Taliman Invasion

[Khendon Sevon]

[Fleet: Imperial Expeditionary Fleet]
Khendon’s fleet prepares to come out of hyperspace, the fleet now reinforced and rearmed from its last battle. Khendon walks the bridge looking at each officer’s face, knowing that in the next hour some of them might live no more. Khendon shakes his head and thinks of the bright news. According to scouts reports Taliman is a weak planet and shouldn’t have any defenses. Maybe a few marauders or freighters, but nothing serious.

Taliman is a frozen planet that is made up of large mountain chains. It is rich in resources and has been taken several times by several different warlords and the like, but no one could ever hold it. Eventually the population pushed off the last invading force and since then, no one has dared invade it. Due to it being in the outer rim not many ships come here, so the planet is self sufficient.

Khendon gives orders to his fleet. “Once we are out of hyperspace form up in a V formation. I want long-range recon of the system as well as a recon squad to check the planet for any towns or cities we’ll need to take. The Interdictory Cruiser is to activate her gravity wells and I want one Imp Escort Carrier, the Marauder, and two Action VI Bulk Freighters to stay back with it. I want all Dreadnaughts to be held in reserve as a cover force. Launch two squads of our Tie Defenders and have them cover the smaller vestals. Launch a third squad of them to cover the dreadnaughts and a fourth to cover the Victories. That should be all we’ll need to send out, the remaining two squads will stay onboard as backup.” As Khendon finishes he gets recognition from all ships, they are ready.

[Khendon Sevon]

The fleet comes out of hyperspace and takes several minutes to form up. Once they have completed the task of making a V formation they lurch towards the planet at full burn, Khendon’s flagship in lead. “Seems to be quiet, could this one be easy?” Khendon says looking at his comm. officer.
“Sir, I’m getting a awful lot of chatter from the planet, it’s heavily encrypted and we can’t quit make it out.”
“Trace it to its source and prepare to have our Victories launch their scimitars.”
“Aye, Sir. Three sources, each fairly large, the scouts on planet are reporting three cities. All heavily fortified with planetary weapons including; shields, ion cannons, and turbolasers. The shields are class 1 so we shouldn’t have a problem, just have to land ground forces.”
“Agreed, tell the Victories to get as close as they can then launch their load of ground forces onto the planet. Bring us as close as we can get, we’ll launch some support forces, hold back our main force.

[Khendon Sevon]

The ships move into position and slowly launch their craft from a safe distance. The combined ground forces will land in the middle city, they will shut down the planetary defenses and take out all enemy ground troops. Once they have accomplished this, they shall break into two groups and attack the remaining cities. Bombers will be launched to support the ground troops once the anti-air systems are taken care of.

[Khendon Sevon]

“This is Lan, I have visual sighting on the first city. My troops will move in slowly, it’s cold down here, Khendon. We better get something outa’ this, man.” Lan climbs aboard his AT-AT where he shall command the action, Khendon supervising. The ground force begins to move, consisting of; three AT-AT’s, six AT-ST’s, several hover barges, and thousands of ground troops it should be more then enough to take the planet.

Several minutes later the forces are down the city’s throat. The AT-AT’s in a tight formation move in searching for the shield generator and weapons emplacements. Two groups of three AT-ST’s move around supporting the ground troops as they duke it out with the resistance forces.

“This is Lan, we have spotted the cluster of turbolasers and ion cannons. They’re not well defended and we should have them down in a few moments. Still no word on the status of that shield.”
“Good job, Lan. I’ll have my crew do a sensor sweep along with the recon fighters down there, if they can get close enough. We’ll find it for you, give us a couple minutes.” With that several probes are launched from the ships belly towards the planet.

[Khendon Sevon]

The AT-AT’s target the first Turbolaser battery and open fire with their heavy laser cannons. A brilliant explosion emits from the weapon and the powerful lasers melt through their armor and cause devistation to internal systems. “It’ll be savigable, don’t kill it fully.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The AT-AT’s move to their next target and repeate this with four more emplacements, destroying one only and knocking a total of four out, still repairable. “Now for the ion cannons.” Khendon points out to his ground commander.
“Yes, Sir!”
Heavy blaster fire hits each of the twelve ion cannons destroying them entirely.

[Khendon Sevon]

“This is Khendon, Lan. We have located the shield gen. It’s three clicks north of your position. Send a group of speeder bikes, have them carry explosives and take the place out.”
“As you command, Rear Admiral Khendon.”

Lan gives the orders to pull the speeders out of each AT-AT and give their crews high explosives.

[Khendon Sevon]

Fifteen speeder bikes race towards the enemy shield generator in a line formation. Each man equipped with several proton grenades. As the men approach they see the shield generator and begin to fan out. They are a small force and will probably have to deal with heavy troop fortifications.

The speeder bike troops notice no troops. The shield generator seems to be evacuated. “John, report to Lan that we have taken the shield generator for the city intact.
“Yes, Sir.”
The team quickly deactivates the generator and bombers are released from all three Victory Star Destroyers.

[Khendon Sevon]

“This is alpha scimitar group, we’re ready to support the ground forces.”
“This is beta scimitar group, we’re ready to support the ground forces.”
“This is delta scimitar group, we’re ready to support the ground forces.”
“Excellent, the city will be clean of all resistance in twenty minutes!”

