Chapter Three: The Brush Fire Wars

[Akirapryde]

Discovering the Spies
OPA Liberator
Providence-class carrier/destroyer
Outer Rim World of Muunilinst
Date: 2922 AOK (Date Corrected since the last Intermission) 
 
Muunilinst is the headquarters of the InterGalactic Banking Clan also known as the IGBC. The IGBC is one of the Republic's most powerful and influential commerce guilds. The world of Muunilinst has always been a major goal of the OPA. The influence that Muunilinst holds within the IGBC was just the icing on the cake. Muunilinst’s vast mineral wealth was the true goal of the OPA. It was securing the loyalty of Muunilinst that was the major problem.
 
Since the raise of the OPA, leaders of the OPA have been using everything they could to enlist the loyalty of Muunilinst. Even parking a Providence class warship and its support fleet in orbit wasn’t enough to sway the loyalty Muunilinst. However, once that Providence was the Liberator this move by the OPA got the attention of the Muun. After a month of heated negotiations, the people of Muunilinst finally joined the OPA. With the news of the alliance yet to reach the OPA leadership, all is not well on the Liberator.
 
The lift doors open with an ominous hiss. Every eye on the bridge turned to face the now opened lift. Graff stood there for a moment glaring across the bridge. His black boots were highly polished. His black pants with a red strip down the outside of the legs were tucked in to his boots. He wore a black utility belt where his two double bladed lightsabers hung. His black shirt was adorned with his battle ribbons and the star cluster on his shoulder boards marked him as the Unified Commander of All OPA Forces. He wore a sharp military style cap that matched his uniform. A black cap with red interior hung from his shoulders and flowed behind him as he stepped off the lift.
 
As he left the lift, a pair of IG-100 MagnaGuards Droids followed him. The droids each carried a lightsaber resistant electrostaff and a E-5 blaster rifle hung from a holster on their back. Each wore a cloak that partial concealed the blaster rifle. To top their appearance, the droids wore head wrappings. The combination of cloak and head wrappings gave the droids an almost sentient appearance. Everyone onboard knew how deadly these droids were and that their sole mission was to protect Graff.
 
Graff walked with a stern face that easily revealed his anger. The look on his face was more than enough to cause the officers on the bridge to have conceal. Everyone on the bridge had served with Graff long enough to know what that look meant. When Graff had that look, it was clear that someone was about to die. Someone who had failed him in some way.
 
As Graff approached the aft section of the bridge the tension was already building. A nearby battle droid leaned over to one of his counter parts, “I am glad we are just droids!” The two droids were positioned on the bridge to act as defense should anyone foolishly attempt to attack the Flagship of the OPA. Graff simply walked past the two battledroids as he headed for the center of the bridge.
 
As Graff stepped on to the central walkway, Admiral Tr’Vash was waiting for the Unified Commander of All OPA Forces. Admiral Tr’Vash was the commanding officer of the Liberator and second most ranking officer serving aboard. That is, when Graff’s personal senior staff are not aboard. “Congradulations in securing the loyalty of Muunilinst, My Lord,” Admiral Tr’Vash said with pride.
 
Graff growled as he spoke, “another supply depot was hit.” Graff motioned for his command staff to gather around a nearby holotable.
 
“These attacks simply don’t make any sense,” Admiral Tr’Vash.
 
Captain Fenn Vri’man followed Graff as he approached a large holotable in the center of the Central Walkway. “I agree.” The large Bothan grumbled, “While these attacks strike deep in to our lines and have caused havoc throughout our supply lines, the Republic simple doesn’t capitalize on their advantage.”
 
A blue Twi’lek scanned the map as it loaded up on the holotable. “Are we sure that we were actually hit by the Republic and not pirates in the area?” The woman was Captain Shakka, a former merc who joined Graff’s forces just after the battle of Olivan. She was one of very few that Graff trusts with his life.
 
“The attack was confirmed by Jenna and her strike division,” Graff explained. “The attack happened at Depot 5249.” He glanced over his shoulder, “show me the last nine attacks on our supply depots, to include Depot 5249.” On that order, the map lit up with nine little red dots. Each red dot had descriptions of the location and when they were attacked. “If you look at these attacks from a purely military perspective, these attacks have no strategic propose.”
 
