The planning session went on for another few hours. While listening to General Syndulla and the other Rebels discuss resource and time management wasn't the most exciting way to spend an afternoon, it was preferable to what General Draven tried to do to us last time. Being involved with the planning from the get-go made it significantly easier to pick out any issues, rather than doing it afterward. About an hour and a half in, and we have more or less settled on a refined version of Tatnia's plan, with a few different escape plans in place depending on what stage of the plan we were at, should anything go wrong.
Most of the plans only existed to help before we made it into the Lucrehulk. Once we were on board, we were more or less on our own. While not ideal, we actually stood a solid chance of completing the mission, even if our charade collapsed the second we touched down. Once we were deployed, we could disable the ship internally, relying on our skill and armor. It was a tall order, but as long as we kept moving and used the ship's corridors to our advantage, we stood a good chance of getting to the ship's central core and disengaging all the droids.
Once we started to solidify the plan, General Syndulla started pulling in people with expertise in slicing and programming to the meeting. She wanted to start piecing together just how difficult it would be and how long it would take to set up the codes and programming we were looking for. The specialists agreed that it would take a few days if we needed them to rush, but a bit longer if they took their time. Considering the success of the mission relied completely on the programming holding up under scrutiny, General Syndulla understandably told them to take their time.
While it sucked that we would have to wait, it would give my people more time to finish their other tasks and join us. I wanted as many of our ships on hand as possible for this mission. The Skyforged was going all in on this. Even the Anvil would be joining, the first mission for its new crew.
Unsurprisingly, it was decided that the Talos Chariot would be the fake CIS ship. While it had been extensively modified, it was still recognizable as a C-Roc Gozanti-class, a popular transport ship in the CIS navy. We would be escorted by four Belbullab-22 heavy starfighters. These were classic CIS starfighters, one of the few manned craft, and were seen as a status symbol. Having four of them escort us would signify a high-status member of the CIS and, with any luck, would add weight to our claim.
Wedge volunteered himself and his squadron to fly as escorts. Apparently, they even had some time in the ships as well, having evaluated the squadron that the Rebellion found at Alpha Base.
When our planning session was finally over, we returned to the Chariot, where Corvak's men and my team were waiting. We showed them some of the scans and explained the mission parameters before presenting the idea to them. They seemed to like Tatnia's idea and had no issues being the tip of the spear once more.
"Kinda regret not bringing Miru," I admitted, listening to my team try and crack our plan, just to make sure it was up to par. "As much as I would hate bringing her on the mission, having her here at least would make me feel better about all the programming and slicing they will be doing."
"Have her come out with the Anvil or the Second Group," Tatnia suggested. "She doesn't have to come with us on the actual mission either."
"Fair. Alright, I'll send her a message."
Over the next few days, several people worked on our ship, installing secondary transponders and several other devices used to change the information a ship was broadcasting. These devices were very illegal, for obvious reasons, but came in very handy for smugglers and rebels alike.
They also started repainting the Chariot, getting rid of the purple markings and replacing it with standard CIS blue, even adding the symbol along the back, right in front of the engines. Lastly, and perhaps the saddest, was painting over the name, replacing it with Quick Deal, following the CIS tendency to use business-related names.
Eventually, the Skyforged fleet arrived. The Second Group returned from their mission, having successfully captured another C-Roc, as well as a handful of other ships. None of them stood out, not even the starfighters, so the Quartermaster was already working on selling them. Once everything was offloaded and supplies were restocked, the Second Group, plus the Anvil made the trip to Alpha Base.
Once they arrived, the fleet remained in space. It was certainly impressive looking, as, despite the fact that there were still only seven ships, they still looked cool as hell, all grouped together. I caught a glimpse of it while riding in the Brick to pick up Miru from the Whale Shark and bring her down to the surface.
Miru spent a day checking over all the newly installed equipment, making a few adjustments of her own but ultimately deciding they had done a pretty good job installing it. Then, she and Racer disappeared to join the slicing and programming team.
