The Jedi Civil War (Book 3)

[Akirapryde]

Captain's Report
ISA Ka-riss-ah
Shipyards above W'puso'dia System

Captains personal log:

Sitting here in my ready room looking out of my window at the next ship in this line. I am am finally able to reflect on the events of our first mission. While it seems like a life time, it was only just a few days ago. By watching the modification on the ship in the next yard, I can see it has already had its impact on the Alliance. Construction on other ships in this class has already been suspended and changes are being hastily made as we speak. It is odd to see the last of its four main reactors being pulled out of its uncompleted haul as the workers replace them with more powerful reactors. For the first time since I can personally remember there is actual hope pulsating through the Alliance. What a first mission we had, it was truly one for the history books. That is, if they will ever be written after this war.

It has been so long since we enjoyed peace in our galaxy. Nearly a thousand years ago when the Chaos first showed its ugly face. At first they were only encountered along the fridges of our influence. Those encounters normal only involved skirmishes and boarder actions. They would withdraw and disappear before the actually battle could start. Some of our ships would simply just go missing in those regions. At first, it was thought that our own expansion had some how crossed an unseen boarder of their own government. That was later proven to be a falsehood as the Alliance attempted to try to negotiate. They crossed in to our galaxy for some unknown reason from some unknown place. They would move and attack a system. The battle would always be largely one side and we would end up getting our butts kicked. Their cloaking technology was something like we had never seen before. Then as rapidly as their advance would start, it would stop or even sometimes withdraw from entire sectors or regions of space.

Their tactics were puzzling and strange to us. Since the beginning of this war, we had not won a single engagement with them at all. Yet at the end of one of these periods of advances, they would just pull back and wait a few years before moving again. I have spent years study it and could find no logic in what they were doing. One year they would be moving in a direction of advancement while beating us to a pulp along the way. Then they would pause their advances and remain dormant. Next year they would take off in a different direction. There had to be some higher reason for their strange strategies that our best minds could not unlock. Well that was till about ten year ago. That was before they must have declared complete and total war against us. Their attacks started to reflect more traditional tactics and their aims of destroying us became clear.

While I may have my own opinions, no one in high command could understand the change in strategies. During a time of what has been called, Rest, they broke out on the warpath once more. This time they moved rapidly and with more defined purpose. They drove hard in to our lines crushing our forces along the way. Entire worlds were laid to waste by their super weapons. The rumors were, where the shadow of Chaos moves, life ends. It is a terrifying sight to see an entire world dead. There was nothing we could do to stop their advance. Many of my own brothers and sisters believed this was going to be the end for us all, though I still hold hope for a miracle. They could have not been more right this time, and there would be no miracle for us. Not even the might of the Alliance Fleet could slow their advance.

Just hours before my meeting with Admiral Neashity at High Command, I received an urgent message from a good friend of mine. Brother Faraj informed me that he had made a remarkable discovery that could indicate the true origins of the Chaos. However, the world he was currently on was in direct line of the Chaos' current advancement. He and his team had to be rescued. That was when Fate and its will, placed me in command of a new ship fresh out of the construction yards. It was a sign from fate that I was not about to ignore. My mission orders were clear, take a small fleet of four ships along with this ship called Ka-riss-ah and make best speed for the world of Losun'ade. Protect the refugee fleet that was evacuating the world and secure Brother Faraj and his team. Fate had gifted me with this glorious mission, but it was also testing me for something much greater in my future. I could just feel it.

Ka-riss-ah was like no other ship I have ever commanded before. Its AI, was so real. So unbelievably real. Never before had I ever encountered anything like it before. The other AI's I served with were advanced but not like this. The ship's class names came from the first two ships in the line, Alpha and Omega. The Emperor said at a ceremony that this class ship was the beginning of the end for the Chaos and all those who would stand against the Alliance. I remembered thinking more Alliance propaganda. That was before I came aboard Ka-riss-ah. My God, did we actually build this monster of war? Looking back now, I am glad we did. It....SHE has given us all something we have not had for some time. Hope.

