Private A Test of Metal

[Mig Gred]

Ships: Keros' Kad (Observer), Tra'verd-class line cruiser Nebula, 2x Dragonsnake-class picket cruisers Varactyl and Strill, 2x PS-1 "Tagger" corvettes Concord's Flame and Buckler

A detachment of Gred Fleet ships jumped into the system, the Kad taking the lead though only here to serve as more of an observation post and general Gred caution. Kaddie though seemed somewhat worried.

"Alor, you do realize Neb.... Well she's probably one of the youngest of us running a ship." Mig chuckled a bit.

"Look, I promised a wargame to a friend, plus we could all use the chance for some training." The Kad's captain, a spacer by birth, looked out. They were new to commanding the large vessel, but eager. Still....

"And why exactly is the Kad here anyway? Not like we're in the exercise."

"Call it an old Mando's caution." Mig said, waiting for the others to arrive.

 

[Aether Verd]

Assets: Beskar'gam | Basilisk
Darksaber | Resolute Dawn​

WAYLAND SYSTEM

The void trembled.

First with a flicker, then with fire.

A contingent of Mandalorian warships dropped out of hyperspace one by one, ancient silhouettes brought roaring into the modern age. Their hulls bore the scars of centuries past, but fresh beskar plating gleamed beneath newly installed sensor arrays and shield nodes. These were relics once mothballed and left to rust in orbital graveyards, now restored, rearmed, and given new purpose.

They moved in flawless formation, responding not to living pilots but to droid brains wired directly into the fleet’s command structure. Each vessel was slaved to the Mand’alor’s flagship, the Resolute Dawn, which emerged last with a flash of cerulean light and a trail of starlight wake.

At its helm stood Aether, arms folded behind his back, gaze fixed on the darkened expanse before him. He was no stranger to war. No stranger to command. But this was different. Leading troops on the ground, he could read their hearts. Feel their fear, their faith. But in space, the silence was complete. The scale, humbling. The cold, indifferent.

Today’s wargame was a test: not only of metal and memory, but of his own skill as a tactician in the void.

At his command were five ships beyond the Resolute Dawn:

• Vorshaal, a Kandosii-type Dreadnought, bristling with torpedo bays and broadside cannons.
• Ceromir and Veshok’s Teeth, twin Jehavey'ir-class assault ships, armored like battering rams and loaded with drop pods.
• Ashmaker and Echo’s Edge, sleek Crusader-class corvettes built for flanking runs and harassing fire.

They moved as one: silent but deadly, like wolves at heel.

Aether stepped closer to the holotable, keying in a command. A channel opened.

“Gred Fleet,” his voice rang out across the system, calm but resolute. “This is Aether, aboard the Resolute Dawn. I appreciate the opportunity, Mig. It’s not every day I get to sharpen my mind in space, and I’d be a fool not to test my edge where it’s dullest.”

A pause. He glanced at the tactical overlay. The simulation markers. The approaching Kad.

“How do you want this to begin, old friend?”​

Mig Gred

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig looked at the ships as they came in, keeping track of the patterns of how they flew. Even for AI like Kaddie and Stardust they moved very strictly. Regimented. He wouldn’t tell the others. Up to them to figure out. This was a war game after all.

“Aether. Hopefully we’ll meet on these terms more often.” He said, looking at the holocomm on the Keros’ Kad’s bridge. “You came to the right place, vod. Kaddie will keep track of the war game from here as an observation post. Keep all weapons to training strength and shields strong. We’ll start with basics. Two fleets that knew a fight was coming.” He then took a breath, looking out at the space ahead.

“This isn’t like a fight on the ground. Depends on how a fleet operates, but there are some keys. Ships internal command is their own thing. Their own beasts. But from a command level, you’re dealing with less pieces, and they’re pieces that can’t do the entire job alone. Much more valuable pieces no matter how you slice it. Lives. Costs. Won’t claim to know how you think but it’s a shared sense no matter who you’re talking to.” It was always difficult to gage how someone would understand these things. More than a few commanders over the years had lost their command in the clan and fleet over this. From detonating a Baradium warhead in atmosphere when it wasn’t needed, leading the Gred’s own Clean Sweep missiles, to leaving escorted ships behind.

“Have to say the fleet looks solid. Old but solid. We’ve actually worked on refitting a few of the old Dreadnoughts. You’ll be up against a House Solus line cruiser, two general picket cruisers, and two general escort corvettes. Should be an interesting match up. Let’s say you’ve got the jump too in this case. So the first action is yours.”

Aether Verd