After leaving the conference room, Solo and Rinuan hurried to the office, while Captain Ragnos rushed back to the *Dingyuan* to supervise the loading of the fighters.
Inside the office, the holographic star map activated as the two men quickly settled into work, coordinating the details of the Togoria blockade operation.
"Commander, how many ships do you currently have?" Solo asked first, his gaze fixed on the force deployment area of the star map.
"Six *Hailfire*-class attack ships, six *Consular*-class frigates, and four *Pelta*-class frigates. We're supposed to have twelve *Hailfire*-class ships, but we're still half short. We have a total of 696 fighters," Rinuan replied quickly, adjusting the star map's parameters.
"No wonder they asked you to participate in this operation. It seems Dietmar is also short on ships," Solo nodded understandingly.
Rinuan drew a red line on the star chart and explained, "Dietmar has already departed for Togolia and is expected to arrive in five and a half hours. If we can depart within half an hour, we'll still arrive half an hour later."
"The situation doesn't look good," Solo said, glancing at his watch. "Let's not waste any more time. I'll head back to the ship and prepare. We'll rendezvous in orbit."
The two saluted each other in farewell. Solo turned and strode toward the Speeder Bike docking station, already mentally reviewing the ship's cargo manifest.
Fortunately, the Dingyuan's cargo bay wasn't fully loaded; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to respond to this emergency mission so quickly.
Speaking of cargo, Solo couldn't help but grumble. The local dockworkers, though familiar with the process, had been overwhelmed by the sheer variety of supplies. Coordinating with various departments to inventory the materials alone had cost him an entire day.
The Logistics Department's inefficiency was even worse than that Toydarian warehouse manager at the Jedi Temple.
What really gave him a headache was the last-minute reassignment of half the Clone Trooper Battalion. Since the other Jedi Generals had equal rank, he couldn't question the order. To appeal, he'd have to go through the Council, and by the time the process was complete, the mission would already be over.
Finally, the four Clone Trooper Battalions waved goodbye to Solo and headed toward the unknown battlefield.
Despite his complaints, Solo quickly set about integrating the resources at his disposal.
The list of supplies he "scraped" from the Logistics Department was impressive:
In terms of personnel, three fully manned Clone Trooper Battalions (a total of 6,912 soldiers, mostly first-generation clones who had just turned eleven) were prioritized for boarding.
Additionally, he requisitioned special Clone Trooper units stranded on Lantilles: two assault squads, a Space Marine Company, a platoon of "Melee Troopers" equipped with power armor, and two Demolition Trooper squads.
These units had no other takers, and the Logistics Department was more than happy to have Solo take them off their hands.
The Melee Troopers, in particular, came as a pleasant surprise. Clad in heavy armor twice as heavy as standard-issue gear, equipped with servomotors and vibrating arm blades, they were an experimental unit specifically designed for close-quarters combat. Though their utility was limited, they were absolute game-changers in urban warfare or battles in confined spaces.
The equipment included ten AT-TE walkers, thirty light AT-RT walkers, twelve brand-new TX-130S "Saber" anti-gravity tanks, thirty AT-XT walkers, six LAAT/i low-altitude assault gunboats, six Nu-class attack shuttles, one Kappa-class shuttle, and even two Delta-7 fighters reserved for the Jedi.
Most of the equipment had already been successfully loaded into the hangar, leaving only a few large pieces waiting to be secured.
While the Clone Troopers were busy organizing the hangar, Solo carefully studied the performance parameters of the new equipment.
The TX-130S "Saber" anti-gravity tank was highly maneuverable, similar to the AAT Tank. It was armed with two heavy laser cannons, a medium twin-barrel laser turret, and two missile launchers carrying sixteen missiles. However, its armor and deflector shields were relatively weak, making it suitable for rapid assaults but unsuitable for head-on confrontations.
The AT-XT walker, an upgrade to the AT-RT, featured a fully enclosed cockpit. In addition to a twin-barrel laser cannon, it was equipped with two grenade launchers carrying eighteen proton grenades. More importantly, it boasted shields capable of withstanding fire from medium blaster cannons, allowing it to maintain mobility even after being hit by heavy weapons.
The firepower of a single AT-XT was sufficient to replace several mortar platoons and infantry squads. Solo even wondered how he had never noticed such a practical piece of equipment before.
The Nu-class attack shuttle, designed as a complement to the LAAT, primarily focused on personnel and cargo transport. It was armed with four twin-mounted light laser cannons.
Although its firepower was modest, its lightweight armor and robust shields gave it better survivability than the LAAT. It could also attach two tons of cargo using magnetic locks, making it ideal for rapid deployment missions.
The Kappa-class shuttle, developed before the war, was a large shuttle measuring thirty-five meters in length. It could transport forty infantry, two light walkers, and fifty tons of cargo.
Its armaments were sufficient for self-defense and could even provide suppressive fire to clear landing zones for ground forces. Walkers could slide out from the sloped ramp at the stern, while infantry could disembark through the ramp beneath the cockpit or the stern cargo bay doors, making it suitable for large-scale amphibious operations.
The Delta-7 fighter was the standard fighter for the Jedi. Lightweight and highly maneuverable, it was equipped with two medium laser cannons and came with an R-3 series astro-mechanic droid.
Solo was finally getting his own "robot assistant," and he was quite looking forward to it. He couldn't stop thinking about that chatty "rolling trash can."
