Waves of War[Mark Crassis]

[Gir Quee]

Altier-class Frigate Athena, somewhere in Deep Space

“Captain’s on the deck!”

As Gir strode through the doors to the bridge, members of his new bridge crew rose up to stand at attention. Gir himself came to an abrupt halt as his eyes briefly scanned the room. His bridge crew was as varied as the Republic’s populace itself, as it should be.

“As you were,” declared Gir, dismissing the crew to go back about their normal duties.

He continued over to the captain’s chair and sank into it. Not quite as comfortable as the Crescent Light’s. He fiddled with the chairs settings, quickly chaning the display settings of his console: the previous user had apparently been very near-sighted or viewed things in a different spectrum than most. The man from Hast quickly adjusted the airflow vents too, finding it much too hot for his liking. Must have been a Sullustan. He had barely finished those adjustments when Lieutenant Nanch Arapto, a light gray-skinned duros female, approached his seat.

“Captain, is everything to your satisfaction?”

Gir hesitated, “Yes, it is, thank you. How are our other vessels?”

“While your old ship is ready to go, as is the Evenstar. The only ship we’re waiting on is the Hephaestus.”

Gir nodded. The Hephaestus was an Armorer-class Support Corvette, a design just recently released by his own company, Lucerne Labs. Doubtlessly the crew had not quite become completely familiar with the new design. Normally, the crew would have been given a longer shake down cruise, but circumstances did not allow it. They would have to catch up with the more experienced crews of the Vinnath-class Pocket Carriers Evenstar and the Crescent Light. The crew on the Athena was fairly mixed. Many of them, such as Arapto, had served on the ship for several voyages, but there was a sizeable influx of new crewmembers as the enlistments of some its crew expired or people were transferred. Gir was among the newcomers, taking command of the newly formed flotilla after his recent promotion after having fought off the Apartne Pirates away from a stranded cruise ship three weeks ago onboard his first command, the Crescent Light. Arapto cleared her throat.

“Sir, can I ask a question?”

Gir swiveled in his chair to face her, “What is it LT?”

“The pirates we’re hunting…what were they like when you faced them?”

Quee pondered that question, “Smart, in their own way. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking about tactical geniuses from the academy leading the higher institutes of the Fleet. I’m talking street smart. They know how to raid well and cut their losses when things aren’t looking their way.”

“So they’re cowardly?”

“No, just practical,” sighed Gir, “believe me, if they were courageous in any sense of the word, this would be a whole lot easier. They would charge and we’d mow them down once they did. They’re playing guerilla warfare now. But since we killed their last leader in that engagement, their new leader might play a little differently, not that I think that he’d change tactics a whole lot. That would likely be too difficult politically if he wants to stay in charge.”

“Speaking of new leaders…”

“[member="Mark Crassis"] will be here shortly,” offered Lieutenant Quee, “to take formal command of the Athena for this operation.”

“You think it wise, sir?”

“Everyone has to face combat once. Once they do, it starts to become second nature, lieutenant. After that initial shock, it slowly becomes more numb, more understandable in its own sort of way. He'll be fine.”

 

[Mark Crassis]

Mark Crassis walked with a confident and rushed pace down the corridors of the Altier-class Frigate, Athena. This was his first time on such a vessel. He had excelled at the academy and earned a name for himself serving throughout Republic space, but he certainly hadn't taken on anything like this. This would be his first test in command of a vessel, and to say it worried him wasn't a lie. Outwardly you would never know that he was concerned. Mark had learned a long time ago that no matter how you felt on the inside, your expression betrayed all. As long as the surface of the water was calm and smooth, no-one would be the wiser to the current beneath the surface.

It was that sort of thing that had earned him a reputation for being cold and calculating....some even had called him emotionless. This wasn't true. Mark was a sentient being, he had emotions, he just didn't put much stock into them. As he walked through the corridors a number of soldiers acknowledged him with curt nods and salutes. He wasn't a particularly well liked man amongst the common soldiers. In addition to his reputation for emotionlessness.....he was also known to do what had to be done. If it meant achieving victory, Mark would do it. This had meant sacrifices in the past....sacrifices that came in the form of dead soldiers. They were decisions that haunted him, that kept him up at night, but they were not decisions that he regretted. Mark never regretted victory.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Mark entered the bridge and snapped to attention before [member="Gir Quee"], "Lieutenant Mark Crassis reporting for duty, sir!" He said with the practiced air of someone who had been doing it his entire life, his voice calm and sharp. Mark was a military man from birth. His parents both served the in the Republic Navy and he had spent his entire youth on ships....though never on a Altier-Class before. His uniform was pressed meticulously and he carried himself, or at least he hoped he did, with a no-nonsense air.