Commander McManus, a lovely human clone with long blond hair scans the table, “it could be that the attacks are only aimed at our rear areas so to sow confusion and demoralize our forces.”
 
Admiral Tr’Vash scanned the map, “My Lord, that is not the location of Depot 5249.” He lifted his head and caught Graff’s eyes. “Unless the information you gave me was mistaken.”
 
Graff smiled as confusion across his command staff started to set in. In that moment, all ten officers realized that the information that they were given was mistaken. That is, all but two had that sudden realization!
 
“There were much more vital targets in that area,” Graff said as his eyes fell upon the two female officers. “Jenna was in the area with her unit. Two other units were licking their wounds as well. The Depot was attacked because someone knew that that Depot held vital fuel for our ships. Sure a sizable prize, but not when they could have easily taken a much larger prize in killing Jenna.”
 
Commander McManus frowned, “yet, you somehow suspect me.” She motioned to the map, “My Lord, like the others, you told me a different location than the one that was attacked. What reason do you have to suspect me?”
 
Graff’s smile faded, “you are under the false impression that I need a reason to suspect you.”
 
She took a step back, “since these attacks began, you have suspected and even outright accused me of being a traitor to the cause.”
 
Graff leaned over the table, “I don’t suspect you of being a traitor to the cause.” These words seem to calm the fears of the other officers bit. Without warning Graff reached out with the Force and grabbed Commander McManus’ head. With all his power he slammed her face in to the holotable. Her head hit with a smashing sound followed by gurgling as the last of her life slipped from her body. “It’s your cause, I question,” he said coldly. The impact was so hard that the table flickered and cracked. The lifeless body slid from the table leaving behind a trail of blood.
 
Graff turned to a black-haired human clone, “Lieutenant Athena, prior to the last few attacks, we detected gravitational anomalies that the Navigation Computers nor our droids could explain.”
 
Lieutenant Athena had been Commander McManus’ aide. The pair of clones joined Graff’s ranks about the same time. While they claimed no familiarity, over the past few months they appeared to develop a working friendship. This friendship grew to a point that Commander McManus had the young lieutenant promoted up to her aide. Lieutenant Athena’s face remained steady and her voice was free of any emotion, “I wouldn’t know of such things.”
 
The rest of the staff moved back as they knew that this was far from over. Graff nodded, “I guess you wouldn’t.” He walked around the table towards her. “I can feel their fears,” Graff said coldly. “They know that someone is going to die and they each secretly pray it won’t be one of them.” The group of officers slowly surrendered ground to allow Graff to have a straight path towards her. “Did you know that?”
 
She nodded, “I have noticed such abilities from you. What does that have to do with anything?”
 
“These latest attacks have caused me a great deal of stress,” he said as his eyes narrowed, “Each of them fear me, because of these attacks.”
 
“As they should, My Lord,” she said with a nod. “They have failed you. Look around you, My Lord. They cower in the light of their failures. Those who are not weak should serve with greatness.”
 
He smiled, “yet with you, I sense no fear.”
 
“Because I am not weak,” she said smiling back. “I have not failed you, My Lord.”
 
“I sense nothing from you,” He reached out with the force once more causing her to choke. “No emotions at all.”
 
She tried to speak as she was lifted off the ground. Graff closed on her as he watched her carefully. Her actions were as everyone would have expected. She was struggling and flailing about as he choked her to death. But for Graff, he sensed something very different. He sensed no fear of death in her. There were no emotions at all within her. Not even Jedi could make themselves devoid of all emotions. He had never experienced anything like her before. He moved around her slowly like a predator stalking its next victim.
 
“All of these men and women served me since Olivan,” Graff said coldly as she continued to choke. “Did you think that you and your friends wouldn’t be at the top of my list of suspects once these attacks started?” he continued to pace around her till he came to a stop right before her. “Did you think I would start to distrust my most trusted because of a few unforeseen attacks?” he said as her neck snapped, her head spun around causing her skin to rip. Her limp body flopped down to the deck.
 