Apart from that, the Logistics Department had "graciously" allocated a Consular-class frigate. Though nominally a frigate, it was more like a "moving target." Its speed and maneuverability were decent, but its firepower was weak, making it suitable only for drawing enemy fire.
The real surprise came from a meeting at the Officers' Club, where he secured a Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser and a Lantilles Militia Regiment.
The cruiser, though massive and heavily armored, was slow and armed with outdated guns. It required a crew of nine thousand, and Solo had no intention of deploying it to the front lines. Instead, he planned to station it in Donovia's orbit to protect the system's security.
The militia regiment would remain in Lantilles on standby, to be redeployed as needed for future missions.
Even more fortunate was Solo's success in "scraping" four graduates from the Officer Academy: Sumelagi, Grace, Kristen, and Lichtenthal.
Though lacking combat experience, they were well-educated professional officers. Experience could be gained over time, and they were far better suited for command roles than Clone Troopers.
Given the urgency of the situation, Solo immediately contacted Captain Roy Falk of the *Dreadnought-class* cruiser, ordering him to lead his ship to Donovia at full speed to reinforce the base's defenses.
Traveling at cruiser speed, the journey would take approximately two days.
The assigned *Consular-class* escort ship, after being fully loaded, also departed immediately. Additionally, the *Dingyuan* received 120 V-19 Torrent fighters, bringing its total to four squadrons. Overnight, the *Dingyuan* transformed into a makeshift aircraft carrier. Including the two Delta-7 fighters, its aerial forces were now sufficient to handle small-scale air battles.
Solo also planned to use the voyage to enter a simulator and "recall" his fighter piloting skills. In an air battle, he reasoned, he could be more effective personally flying a fighter than commanding from the bridge.
Ahsoka needed to review her flight skills as well; Solo hoped she had studied relevant courses at the Temple. After all, Jedi, guided by the Force, could pilot fighters far more efficiently than ordinary pilots, even robots.
Obi-Wan often said, "Flying is for robots," but Solo was eager to test this claim himself.
Once all preparations were complete, the *Dingyuan* slowly rose into the air, heading for orbit to rendezvous with Commander Rinuan's fleet.
Meanwhile, in the crew quarters of the *Dingyuan*, newly commissioned Lieutenant Sumelagi was jolted awake by a shrill alarm.
She sprang from her bunk, instinctively moving to rush to her battle station before realizing she had just boarded the ship. The cabin was still unfamiliar, and her luggage hadn't even been unpacked.
Last night, when she and her friends were celebrating her commissioning, Sumelagi never imagined her military career would begin with such urgency.
She couldn't help but recall the scene from the Officers' Club yesterday, when Ahsoka suddenly received a message from Solo. After hanging up, she had smiled and said, "General Viktor wants you to pack your bags and report to the *Dingyuan*." The shock on her friends' faces was still fresh in her mind.
Shaking her head, Sumelagi quickly packed her belongings, checked her uniform, and headed for the cabin door.
In the corridor, she encountered three of her companions. Lichtenthal remained impeccably neat, Kristen yawned sleepily, and Grace's hair was disheveled, creating a stark contrast among the four.
"Sumelagi, what's going on? Is the enemy attacking?" Kristen asked, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm not sure either. The alarm sounded too suddenly," Sumelagi replied, shaking her head.
At that moment, a Clone Trooper emerged from the end of the corridor. Sumelagi immediately approached and asked, "Lieutenant, what's the reason for the alarm?"
"Commander, we're joining Commander Rinuan's fleet to carry out a mission on Togoria. We're currently receiving fighters and will depart immediately after preparations are complete... My apologies, but I have duties to attend to." The Clone Trooper saluted and hurried off into a side passage.
"Wow! A real battle!" Grace exclaimed, instantly wide awake, her sleepiness forgotten.
"Do you think the new Commander is on board yet?" Kristen wondered aloud.
"He's probably in the hangar or on the bridge, coordinating the fighter deployment," Sumelagi speculated. "Let's go look. At least we need to know our assignments."
"Agreed," Lichtenthal nodded. The four headed toward the bridge.
Meanwhile, Solo stood on the bridge of the *Dingyuan*, gazing at the vast expanse of space on the observation screen.
The *Dingyuan* was about to rendezvous with Commander Rinuan's fleet and jump into hyperspace.
"Master, are you looking at the stars?" Ahsoka bounced up beside him, her voice cheerful.
"The stars are beautiful," Solo said, his voice tinged with emotion. "They remain constant, silently watching over us. Compared to them, the war we're fighting seems so trivial."
"Master, you're waxing philosophical again," Ahsoka teased, glancing furtively at the screen. Then, her tone turned serious. "Do you think we can win?"
"We'll do everything in our power to avoid defeat, but there are too many unknowns in war." Solo turned to look at Ahsoka. "Regardless, we must give our all."
At that moment, Rinuan's holographic image appeared on the observation screen. "General Viktor, are you ready?"
"Ready. Coordinates received," Solo confirmed with a nod.
"Then, commence the jump!" Rinuan ordered.
The Clone Trooper operator immediately began the countdown. "Hyperspace engines preheated. Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one—jump!"
Ahsoka turned eagerly toward the observation screen, her eyes shining with anticipation.
The spectacle of a hyperspace jump was always mesmerizing.
Seven Hailfire-class attack ships, escorted by ten light cruisers and frigates, leaped into hyperspace one by one, leaving trails of blue light in their wake.
Above the planet Togoria, a brutal battle awaited them.
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 10+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my patreon