 

[Gir Quee]

"As you were, Lieutenant," said Gir, rising from his chair, "i'm afraid that in a way, I am not the most professional soldier. I value competence and practicality far more than adherence to a protocol. i try to keep protocol relaxed, and it'll stay that way as long as all of us continue to treat each other with a modicum of respect as decent sentient beings."

Quee's eyes darted across the other man's body, attempting to find any signs that would reveal more about a man. Reputations were an interesting thing, a type of social heuristic which Gir had learned to not fully trust. While he had heard about Crassis's somewhat cold efficiency, he knew that was part of what a good commander. One needed to be level-headed and collected in battle, though if that coolness permeated to the general treatment of his crew, Gir was going to be in for a tough ride. The last thing Gir needed was someone who was going to bring about such a command climate that morale plummeted as everyone looked after themselves, and not their fellow crewmates. Gir cleared his throat.

"I am under the impression that this is your first command," said Gir, "so in that age old tradition, let me impart a little bit of advice that my first CO gave me. This vessel and its crew can make or break your career, treat them well, and they will treat you well. Tell me a little bit about yourself, [member="Mark Crassis"]. What kind of man are you?"

 

[Mark Crassis]

Mark listened intently to [member="Gir Quee"], all the while looking the man in the eyes. He too was assessing the person standing before him, and so far he wasn't entirely sure what to make of his commanding officer. Upon speaking, it seemed clear to Mark that his reputation had preceded him, and he was strike by the fact that word had gotten that far away from the small groups Mark Crassis had worked with. He saw it in the looks by the soldiers on the way to this meeting, and now even in his superior's words. Inwardly, Mark smiled at how quickly words like this got around. In truth, Mark didn't consider himself particularly cold, nor did he throw away lives needlessly.....what he did, he did for the sake of victory and the Republic.

Mark's eyebrow shot up slightly at the question being posed to him. What kind of a man are you? It was an odd question....and it left Mark speechless for a second. Finally, narrowing his eyes slightly, Mark considered the question. "I'm a soldier, a republican through and through, and....I like to fight." Mark said, acknowledging what he thought were both strengths and weaknesses. Mark believed in the values and tenants of the Galactic Republic with every fiber of his being and he had been a soldier his whole life. In truth though, even if he didn't believe so strongly in the Republic it wouldn't matter. He would still be here. Mark liked to fight. He liked matching wits with another in a struggle that meant something. When he stood before a task, the lives faded away and everything was just a tactical move. He was aware that it was a compartmentalization....something to keep him sane when people were dying around him....but he was good at compartmentalization.

"You are correct also, this is my first command," Mark admitted.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Mark Crassis"]

Gir nodded in acknowledgement.

Rumor in the navy even had its own word: scuttlebutt. The very fluid nature of the navy's personnel management system, transferring people from place to place every couple of years or even months, almost always ensured that someone knew someone who in turn knew something or yet another person. Yet this word of mouth distorted, omitted, and twisted information as it traveled through the ranks. Yet still an aspect of the ground truth typically remained in it. That's often why the more politically minded officers kept a close ear to the rumor lines. Even officers like Gir did too, if only to make sure that his own reputation stayed relatively intact. After all, that could make or break the positions one was transferred to, which could make or break careers. As useful as scuttlebutt could be, Gir was one who didn't like to add to it if he could help it.

"We should go somewhere a little more private," decided Gir, "let's say, my quarters. Lieutenant Arapto, you have the bridge."

"Aye sir."

The two men meandered out of the bridge and through several corridors before arriving in the rectangular metal box that Gir called home. No sooner had the doors to it swished behind them then when Gir tapped a button on the room's small holo-projector. The device began to hum before its light coalesced to form two separate holo-busts. The first appeared to be a thin, pale lady with curly red hair wearing a utilitarian gray jumpsuit. The other was some sort of saurian alien, perhaps a Tiss'shar judging by the width of his green scales.

"I didn't ask what sort of man were you just for fun, Lieutenant," said Gir quietly, "the fact is, ours is a profession that relies on us knowing who we are, and who we are facing. Personality and understanding how other people's mind thinks is probably half the equation of a battle. The other half, the ships, the weapons, and the scenery is something that we can only rarely change by ourselves. Often, that is all set in stone, so I focus on what I can change. And that's my understanding of who I am, who you are, who all my other leaders are, and who we are facing.