According to General Syndulla, they were tearing through the previously unsearched sections of the computer core. Originally, their team had been focused on finding more places like Alpha Base and other assets, so they had more or less ignored other information. Now, they needed high-end passcodes, security clearances, and more. They were making good progress, especially after Racer and the two slicer droids Miru brought with her got to work.
We got a few offers to buy the droid before they even finished, but I denied them. Miru agreed to modify a few astromechs for them, for a personal fee, of course.
While the techies worked their magic, the rest of us prepared for our mission. Boxi's Commando teams transferred to the Chariot since they fit perfectly in with our cover. We also offloaded the two Saber tanks, as well as anything else that would directly connect us to the Republic, which wasn't much. The Saber tanks were loaded into the Whale Shark's bay and tucked to the side. We would get them back once the mission was over.
It took six days total for the slicers and mechanics to install and prepare us for our grand infiltration. The ship looked pristine, just like you would expect the personal transport ship for a high-ranking member of the CIS to be.
Once everything was set, the pacing for the mission picked up considerably. The Rebel fleets quickly prepared and got into shape, and within a few hours, the First Group joined the Second Group and the Anvil in orbit. From there, our astronavigational computer checked the calculations for our first jump. The Rebel fleet jumped first, and after a few seconds, we followed.
The trip to our gathering point, where the Chariot would eventually split off, and we would be on our own, was actually a long haul. The CIS repair yard was not too deep into the Outer Rim, but it was nearly on the other side of the galaxy from Alpha Base.
I spent most of my time learning magic, studying, and practicing. Rather than focusing on learning on single spell, I went through a lot of the techniques and methods that my grimoire taught to decrease spell costs and increase their effectiveness. By the time we dropped out of hyperspace on the fifth day, I was confident I had made good strides in my mana efficiency, especially for Destruction and Conjuration, as my natural talent in them showed once again.
We spent a few hours at the rendezvous point, getting everyone in place and calculating the final micro-jump. We were only just out of the system, meaning the rest of the fleet was on hand to escort us out if need be.
While everyone prepared, I took the opportunity to change into my disguise. Rather than make something special, the Rebels simply took my usual beskar uniform and added a lot more CIS blue, as well as replaced the Skyforged symbol with the CIS equivalent.
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The pair of Rebel slicers that would be accompanying me, a Querren and a Duros, both of which would have been common in the CIS, were also outfitted. Both of them knew what they were getting into and came with solid recommendations from General Syndulla. I could only hope that they could take the heat.
Before we made the final micro-jump alone, I gathered everyone together, giving one of my usual pre-mission talks.
"Alright, everyone," I started, looking at my team, the two rebels joining us, as well as Boxi and his fourteen squad members. "We've gone over this already. You know what's happening. In a few minutes, we will jump into the system and broadcast our clearance codes. If the fleet reacts aggressively, we immediately jump out. We already have the jump calculated, so it should be as simple as swinging her around and punching it. Assuming they react positively, we make our way to the Lucrehulk and land inside one of its hangars. Team one…"
I gesture to myself, to Boxi, and to my two slicer companions.
"Will be leaving first, demanding to see the bridge," I continued. "The rest of you, stay here and get ready. With any luck, you can spend the whole mission here doing nothing but waiting to get paid. However, if something goes wrong and we are made, then it's up to you guys to fight your way through the ship and get to the central computer core. Racer and his two astromech friends are your VIPs. All three of them need to arrive intact to have any chance of them successfully slicing into the ship while it's on alert. Meanwhile, team one will be hunkering down, trying not to get overwhelmed by droids."
I looked around at everyone, including Ahsoka, who winked and nodded, her body language full of confidence.
"Make no mistake, guys, despite the beskar, they have enough resources to overwhelm us. You guys may be protected from a few dozen blaster bolts in the same spot, but if you get stuck against a big enough group, they will overwhelm that resistance and melt through," I pointed out, getting a few winces. "Rotate who is leading the charge, make sure not to get caught in dead ends, and don't be afraid to use a few grenades if you get caught up. Any questions? No? Fantastic."
