Eternal Fleet Command
Panatha was just the beginning. The Mandalorian Enclave launched their infamous raid upon the Imperial vassal state under the rallying cry of ‘No Sith No Exceptions’, wherein they successfully set about launching a ruthless campaign of purging the well known planet of its cult-like Sith influence. In many ways, they succeeded where the Eternal Empire had failed in doing so, with the native Epicanthix population suffering casualties in the millions from the Enclave’s indiscriminate ground assaults and planetary bombardments. Hundreds of thousands of Eternal Imperial military personnel and non-combatants unaffiliated with the Zambrano-cult were also lost to the attack, providing ample political ammunition for the upper echelons of Imperial society to brand the Enclave a terrorist organization; followed by myriad of attempts to undermine and condemn the fledgling movement on the galactic stage amongst the powers that be, as well as for those in positions of power to issue scathing speeches and repudiations bordering on propaganda.
In the midst of this super-charged situation, many have anticipated a major military response to this unprovoked attack upon Imperial sovereignty. Yet, expectation does not always mirror reality. Where the Enclave ‘tipped their hand’ with a massive planetary offensive, STRATCOM has decided to adopt a different, but no less damaging approach to employ a strategy of misdirection and surgical strikes in the hopes of crippling the Enclave’s momentum; staunching its attempts to grow into an even greater threat to the Empire and the galaxy at large. While the Empire’s naval forces focus primarily on fragmented vestiges of the splintered CIS planets on its expanding border, STRATCOM has turned to elite Ultranaut units, Blackwatch, select orders within the Wardens of the Shroud, and the Eternal Fleet’s black ops division ‘Project Fenris’ to mobilize for a top secret operation code named ‘Silent Night’.
The focal point of the operation is the desert world of Ra’Katha, fresh in the ranks of the Enclave. At first glance, the target in question — an Outer Rim desert world —pales in comparison to symbolic targets such as Hefi or the rumored secret capital of the Enclave. But upon further inspection, the arid wasteland that is Ra’Katha coincidentally happens to be the only source of ‘red coaxium’, a variant of the common resource extracted from the spice mines of Kessel. Like it’s blue cousin, red coaxium is an incredibly potent starfuel, and if granted a monopoly over Ra’Katha’s export; the Enclave would have enough fuel to skyrocket their expansion into a major galactic military power. If a rival power were to cripple their efforts to take advantage of such a rare and important commodity, it would deal an exceedingly crippling blow to the Enclave’s efforts to develop and expand, and serve as a vital step leading to an invasion of the Mandalorian heartland whilst the bulk of the Empire’s military strength expands its borders and supply chain to that end. Per STRATCOM’s most conservative projections; if this operation proves successful, it would be a masterstroke in both tactical acuity and misdirection. If it fails, the level of resources and manpower committed to its execution is deemed acceptable in their use and potential loss when weighed against the potential benefits.
In all, this escalation in hostilities between the two powers comes amidst an increasingly tenuous geopolitical situation across the entirety of the galaxy. As the Maw and Ashlan Crusade intensify their conflict to the galactic north, the Galactic Alliance and New Imperial Order accelerate closer to their own war, and the fragmentation of the previous powerhouse known as the CIS; political experts and analysts cannot help but speculate about the ramifications this additional conflict would have on the galactic stage...
Objective 1: Asymmetrical Warfare
Any specialist with experience in dealing with decentralized entities such as the Enclave, would tell you that it is a fallacy to focus on conventional tactics alone. It is with this in mind that STRATCOM has approved the deployment of elite Ultranaut units and Blackwatch death squads with Warden attaches into provisional ‘Task Groups’ to the desert world of Ra’katha. Each task group will be ferried to the planet via stealth ships belonging to the Eternal Fleet’s black ops division, inserted in small groups to maximize the ability to deploy without attracting the notice of the planetary defenders until it is too late.
Task Force Alpha's primary objective is to cause as much damage to the planet’s coaxium harvesting infrastructure as possible; largely based within the industrial district of Saltühn, the planet’s main settlement. Alpha’s secondary objective is to secure any and all reserves of the valuable resource for extraction. If the reserves cannot be procured for use by the Eternal Empire, then said reserves shall be destroyed without exception.
Objective 2: The Sands of Ra’katha
Upon deploying to a specific section of the coaxium harvesting system, Task Force Theta gets forced down over a desolate and remote region of the planet. Upon gathering themselves and attempting to regroup so as to proceed to the objective, they are immediately beset upon by an Enclave patrol. A firefight ensues, but is soon disrupted by a rogue tribe of native Wan’ante people who know the sands of Ra’katha like the lines upon their weathered hands.
As if that were not enough, reports have suggested the presence of massive sand worms which traverse the seemingly endless dunes stretching across the entirety of the planet. In short order, Imperials and Mandalorians alike experience a change in priorities; from accomplishing their military objective, to surviving - even if that means depending on one another to do so.
Objective 3: Extreme Prejudice
Although the Enclave’s presence was met with a mixture of reactions by the native population, a sizable portion of said natives have seemingly welcomed the Mandalorians with open arms. So much so that a celebration has commenced within the main thoroughfare of Saltühn’s main civil districts, as well as several smaller settlements on the outskirts. What was intended as an event of revelry and mirth has provided a fortuitous means of infiltration for Task Force Besh, who attempts to use the festivities to infiltrate the settlements. Their primary objective is rather simple: to track & apprehend key Enclave figures partaking in the festivities throughout the settlements.
If possible, they are to return the targets alive back to Imperial space. But if they are unable to do so, they are explicitly expected to execute each target with extreme prejudice, and hopefully without fully exposing their presence to the celebratory crowds - or the unsuspecting Enclave garrison.
Objective 4: BYOO
The Sands of Ra’katha are a vast, treacherous ocean of barren dunes. If only they could speak, who knows what tales they would tell. The natives may be able to speak for them, as well as those who may attempt to take advantage of the confusion surrounding this operation. Whether it be in death, clandestine rendezvous, or some other ancillary plot; the opportunities to either become a part of the planet’s lifeless landscape, or to become one with the soul of the planet itself - are quite endless.