We don't know for sure who took over the Apartne Pirates after Captain Cartum's death, but it is likely that it is one of these two, his top lieutenants.
The lady on our right is Ariela Narcassan, originally from the industrial planet of Metalorn. Rumor has it that she has been with the Apartne gang since Cartum formed it two years ago, being an old shipmate on Cartum's Star Stalker. She has a reputation for being surgical and targetting a person directly, often using psychological tactics such as targetting her opponent's bridge in order to distract their attention from her true goals. What we do know for sure is that she was in command of the gunship Galaxy Rogue during our last engagement, which had a brief engine malfunction which kept the ship out of much of the engagement before they retreated.

This second one only goes by the name of Claw. He's a relatively new blood to the group, but he gain Cartum's favor recently after undertaking a daring mission in which he assassinated a rival pirate leader at a shadowport. What I saw of his fighting style shows that he's more of a tactician that focuses on mastering the basics. His Stormfist did some very basic flanking skills that almost knocked out the Crescent during the last fight just because his timing and fire control coordination was impeccable. It's something that I'm continuing to study now, actually. He also was the one who lead the group in a more orderly retreat after we had blunted their last attack. If not for Narcassan's wile and seniority, I think it would be a highly likely guess that he would be the one in charge.

Now, our information on them is a bit sketchy right now. Intelligence thinks that they've found a supply cache that the pirates have been using about ten light years from here, located in the middle of an asteroid field. Using only your gut instinct, what do you think we should do?"

 

[Mark Crassis]

Mark followed [member="Gir Quee"] as he lead him to his quarters and listened intently to him. Mark understood his commander and understood what he was trying to tell him. Mark considered himself good at reading another person and at understanding how their minds work. It was a byproduct of his calculating nature.....however, there wasn't always an opportunity to calculate out in detail when in the midst of battle. One had to also be good at making snap decisions and following their instincts.

"I understand." Mark said and then listened as Quee explained the two likely leaders of the pirates.

Ariela Narcassan and Claw were the two likeliest leaders of the pirates now. Looking over the two images and listening to what Quee said about them, Mark believed he was getting a good image of the two personalities in his mind. He imagined the struggle that was likely ongoing amongst the pirates. Narcassan's demanding personality holding the control over many of the men, but Claw's talents pressing back. If this were in fact the case, now was an ideal time to strike, an ideal time to plant a wedge further dividing the pirates. Then there was the idea of this supply cache, located within an asteroid field.....it seemed to convenient a location to Mark. Perhaps it was true and intelligence had gotten lucky...or perhaps it was a little bit of information leaked to bring a target directly into a location that would be ideal for the hit and run tactics they have been using.

"I think it seems convenient." Mark said sinking his head down in thought. Staring into the images of the two potential leaders of the pirates, Mark continued to speak.

"We know that the pirates are utilizing a war of attrition against us. Hit and run tactics. This location is ideal for that sort of strike. Have a number of ships hidden away amongst the astroids, wait for a response and then hit them and run before the enemy can regroup or counter." Mark said, finally turning toward Quee.

"I think weighing the benefits of striking at a supply cache with the risks of an ambush....we're better off not committing to an assault here." Mark said but didn't stop there. In his mind he felt like he had a good image of the two and it brought a question to mind.

"What if we could set up a scenario that further divided the pirates?" Mark asked. It was of course conjecture he was now throwing out. "If we could set up situations which would cause strife amongst the two, we could benefit greatly. We need situations that play to both of their personalities. With Narcassan we would want to highlight an opportunity for a high profile hit, while with Claw a strategically valuable strike.....with luck the two would argue over the advantages....if not their response to such information would tell us more about who is really in charge." Mark said, hoping he hadn't overstepped himself.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Mark Crassis"]

Gir let a slow smile blossom across his face, "I think you're exactly on the right track.

There are any number of ways we could use the information. If this were a normal opponent where we knew where they were most of the time, and they had a normal hierarchy that followed the laws of a nation, then this would probably be best used as a typical hit and fade opportunity during a normal campaign.

But this is a rare opportunity, because we don't often know where anything of theirs is, and doubly so because they probably have some sort of internal strife going on.

The question is how we can combine these two situations into some sort of leverage.

One sort of scenario we could use to further the divide the pirates up in this case would be to make it look like one of them took all of the supplies at that point. If they're already pretty close to blows, that could be a catalyst that could finally send them over. The problem with it is that if one of them has already consolidated power, we've wasted a valuable opportunity, and we're forced into being a reactive, defensive force again.