We arrived as the evacuation was already well underway. Intelligence reports placed a large chaos fleet only a few light years away. It would appear that they were unaware that we were evacuating the world. I ordered our other ships to form a picket line while I took my XO and a few security officers to retrieve Brother Faraj and his team. I was surprised to find that he was not at the University where he taught at. He and his team had relocated some days before to an old abandoned temple. I had been to the temple a number of time before and found it unremarkable. However this time, there was something new there. When I did find Brother Faraj, he and his team was located in a part of the temple that had not been discovered before.

Exploration of the temple had pretty much been abandoned many years ago. So when Brother Faraj brought a group of his students to see the temple of few weeks ago, they might have been the ones to make this discovery. According to Brother Faraj, they had first thought that maybe an earthquake had opened up this part of the temple. But then they discovered burn makes that could only by laser swords. He said that he looked back through Fate and saw those who came here. He said that they were three human females, two human males and a creature of the likes I have never seen before. What he described was something out of a Tri-Vid movie. It had these tentacles coming out of its head. They broke in to this section of the temple looking for something. And they found it, a sword of some kind. Brother Faraj said that the sword contained a dark energies. The time of this event placed it at the same time the Chaos changed their tactics and started killing worlds.

As I explored the section of the temple I discovered a smaller tomb down an air shaft. The tomb had writing all over the walls in some strange alien language. It was the find of a life time! In the center of this tomb was some unknown warrior dressed in armor laying on top of a shrine of some kind. Laying on the body was a shield that covered a sword. The sword was not like the sword that Brother Faraj had described. However, on both were similar writings that were on the wall. I felt a sense of foreboding in this final resting place. As I closer examined the body, I noticed a tome in a small sack under the shield and next to the blade. I carefully removed the sack hoping not to disturb this warrior. Once I had the book in my hands, we received word from our picket that a Chaos ship was spotted on approach to system. Later, I would find that this book held the secrets that we needed to defeat the Chaos, but there was no the time to read now. We had run out of time, I had run out of time. I tried to get as many images as I could before leaving the tomb. What a find it was.

The last ships of the refugee fleet were still loading up. Tens of thousands of lives were now resting on our shoulders. I ordered the temple evacuated at the stern objections of Brother Faraj ad his team. I knew my old teacher well, hence the reason why I brought armed security guards. He and his team just became very important to the cause. They knew more about this discovery than anyone else. I placed them under guard and removed them from the temple. It broke my heart when I ordered Ka-riss-ah to fire on the temple. I could not allow it to fall in to the hands of the Chaos. I saw the disappointment and resentment in Brother Fajar's eyes as he watched the temple turned to ruble. Even now looking back at it, I know in my heart I made the right choice. The Chaos can not find this temple or what we found.

Returning to the Ka-riss-ah, we made best speed for the picket line. Personally, I never liked the idea of allowing Lesser Races crew and command their own ships. My fears and doubt were realized later during the battle. It is by great sadness that I know already we have lost too many trained officers and men. We have no choice but to allow Lesser Races command their own ships. As we approached the picket line, I had the other four ships form up on us and informed them of the battle plan. We each deployed our fighters and readied to stand our ground. The refugee ships needed thirty minutes to flee to the jump point. Once they reached the jump point they would be safe from attack. At that point we would all withdraw using our own jump drives. With luck we would be able to buy them that thirty minutes before the Chaos ship arrived. Yeah, with luck. Fate had its own plan for us, and we had a role to play in that plan.

The Chaos ship arrived only five minutes in to the count down. The refugee ships were already lifting off of the planet. But they still needed time to reach the jump point. There were no other options left. We had to face that ship and stall for time, and it was one of the larger ones. It must have been truly terrifying for our escort ships. Ka-riss-ah was nearly twice their size and this Chaos ship was even bigger than her. It was nearly three kilometers from side to side and nearly two kilometers from front to back. It had to have been a command ship that is normally spotted spearheading advances. We had always known that the power granted to us by Fate was a powerful tool against the Chaos ships. So we used our powers to slow and cause the ship to become visible for everyone else to see. This one was a powerful ship though and required all of my Brothers and sisters on each ship to control it. It was more powerful than any other ship I had ever encountered. Even Brother Faraj and his team leaped in to help us try to control it.