I nodded at everyone, watching as they all settled in for the final jump. When everyone was set, I turned to the bridge, walking inside and standing a few feet behind Calima. I checked over the sensor droid's shoulder to confirm that our four escort ships were in position, waiting patiently for our word.
"Alright, ready when you are, Calima," I said, doing my best to give the impression of a seasoned military leader standing at parade rest. "Send the away message, let the Rogues know, and then take us out."
She nodded, and the droid at the comms station tapped out on his console. We had replaced all of the bridge save Calima with droids, just in case someone peeked inside. Previously, we had clones on the bridge, which would have given the game away pretty awkwardly if someone had spotted them.
"Away message confirmed," The naval droid said a few moments later. "Response was 'May the force be with you.'"
"Yeah... We're probably going to need it," I admitted.
Calima pulled us away from our fleet before engaging the hyperdrive. We entered hyperspace for only a split second before immediately dropping back out. The view through our forward port flashed twice, settling on a new vista.
A planet, still far enough away to only be the size of a giant beach ball, hung in the back, slowly spinning. It was a red world, with harsh-looking storms that swirling around the cloud layer. In front of that was the space station, seemingly stationary in the distance. It was big, the scale feeling completely different this close, even if we still had a pretty good chunk of space between the station and us.
Ahead of the station was the defensive fleet, locked together in loose formation, the massive Lucherulk at the center. Surrounding it was a cloud of smaller ships, all dormant but nonetheless very threatening. Just at a glance, I could see a pair of Munificents, three Dreadnaughts, a single Recusant, a handful of other ships like Diamonds and Hardcells, and nearly two dozen smaller starships. Perhaps the most disturbing ship, other than the Lucherhulk, was the Providence-class. Thankfully, it was not floating in formation. Instead, it was the single capital ship sitting in the bay of the unpowered station repair.
"Fuck I hope that Providence stays off," I asked, cursing under my breath. "There's no way the fleet can handle it and all of this…"
"Do we bug out?" Calima asked, looking over her shoulder at me. "Already… picking up activity from the big one."
"No, we knew it was here," I pointed out. "It's a bit scarier this close… but we knew it was here. Start the broadcast."
"Yes, Boss," Calima said, nodding to the droid at the comms, who activated our fake identification broadcast.
"That… got their attention, Boss," Calima said after a moment. "Lucherhulk power usage is increasing. They-"
"Incoming transmission!"
The comm droid's console blinked, before a holoprojection appeared in the space between him and Calima, showing a super tactical droid standing there on the bridge of the Lucrehulk.
"Unknown vessel, identify yourself!"
"I am Admiral Deacon of the Confederacy of the Independent Systems Navy," I declared confidently, turning to face the droid head-on. "On board my personal vessel, the Quick Deal. You will power down your weapons and prepare a private hangar for our arrival. I have come to inspect and reclaim CIS Navy assets."
The droid, seemingly having switched the holoprojector on mute, turned slightly to address someone off-screen. After a moment, he focused back on me.
"It seems your identification follows standard protocol, and your security clearance is within acceptable levels," the droid agreed. "However, I do not recognize you, nor is your ID in our known data banks."
"Of course it isn't!" I declared, trying my best to look stern and annoyed by the statement. "Are your chronometers dysfunctional? You have been out of contact for over twenty years!"
The droid was silent again, but given the background noise, it was actually just not responding rather than muting the comms.
"My chronometer is in perfect condition. However, your final statement is correct, and concerning," The droid confirmed. "Very well, you may approach. Sending coordinated to the private hangars. Shall I begin wake-up protocol for the rest of the fleet?"
"Of course not! There is no telling what sort of damage they have incurred while sitting here, uselessly," I explained, brushing off his suggestion with a wave. "I will not risk CIS Navy assets without the proper inspection first, especially not when they are so close together. Prepare for our inspection, and heat up the bridge for us. I will be there shortly."
I looked down and nodded to the comms droid, the robot ending the call with a button press. I take a long, slow breath, releasing it carefully before finally speaking.
"Alright… Buckle up everyone, Calima, take us in!" I said with a smirk. "Looks like it's about to get interesting."