Another option would be to stake out the place, and make a strike when many of their ships are present resupplying, or alternatively, to attempt and follow the pirate ships back to their main base. That requires a measure of stealth that would probably regulate such a mission to starfighters. As in turns out, we do have a squadron of Kalidor-class Scout Fighters onboard the Crescent Light which would be well-suited for that role.

But ultimately, what we need is a response and commitment to battle from one of them. Like you've already said, we need to play to their personalities. I'll admit that I've just sent a pair of scout fighters to start staking out the supply point, but if that fails to be productive, we need an alternative plan.

What kind of target do you think would draw both Narcassan and Claw out of hiding? Obviously an unescorted bulk freighter full of gems and credits would draw them like a magnet, but we don't have access to it. What do we have, pr that we can have access too, that they would want?"

 

[Mark Crassis]

A potential target had popped into Mark's mind earlier in the conversation and when [member="Gir Quee"] asked it was the first thing that he thought about. For a moment, Mark remained silent, and then finally, hesitantly, he spoke.

"Well, I actually had an idea there." Mark said, "correct me if I'm wrong....but you've been hunting this group of pirates for a while now...wouldn't you make a good target?" Mark said, smoothing out the ruffles on his uniform.

"If we were to leak information....or set up a situation where you appeared to be at risk, it would make a prime target to either pirate leader."

Mark said, unsure how his commanding officer would handle being dangled out as bait for the pirates. It was risky, but it could also work. Mark was sure they could come up with other potential solutions, but he was confident that this one would certainly work.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Mark Crassis"]

"That's a solid idea," admitted Gir, "I think if Narcassan is in charge, that would probably work by itself. But I'm not so sure if it would pull Claw in, being a little bit more cold-blooded and calculating. After all, if I die, the Republic is just going to send someone else in my place. Better the enemy you know than the one you don't. I think that we'll have to add some physical prize too, but one that's not too easy either.

If everything looks too good to be true, or if everything is going too well to be true, there's a 80% chance that it's a trap.

What we can maybe do is have me onboard the Hephaestus somewhere by itself deep in space. It's not a heavily enough armed to fully deter their attack, but nothing to easy, and on top of that, it's carrying a lot of supply parts and droids which they could use to keep their somewhat mauled fleet in better shape. The difficult part will be supplying a reason why I'm there and the rest of the fleet isn't. I may have to appear to be a little dirty in some rumors circulating in the local cantinas for this to work, but I think I am stomach appearing to be a little bit corrupt if only to lure them into a trap. Perhaps I'm going to be selling some extra parts that I just happen to have there to some independent spacers. That would also supply the reason for how the information got leaked too.

Let's assume we're able to lure them into this trap by dangling me and the supply ship as a lure. How would you go about trapping them? They have four capital ships and maybe half a dozen snubfighters left now..."

 

[Mark Crassis]

Mark considered the question for a moment then turned back toward [member="Gir Quee"].

"I suppose that would depend on how many ships and what types we have at our command." Mark said running numbers in his head and beginning to slowly pace back and forth as he thought.

"It would also matter where we decide to set the trap...." He said, running a hand over his short, prematurely greying hair, "we would want a location similar to the astroid field, somewhere that would hide our presence until it was too late." Mark continued. Another thought also occurred to Mark and, while he typically disliked assumptions, he decided to share it.

"Can we assume that both still hold a portion of control? And if we can, would this trap divide their forces?" Mark asked, almost rhetorical and in a whisper as if he were saying it to himself more then anyone else. "If neither has solidified their leadership, then putting you at risk will draw Narcassan and, Claw, ever cautious will want to avoid it. It will be the sort of strife we've been looking to cause....question is where do we go from there?" Mark said, turning back to his commanding officer.

"Do we divide forces and strike them while they are divided, or try and overwhelm one of the separate entities?" Mark asked, bringing on another question. He understood not overwhelming yourself with questions, but these were things that needed to be known before they could proceed.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Mark Crassis"]

"That's the biggest difficulty with these kinds of maneuvers," admitted Gir, "is that we don't know exactly how well they're doing internally right now. I'd almost give a body part to have a spy in there, but it's not likely to happen any time soon, not that we haven't tried. They only hire from referrals from within inside the group itself. Very hard to infiltrate, but very slowl to regrow too.

As far as ship types, what's in our task force right now is what we've got. We do have enough numbers to beat them in an outright fight, and our ships are in much better condition than their's as well.

The biggest problem like you said mentioned, will be controlling the environment. That is, getting them to commit to such a fight before we reveal the full extent of our forces presence.