The opening stages of the battle was brutal. Two of our escorts made critical mistakes that cost us to loss them right away. Shortly after the battle started the third turned and ran. The cowards even abandoned their own fighter groups who still fought while they turned and kicked in their jump drive. Lesser Races are just that, cowards. It was an epic battle for us. Each minute we kept that monster at bay, was one minute closer the refugee ships got to the jump point. We had no choice but to fight on, our backs were against the wall. Our fighter groups were taking a beating from the Chaos fighters, but surprisingly thanks to Ka-riss-ah they were able to maintain a strong organized front. After reviewing the battle footage, I can see how this battle was different than battles of the past. It was Ka-riss-ah that made all the difference. It was clear in the battle footage.

Ka-riss-ah was amazing. Her armor held against not just one but two direct hits from the Chaos ship's main weapon. Damage was severe after the second hit, but we were still in the fight. Her armor focused much of the Chaos weapon's energy away from the ship just like theirs. Well not as well as theirs but still close enough to keep us in the fight. I remember the chef designer talking to me about about the armor on her, but truthfully, I wish I would have paid closer attention now. Normally the Chaos ships main weapon would have made short work of any ship that suffered a hit from it. I remember the first time I saw it in combat. It cut a class II station in to pieces in a mater of minutes. And here we were still alive and still fighting! I would have paid anything to see the look on the Chaos Captain's face when his main weapon failed to destroy us on its first AND then the second hit failed as well.

Her armor haul was not the only secret we had in store for the Chaos ship. Working side by side with the gun crews, the AI of the ship, um Ka-riss-ah was able to focus targeting where it was needed the most and coordinate the attacks to maximize damage. Not only that, she was able to directly communicate with the fighters and the gun crews on the remaining escort ship so to coordinate their attacks with hers. It was truly a show of power and skill. Sadly it was not enough power. Ten minutes in to the battle it was clear that we were still on the losing end. Ka-riss-ah has suffered heavy damage across her systems. Our remaining escort was near dead in space with fires burning out of control throughout the ship. We lost nearly two thirds of our fighters. And the Chaos ship didn't even seemed touched.

The refugee ships were making their approach to the jump point. We need to buy them time but we were all out of ideas. My brothers, sisters and I were getting too weak to hold the Chaos ship at bay for much longer. The XO turned to Ka-riss-ah and had her run as many scenarios as she could till she found one that would buy the refugee ships the time they needed. Shortly after she came up with one, but she needed to override her Primary Protocols. I remember her attempting to explain her plan in detail, I just yelled for her to carry out her damn plan. I think I shocked her with my outburst. With the Primary Protocols overridden, she put her plan in to affect.

She overloaded her reactors and put us on a collision course for the Chaos ship. She asked that we attempted to hold it as still as possible. Yeah I know, now she asks that of us, when we are already reaching our limits. She called in the remaining fighters and had them attack a single point on the Chaos ship. Even our remaining escort ship moved along side us to give us cover fire while we made our approach. I know what many were thinking. Ramming a Chaos ships is just suicide. Despite us holding it at bay, it'll just vanish, only to reappear behind us and blow the crap out of us. I know, I have seen it before. At the time no one had any idea what she was thinking, be she was thinking.

She overloaded the entire bridge systems running all these calculations. After the battle I went back to see what she was doing. She was making targeting adjustments that were by the centimeter. The closer we got to the Chaos ship, the more damage our own weapons dealt to the enemy. But more importantly she was able to land hit after hit right on top of each other. The Chaos Captain must have known something was wrong. They fought against our control even harder then before. Our own power grid transfer coils were overheating. The reactors was hitting critical, and radiation alarms were sounding in engineering. Still Ka-riss-ah would not turn from her attack as she cut life support power and all other non-critical system. It was incredible what she did. She literally reprogrammed her own targeting systems and rerouted power on the fly.

The Chaos ship tried to call for help, so I had some of my fellow Knights attempt to silence it. It was in that moment that it lashed out at us one last time. I could feel the damage we were dealing to it. I could feel its death closing in around the ship. Our escort ship moved in the way and took the hit from the Chaos ship and opened up the path for Ka-riss-ah to conclude her attack with every weapon she could bring to bare on the ship. Each hitting right on top of the one fired before. It was in that moment I think I felt the soul of the Chaos Captain. I felt his fear of death. I was excited and at the same time saddened by this feeling. I remember thinking of his wife and his children. Much like my own wife and child back home. Did he fight for them as I fought for mine?