Twenty minutes later the forces break up, one group of one AT-AT, three AT-ST’s and two thousand troops move to the other city and a sister group heads to the remaining one. Left behind are one AT-AT, all of the barges, and one thousand troops to keep order. The bombers have landed in the captures city and are being rearmed and refueled until the next shields drop. The three Victories have entered the atmosphere.

[Khendon Sevon]

Thirty minutes later the first forces hits the enemy city of Delphi. The AT-ST’s this time stay close to their counterpart AT-AT protecting it from smaller, faster craft. The ground troops enter a massive battle with four thousand enemy ground units.

Another five minutes later the turbolasers and ion cannons are in range of the AT-AT’s heavy laser cannons and the AT-STs’ concussion grenade launchers and blaster cannons. The formation fires and after two minutes of firing the entire defensive station is nothing but rubble and dust. The AT-AT launches its five speeders and goes to help the troops along with the AT-ST’s.

[Khendon Sevon]

Two minutes later the speeder force finds it. Another abandoned shield generator. They easily take it down and one of the squads launches from the center city to aid the ground troops in clean up.

[Khendon Sevon]

Back at the other city it’s not going so well. They managed to disable the planetary shields but their AT-AT and AT-STs were destroyed.
“This is, “ static, “Lan, “ static, “reinforcements, “ static, “need,” static, “forcements.” The transmission ends there.
“Have five huntred troops from the center city and their complement of barges go and assist him. Launch transports to Delphi and get ready to move troops from there to Gabigh city. Launch the AT-AT barge and have it pick up the AT-AT then AT-STs for removal to Gabigh. Tell beta and delta scimitar groups to move to Gabigh along with two of our Victory Star Destroyers.” Khendon screams as his comm. man relays the orders.

[Khendon Sevon]

Several minutes later Lan is alone, his AT-AT on the ground and his troops out cold. He gets up and puts his hand on the ice-cold control panel and moves a few knobs… nothing. Lan curses under his breath and moves to the exit hatch, he leaves to be greeted by twelve thousand enemy troops. Lan dives into the snow and covers himself up, wouldn’t be good for him to be captured.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon is pissed. He orders the launch of all fighters to attack Gabigh and destroy all enemy forces there. He holds back his Tie Defenders for defense against enemy fighters but the rest goes.

[Khendon Sevon]

Several minutes later Lan hears an incessant screeching in the ski and screams from the enemy army. He looks up and mutters, “Air superiority… heh, it’s a B*%$#.”

Khendon smiles as reports of the enemies surrender comes in. His victory is short lived as warning sirens go off all over the ship. “Sir, two victory star destroyers with heavy escorts of all kinds approaching. They must be from the nearby planet of Tevilh V, they are allied with the Taliman people.

Khendon curses and looks at his options. “Tell all Dreadnaughts, Carrack Cruisers, and the Marauder to attack the enemy fleet. I want the dreads in… “
“I know, Sir, dreads in a claw formation, carrack in a sphere formation, and the marauder to cover the backs of the dreads… then you want us to pull up and go head to head using ions on one of the victories and on the other our turbolasers, correct?”
“Exactly, so do it!” Khendon chuckles and spins in his chair.

[Khendon Sevon]

The formations of starships collide and open fire on each other. Deadly blasts pour in from all directions against every ship. “FIRE!” Khendon screams as shots emit from every gun onboard his ISD3. The dreadnaughts are concentrating on the victory that Khendon is using his turbo lasers on while the Carracks take care of the escort of two lancers, two marauders, and two modified Quasar Fire-Class Bulk Cruisers. “This is Khendon, I want those Quasars disabled not destroyed, you hear me?!? They are hard to come by and can hold around fifty fighters, especially since those have their cargo bays removed. Order all fighters up from the planet to help here. I believe if we take out the two Victories we should cause the other ships to surrender.”
“I agree, Admiral.” Says the commander of the first modified Dreadnaught.
“Same.” Pipes in the commander of the marauder.
“Release all fighters and have them go fighter-to-fighter. Don’t let anything get through the formation.”
“Aye, Sir. All seventy-two Tie Defenders have been launched, ones from on world are almost here.”

[Khendon Sevon]

The first of the two Victories blows up and all fire from the ISD3 is concentrated on the remaining Victory whose shields are down. Another brilliant explosion marks the destruction of the last Victory as the Dreadnaughts and the ISD3 target the escort ships taking them out one by one.
“This is commander Obilgark of the Quasar Fire Poison Water, we surrender.”
“Lock tractor beams on his ship and send a boarding party.
“Sir! The other ships are preparing for hyperspace, but they won’t be able to leave. They’re fleeing, Sir.”
“Order Carrack Cruisers and Marauder to pursue. I want as many ships disabled as possible; we’ll make a show of power to the surrounding planets. Reroute all fighters and have them use ion cannons as much as possible.”
“Aye, Admiral.”

[Khendon Sevon]

Back on the planet order is restored and ground forces withdrawn. The planet has surrendered and embraced GMA rule. A garrison of 10,000 fresh troops lands and a planetary shield is installed, brought down from the ISD3. Shields up, most planetary weapons offline but some are still in condition to fire.” Planet defended, for now. No time for R&R, need supplies, repairs, rearming, and more troops. After that, onto the next planet, and the next… and the next…” Khendon’s voice trails off as his fleet prepares for the jump to hyperspace. Last transmission between fleet and planet, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”