There are two ways in which in we could conceal our presence. One, which you've already touched upon, is using the terrain such as asteroid field to our advantage. Other options would be hiding behind a small moon or another world, setting the battle in a nebula or on the outer reaches of a supernova.

The other is perceived distance. Two ideas plat into this concepts can play into this. We could use communications signals, false information, and similiarly looking ships to make it seem like our fleet is one place when it's actually somewhere else closer by. The second part of this concept would be to simply have the rest of the fleet be a micro-jump away. The jump will have to be far enough away that a standard sensor scan won't notice the ships at such long distances, but the fleet can be mere minutes away via hyperjump.

In any case, while it would be ideal to catch and fight their forces undivided, we should assume that they'll be fighting together. For example, even if they are in two separate camps, there's a possibility that one leader might try and fight off the other's opponents in hopes of drawing men and ships back to their side if that leader can save them. I don't think we have enough information on the inside to really know the intrinsic personalities and group mentality well enough for that.

So that being said, do you have any more questions? Otherwise, I think it is likely time for us to start scouting out areas to place our ambush..."

 

[Mark Crassis]

Mark considered what [member="Gir Quee"] had to say on the matter, nodding along with many of the points he made. There were always so many questions....but that was war.

"No, no further questions." Mark said crossing his arms behind his back.

"Except....where do we begin?" He said, smiling. This was the best part of combat to Mark....the preparation. The flow of troops across a battlefield, or the maneuvering of ships into position. It was the game of chest they played against their opponents that kept Mark fascinated.

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Mark Crassis"]

Gir nodded, "We'll split up the task force into two sections, the Athena and the Hephaestus in one group, and the Crescent Light and Evenstar in another. I will transfer over to the Crescent Light while I'll leave you in command of the first group. Your first destination will be an asteroid belt in the uninhabitanted M-2351 system, the second will be in the Shre Fay pulsar. Be careful about that second one, the pulsar will not only blind sensors, but if you don't maneuver right or get too close to the star, it could damage or even destroy one of the ships.

The pocket carriers are a bit more nimble than the Athena, so I'm going to be taking them to the Wree Nebula and the Moons of Celan because more ground will need to be covered. Any questions before I go over to the Crescent Light?"

 

[Mark Crassis]

Mark considered the question for a moment. He didn't want to rush into a "no" answer, especially if there was something he was missing. But after a moment of consideration, Mark turned to [member="Gir Quee"] and said.

"No sir."

 

[Gir Quee]

[member="Mark Crassis"]

Gir hesitated, “I suppose it’s worth noting a few miscellaneous items before I leave.

I don’t know what you’ll find out there, but let’s be clear here, let me and Republic Command know if you encounter anything unusual out there. I don’t need to know that you’ve spotted a rogue asteroid flying out in the black, but if you’re seeing an odd number of light freighters apparently flying to nowhere in particular, or you make contact with the enemy, let us know right away. That way, we can come to aid you in a timely fashion. I’ll be doing the same with you, keeping you informed about my journey too.

If something does go wrong, and you find yourself possibly over your head, get out of there. There’s no disgrace in running from an unfair fight over something that isn’t important.

It’s a simple fact that eventually we’re going to find something that we can’t simply beat with what forces we have on hand.”

He turned to face the holo-projector of the two pirates.

“Let’s talk a little bit about what you might face,” Gir pointed to the female pirate, “Her ship looks old, and it certainly is mechanically cantankerous, but don’t let that fool you. With the sheer number of warheads her ship has been seen carrying, her ship could pose a grave threat to the Athena. I recommend you keep your distance if you can, to give you more time for your guns, especially those of the Hephaestus, to pick them off before they hit. Your assault frigate might have more firepower, but it is going to be weak going against any Starfighters or missiles because it lacks defensive guns. That’s where the Hephaestus comes in, because it’s many defensive guns can keep those Starfighters and missiles at bay. But because that ship lacks serious capital-grade weaponry, it in turn is going to be very weak against even other corvettes. Make sure that the Hephaestus doesn’t get in over her head.

Now, for Claw’s ship, it’s smaller, and a knockoff of the famous Corellian Gunship. It’s a fast ship, and definitely a threat to anything like the Hephaestus, but you have far more firepower at your disposal than even three of those ships combined. Still, it’s fast, and you’ll likely find yourself being outmaneuvered by it in a battle if you aren’t strategic about your movements. More likely than not, the challenge in facing Claw will be getting his ship trapped in a situation where he won’t be able to run away. Do you have any questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the various ships that are likely to be involved in these operations?”