The Chaos ship's death was a sight to be seen. At first it seemed to bleed out a black debris field from where Ka-riss-ah was firing at it. Its long tentacles started to curl inward as the entire ship started to roll on to its back. Still connected to the emotions of the other Captain I could feel him suffering as his ship slowly died around him. My brothers and sisters let the ship go as they watched it continue to roll end over end. The black debris that it was bleeding was now filling the space around it as it slowly broke apart. It was the first time that a Chaos ship was ever destroyed and strangely, I felt sad over what I was seeing. I recalled reaching up to the side of my face and touching a tear.

We had won the battle but the war was far from over. Ka-riss-ah did what was asked over her. She destroyed the Chaos ship and ensured that the refugee ships could escape. However her reactors were going critical and most of her systems were badly damaged due to overloads across the ship. Power surges were running up and down her power grid out of control. She was dying around us. I almost laughed when she suggested abandoning ship. I told her, “We just won a historical battle, I am not losing you right after that battle.” I meant what I said, I was not going to loss her just yet. She just proved to me, that ships like her were our last hope for survival.

The battle to save her was just as dramatic as the battle against the Chaos ship. We had to jettison three of the four reactors as well as her jump drive. The amount of damage was extensive throughout the ship. In the end we were able to secure the ship from imploding on its self. The casualties from the battle were high. Much higher than I had first realized, and nearly half of them were killed while Ka-riss-ah carried out her attack plan. While we did loss a lot of our fighters, we did collect a number of them from our lost escort ships. We were pretty much dead in space and an easy target for the next wave of Chaos ships. Everyone knew we would not survive another attack.

It was the XO who came up with the solution to our problem. We attached the landing shuttles to Ka-riss-ah via cables. What fighters were still able to fly safely were also used as defensive screens. We used the shuttles to tug Ka-riss-ah to the jump point. We were able to slip in to hyperspace with out further Chaos contact. It was a long twenty hours back to W'puso'dia while the shuttles pulled us through hyperspace. The look on Ka-riss-ah's face as we pulled her in to dry dock was priceless. She made the comment, “this is so embarrassing.” Little did she know what was in store for her.

It was not long before word spread, the Alliance had its first victory against the Chaos. I don't care what the Brass has to say about it, we owe that victory to Ka-riss-ah. The tech crews are crawling all over her, they were surprised that she even made it back to the dry docks. Originally they were going to scrap her and use her parts for other ships currently being built, I told them 'like hell'. They decided (after I had to pull some strings at High Command) to rebuild all of her systems and repair her battle damages. Her weapons and weapon cooling systems were improved and enhanced. She got four brand new reactors that were increased in power output. A new fighter wing is being added, as well as replacing what we lost. She is also getting some new logic programming for her higher functions. They said that she will be even more life like. Not sure how that is possible but I will see when her repairs are completed. I did ask for one modification that was turned down as a class modification. I asked them to install solar sails on her. You know, just in case we need that extra power.

Looking at her now, she is truly becoming a grand warship. Some members of the crew had taken it on their own to paint a large black silhouette of a Chaos ship right under her name nest to the bow. The repairs are far from over and I still have a number of letters to write to family members. High Command had offered me another command a few days ago, seeing as Ka-riss-ah will be out of the fighting for some time. I think I will stay with this little ship a bit longer. I could use the rest and I want to get to know Ka-riss-ah more. She is truly remarkable. Fate put us together, and I know that our destinies are linked.


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Ogon closed the log and leaned back in the Captain's chair. His chair now. He turned around to see the large window behind him. Ka-riss-ah was his ship now, and somehow he felt that they were now linked on some higher destiny. He closed his eyes and hoped that he was able to command her like her last Captain was. He heard the intercom come to life, “Sir, we are reaching our destination.”

He opened his eyes, “Thank you, can you get a shuttle ready for us?”

He heard her reply, “Yes Sir, be ready to depart in twenty minutes.”