Graff turned to his officers, “we couldn’t figure out what the Republic was doing with these attacks. As we all agreed upon, they made no strategic sense. Unless you take in to consideration the goal to drive a wedge between us.” He walked up to the flickering table, “on the surface, these attacks are bitter and devastating. But they weren’t. The Republic never once followed up on these attacks.”
 
He turned to Admiral Tr’Vash, “issue the following order, I want all clones that match those two removed from their posts. Purge our ranks of them.”
 
Admiral Tr’Vash nodded, “Your will shall be done, My Lord.”
 
Graff scanned the flickering map as one of his officers spoke up, “My Lord, with the damage that the Republic has done. Shouldn’t we fall back and regroup?” He motioned to a set of star systems further back behind their lines. “If we give up ground now, we could regain our offensive next year.”
 
“No,” Graff laughed. “The Republic thinks that they have the momentum. Our next move is to take that from them.”
 
“My Lord,” Captain Shakka said, “How can we move to the offensive when we have been withdrawing for weeks. We don’t have any units that are in a position or even capable to carry out such an attack.”
 
Graff smiled and pointed to place on the map called the Chommel Sector, “I had ordered the Fifth Army disengage several weeks ago. They linked up with and absorbed the remains of the Nineteenth Army two weeks ago. After a couple weeks of travel, they are in position to strike at the heart of the Republic’s Mid Rim Command.”
 
“Naboo, My Lord,” questioned Captain Fenn Vri’man.
 
Graff smiled and nodded, “Naboo. This will sap the momentum from the Republic and allow other units valuable time to shift back to the offensive.” He turned to his commanders with a serious look on his face, “The Fifth Army will start their attack at the end of the week. But the rest of our forces will have to be ready.”
 
“Ready for what My Lord,” another officer questioned.
 
Graff looked up from the back. Its green flickering danced across his face as he spoke, “For a Rim wide offensive designed to through the Republic off balance and crush their forces across the Outer Rim. This will be a make or break moment for the OPA. Either we crush the Republic units in the Outer Rim, or will surrender the offensive for the rest of the war.”
 
Concern washed over ever face at the table. It was Admiral Tr’Vash who spoke, “My Lord. To launch such an operation, we will need ten times the ships than we currently have. If not a hundred times, or more. There simply aren’t enough ships within the OPA.”
 
Graff nodded, “Aye, your right. That is why I have had my senior officers crossing the Outer Rim and enlisting the support of hundreds of systems. For months, my wife and her order has been ensuring we had the resources that I would need for this moment.”
 
“My Lord, I have never doubted you,” Admiral Tr’Vash said softly. “I have seen the reports on these forces. Nearly all of them lack the battlefield experience we would need in such a wide scale battle. They would serve as nothing more than fodder,” he paused a moment before adding, “it’s highly unlikely that they would help us. More so, they would become a hinderance to our plans.”
 
He looked cross the table and right in to the eyes of Admiral Tr’Vash, “That is why I am calling up the support of the Sith.” There was an audible gasp of disbelief at that statement. “Early last year, I broke the Queen of the Sith and claimed her forces as my own. I have kept them in hiding not completely sure how and when to use them. While their numbers are not that impressive, as leaders of battle groups from regional allies. We can use their skills and powers as a force multiplier.”
 
“My Lord, they are Sith!” cried Admiral Tr’Vash. “Can we trust them?”
 
Graff slammed his fist down on the table. “They have bent the knee and will serve Haven’s Light.” He calmed down a bit, “Besides, we have common enemies. The Sith only seek to destroy the Jedi. That goal is at hand. They need us to ensure that that goal happens. We need them to drive the Republic out of the Outer Rim.” He raised up from the table as he pulled a set of data disks from his pocket. He tossed the disks on the table. One for each officer. “Each of you are to review my orders then pass on those orders to your regional commanders.” He turned from the table. “We will launch our attack at the end of the week. This will give all commands time to remove those deemed spies within our ranks.” On that he walked back to the lift.