right. The readings on the ship indicated that with a few minutes the cruiser should have power enough to possibly outrun the VSD. But her engines weren't even on, It was almost like something was wrong. That is when Hades' danger sense flared.

"NO! Helm! Come to course 136!! Flank Speed! Flank Speed! Tubolasers, wipe that cruiser out of my sky!!" the echoes of his loud yelling was still ringing as all the orders were followed to the letter. The massive ship came about fast as it finished off the Carrack Cruiser, turning it into space debris. Thirty seconds later one Dreadnaught capital ship dropped out of Hyperspace with turbolasers firing where the Corsair had once been. Right behind it, fresh out of Hyperspace as well were two Corvettes. All three new threats were bearing straight down on Hades. Not good.

"Chief! Give me more power out of those engines or else.." Hades turned to the Major. "Ops, rig half of our stock of heavy bombs to float like space debris and leave them all in a sparse cloud behind in our wake. On the double! Let those bastards kill themselves!!" Hades hands were clinched, had he been too cocky? It doesn't seem like it, no, not this time. Right?

Twenty seconds later, twenty-four space bombs were released out the shuttle bay in the wake of the Corsair. Directly in the path of the oncoming ships. The Sith fighters were making strafing runs at the Corvettes, and one of them was in trouble. Hades almost held his breath as the Dreadnaught came to the debris cloud..... and detonated seven bombs on its bow.

"Come about!! Back to course 314!! All batteries FIRE!!" The green bolts of highly charged energy raced out towards the damaged bow of the old ship, ripping apart bulkheads and bodies alike. The turbolasers reeked havoc until finally finding weapons stores. Hades watched as the ship ripped itself apart from within. A large enough piece of metal hit the damaged Corvette, sending it spiraling out of control and right into the sights of one KAP Kodiak. After a brief exchange of fire, the Corvette was no more.

The second Corvette proved to have a better Captain. She raised her nose above the bomb field but she knew she was no match against a VSD. So with only firing a few shots, it quickly went to hyper, leaving behind the two burning wrecks who were friends only minutes before.

"OPS, pick up all survivors. Report all casualties and damage. Bring all but one flight of the Sith Fighters onboard. That flight will provide CAP for us. Helm, make your course directly for the planet. Get us in orbit over where the enemy landed their ships. Chief of the deck, you make sure all repairs that can be made are done before we go in low orbit over the planet." The acknowledgments of the crew were quick and professional. Hades closed his eyes as the large ship moved towards the planet. His part of the battle was mostly over.

Now it all fell to the ground team. They have to find the Stone, he had destroyed many lives this day, lives of fellow Dark Jedi, fellow Krath. Maybe some other orders as well, but hopefully not all in vain. Hades stared out the viewports into space. His mind calming his rage, his anger, and his fears, all rested.

Contemplation was inevitable, he couldn't hide from it. His eyes closed smoothly. His breathing slowed as well as his pulse. His total emergence in the Force telling him much. But his mind still is racing about what had just happen in all of, what, fifteen minutes? Is that how long it takes for victory or defeat? Twenty minutes ago, all those ships had confidence, they were on a mission to find the Stone. They had no idea what was coming. If they felt something bad was going to happen, it was more than likely about what was awaiting them on the planet, not on the other side of the moon. No, it was an ambush, pure and simple. But now the question is how are the ground forces doing.

Hades looks out the viewport, then starts pacing around the crew pits. After thirty more minutes, the Corsair was directly over the enemy ships on the surface. Two minutes later, the ships were turned to slag and the Krath left on the ground will stay there. They will either die on that planet, or give themselves up to the new heavily guarded shuttles of the House of Gladius.

Hades takes a deep breath, wondering what stories will come of this battle. Would history remember him? Will anyone know, or care what he did here? As he walks around the crew pits, Hades comes to realize that it doesn't matter, not right now anyway. All that matters right now is for the ground team to complete its mission. So now, Hades is now quietly awaiting the fate of the mission, and of himself..


Written 2-4-02
DJK "Doc" Hades
Gladius of Tarentum