Bab 34: Bleeding (II)
"How is this even possible?!" Leia's eyes widened in disbelief as she listened to the end of the transmission. "The Empire…"
"Battles are raging across the entire Dufilvian sector," Mon Mothma confirmed. "The invasion is occurring in every star system within the sector. Every world loyal to the New Republic is under attack."
"But some believe the Empire doesn't have the resources for such an operation," Advisor Fey'lya remarked, his fur bristling slightly, revealing his underlying irritation despite his outward calm.
"And yet, this is the reality," Mon Mothma continued. "Admiral Ackbar received detailed reports from the commandant of the base on Ord Pardon just half an hour before this meeting. The news is alarming—something unimaginable is unfolding. First, a nearly simultaneous invasion of star systems, sometimes by individual ships, other times by pairs of Star Destroyers. Our base on Ord Pardon responded by dispatching adequate forces to counter the attack. The commandant reported that he suspects the Crondre system, our transshipment hub for medical supplies, to be the primary target of the Imperial assault."
"It's shielded by a ground deflector," Leia recalled, "similar to Echo Base on Hoth."
"That's not all," Admiral Ackbar added. "There's a Golan II-class defense station in orbit."
** Orbital Defense Station "Golan II" **
"You're too modest, Admiral," Fey'lya interjected, smoothing his fur, "neglecting to mention the V-150 Planetary Defender ion cannon. Like the one on Hoth..."
"I see you're well-informed about our defense systems, Counselor," Ackbar replied, not bothering to conceal his disdain.
"As our brave defenders fight and risk their lives, it's essential for politicians to understand their tools," Fey'lya retorted calmly. "This allows us to anticipate their needs and provide support."
"You're wasting valuable time," Ackbar shot back.
"Enough," Mon Mothma intervened. "The Provisional Council is not a place for petty squabbles. We are here to discuss the dire situation at hand."
"How dire is it?" Leia pressed. "I returned here for negotiations, and not even a day later, we're facing a crisis."
"Our forces are suffering significant losses," Ackbar admitted with a sigh. "In the Algarian system, our MC30 frigate was unable to last even ten minutes—the enemy skillfully outmaneuvered us, inflicting severe damage to the frigate's hull. We fought back, but our frigate had to retreat to base. The enemy seized the opportunity to capture a large portion of our military cargo from the freighters. In the Fenn system, a single Strike-class cruiser held its own against our Mark-I attack frigate. Our ship, which was forced to withdraw to base, sustained heavy damage, while the enemy managed to escape with only minimal harm, even destroying a freighter attempting to flee into hyperspace. In the Ord Segra system, a humanitarian convoy was intercepted and looted before our support frigate could arrive. The battle in the Womrik system continues, and once again, a lone medium strike cruiser is holding its own against a Carrack-class light cruiser, two escort frigates, and their fighter support. We hoped for a victory here—we managed to deal significant damage to the Strike cruiser, but just before this meeting, I received word that another cruiser of the same type had arrived—likely the one from the Fenn system. Unfortunately, these systems are in close proximity to each other…"
"'Unfortunately'?" Fey'lya questioned. "Did you just say 'unfortunately', Admiral?"
"Yes, I did," Ackbar grumbled.
"And unfortunate for whom?" Fey'lya continued to press.
Mon Calamari was about to respond, but Mon Mothma signaled for him to continue his report.
"With the arrival of the new ship, the situation has become more dire," Ackbar continued. "I've ordered our forces to retreat. The Nebulon-B escort frigates have disengaged and are returning to base, but the Carrack-class ship… The enemy has boarded her. Womrik's defense forces have been routed. In the Talay system, yet again, the Strike-class medium cruiser was in action, as if the Mon Calamari fleet had been handed a death sentence. Our mid-sized freighters loaded with food supplies were intercepted. The Nebulon-B escort frigate arrived, backed by two squadrons of X-wings…"
"Destroyed?" Leia asked quietly.
Ackbar shook his head.
"The frigate was heavily damaged and abandoned by the crew," he said bitterly. "It's likely been captured by the enemy. And of the two squadrons, only half survived…"
"Losing an entire squadron is a severe blow," Organa-Solo tried to comfort her friend.
"But in the Blenjeel system, the enemy withdrew," Fey'lya pointed out. "They didn't even engage in battle. Our brave military forces..."
"Only found escape pods from three freighters," Admiral Ackbar finished. "The enemy made a swift move before our ships could intervene."
"So, are we being defeated across the board?" Mon Mothma clarified.
"We've lost more than half of our deployed squadrons," Ackbar confirmed. "A Carrack-class light cruiser was captured in the Womrik system, and an escort frigate was likely captured in the Talay system. One MC30c frigate from the Algarian system is severely damaged, one Mark-I attack frigate from the Fenn system is damaged, and we have one combat-ready MC30c from the Ord Segra system, one combat-ready Mark-I from the Blenjeel system, and two damaged Nebulon-B frigates from the Womrik system."
"Perhaps the situation will improve in the Crondre system," Counselor Fey'lya chuckled. "After all, there's a Golan-II station and a V-150 Planetary Defender ion cannon there. Just like Hoth."
** V-150 Planetary Defender Ion Cannon **
Leia couldn't help but wonder whose side this insufferable Bothan was on. The more she listened to him, the more she was convinced—he was only on his own side.
"A strike group was dispatched to Crondre from Ord Pardon," Ackbar continued, "and they managed to destroy one Imperial Star Destroyer and severely damage another. Given the strength of the Golan and the ion cannon, the enemy ships might even have become our prizes. However, when the Mon Calamari MC-80 Liberty-class star cruiser and two Mark-II strike frigates arrived in the system to trap both Imperial ships between them and the planet, it turned out the enemy had additional reinforcements."
"How many?" Mon Mothma asked. "Two Imperial Star Destroyers in a single system—even in the height of the Empire, not every star system had that. The enemy must have known about Crondre's defense systems, which explains why two battleships showed up..."
"Two more Imperial-I-class Star Destroyers arrived," Ackbar sighed. "Our three ships were quickly trapped by four enemy vessels. The outcome is inevitable, no matter how grim—the enemy will first destroy our ships, then knock the Golan station out of orbit, land troops out of range of the Planetary Defender, and capture our medical supply depot, which holds thousands of tons of vital medicines. This could sustain a couple of sectors through several months of intense warfare."
"Of course, it's not my place to instruct you, Admiral," Counselor Fey'lya commented in a neutral tone, and from Ackbar's reaction, Leia could tell the Mon Calamari didn't take the Bothan's words lightly. "But perhaps we should send a few more star cruisers from the nearest base?"
"If we had them, I would've already sent them," Ackbar snapped. "Five more star cruisers and over a dozen frigates were deployed to Sluis Van for a transportation operation. Only a few frigates remain at Ord Pardon, along with whatever ships can arrive from other systems. Given the limited repair facilities at that base and the incomplete planetary defense construction—due to your ongoing efforts to divert more and more funds from the military budget..."
Leia felt a wave of nausea. Her mouth went dry. The thought that flashed through her mind was like a Jedi epiphany. Or was it just that years of working in the Alliance's underground had made her naturally paranoid?
But she had to ask.
"Has anyone, since Admiral Ackbar's last communication, checked in with the base on Ord Pardon?" she asked quietly.
The silence that followed suggested that this simple notion hadn't crossed the minds of the Provisional Council members. Leia felt the room closing in on her. The twins, sensing their mother's anxiety, began to stir in her womb.
"No," Mon Mothma whispered, a mix of sadness and surprise flickering in her eyes. "It
can't be that simple…"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone