"Have our scouts reported back?" Sigil asked. "Yes sir. The planet is heavily fortified and some war zones could be seen from orbit. Nearly all important facilities are hidden underground. The local militia is willing to work with us on this death world." His intelligence officer informed. He rubbed his chin. "What are they supplying?" He asked. "Thirty thousand ground troops and five thousand riders along with their general." Was the answer. "Very well." He said, turning to Qishik. "Lieutenant, inform the gunnery crews to lock on to exposed imperial targets and all GR-75s to prepare for landing." He ordered, heading for the door. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you going, sir?" The Lieutenant asked. "Going somewhere to lead by example." He replied as the door in front of him slid open and then shut as he headed outside the bridge to the hanger. He gave Leia command over the fleet and had her blockade the entire planet while he personally led the ground assault.
He opted to wear a ballistic vest and helmet under his uniform. His detachment waited and watched from orbit as turbolaser bolts from the Scutum and the two MC-80 star cruisers descended onto exposed imperial hardware and destroyed anything that wasn't protected. Once cleared after about thirty minutes of bombing, he landed his contingent a day away from the primary imperial bunkers where they met up with the local militia.
The transports landed in a clearing forming a semi circle in front of the awaiting partisans. In the center of the semi circle, landed an Omicron class attack shuttle. The boarding ramp, lowered with a hiss as the cabin's pressure dropped. Out of it emerged Admiral Trial.
"Admiral. It is truly an honor to meet you." The militia leader greeted. "General Yafuro." He shook the extended hand of the woman in front of him. "What is our course of action?" She asked. "We'll march just outside their bunker in a hidden spot and fortify our guns to avoid counter battery fire. Then it is a matter of time before we hopefully break the bunker's door and storm it. Your militia is to strike the go ahead and map out the area while we bring our guns into range of the imperial stronghold." He informed. "You heard the Admiral! March!" She ordered her troops as she got on her mount and headed off along with her militia.
Most of the men he brought with him were rebel volunteers and Alderaanian stormtroopers as they were the most loyal to the alliance. The militia however, was off setting. General Yafuro was unlike her subordinantes; her presence carried less malice as compared with the rest of the militia and especially her second in command. He was standing behind the General on her right and conveyed treachery. Although the entire planet did, he separated his own troops from hers to avoid betrayal.
The artillery pieces were self propelled, saving them transport time. A day's march later, he personally went forwards and looked over a hill to see the massive bunker. Dug into the muddy mountain.
Camp was established as this side of Mimban, fell to darkness. In the early morning, Sigil contacted Yafuro to coordinate the diversionary attack while the alliance troops began constructing defenses for the guns.
This required him to head over to head over to their camp with a bodyguard contingent. He passed through the outer perimeter and reached the very center of the camp. In the center, a large tent was established. It stood taller than the rest and indicated the general's tent. Two of his troops followed him inside while the rest stood facing the militia men guarding the entrance. It was like a standoff but the alliance couldn't afford to pull the trigger. They were however warned of the militia men by their Admiral and were on full alert.
"Admiral Trail, I see you finally reached us." Yafuro greeted. "Greeting General." He replied. "Please take a seat." She said, pointing to the chair in front of her. He took her up on the offer and sat down. Once seated, she pulled out a map of the entire bunker sketched by her scouts. They both examined the map for any weak points. The examination lasted for hours as they inspected the map very carefully to detect gaps in the defenses.
His examination led him to detecting a less redundant network of trenches next to the right entrance. "Here." He said, pointing to the weak point. Yafuro adjusted her head and could see what he was talking about. "There are less guns and trench networks protecting the area. Your cavalry can capture the right entrance or just skirmish and harass the empire in small engagements so as to not earn a shelling from them." He said, laying out the options for her. "A series of skirmishes is preferred for they will send scouts after them. Gradually drawing more and more resources away from the bunker." She explained her stance.
"Very well. My engineers estimate three days before the bunkers are completed." He informed. "Pleasure working with you Admiral." She offered her hand. "The pleasure is all mine." He shook her hand in return. He got up and headed for the entrance of the tent as she followed behind. He, along with his men, were escorted out of the camp. This entire meeting, he could feel malice, treachery and an upcoming betrayal from the militia's second in command, seeming treason against Yafuro. He had to get her out of there.
Upon his return, he sent a pair of snipers to survey the partisans camp and eavesdrop on their communications; especially the commander. That faceless gasmask did not hide who he was whatsoever. To him, the commander was an open book. An open book on the subject of deception.
"Admiral, the bunkers are finished." A Colonel informed him on the afternoon of the third day. "Before we commit to anything colonel, I want a full report on intercepted communication to and from the partisan camp. Inform everybody that shelling will begin at 0330." He ordered. The Colonel nodded and headed back out. About half an hour later, he came back carrying a data pad and handed it to him. "Thanks Colonel. Rest for now because I need you awake at 0305." He informed. "Yes sir." The Colonel saluted before heading out for the second time.
Once alone, Sigil opened the data pad and inspected the messages, transmission and conversations sent from the commander. He, along with a majority of the partisans, were on the side of the empire. Apparently they have been paid handsomely to take him out of the picture since he had destroyed an entire planet along with its shipyards.
Deciding he had enough, he contacted General Yafuro through his com link. "General Yafuro." He greeted formally as soon as she picked up. "Admiral. What is the reason for such a call? Are the bunkers finished?" She inquired. "Yes but there remains a small detail I wish to discuss in person if you can make it." He replied. "When exactly?" She inquired further. "Right now would be very preferable." He said. "I'm on my way." She said, ending the transmission.
He dialed in Leia's frequency next. "Leia Do you hear me?" He asked. "Yes uncl- I mean Admiral. I have you." She stopped herself. She was on the bridge of her ship on the privacy of her quarters. "Good. I want you to lock on the partisan camp. Most of them have been bought over by the empire but don't fire until I signal." He said. "Then why stick around?" She asked. "My camp can withstand their assault, not to mention their own General is loyal. Once she requests for "reinforcements" for my assault, she will have loyalist elements moved over to my camp. Once they are safe, commence orbital bombardment." He explained. "Got it." She replied.
After his conversation, he headed for the entrance of his camo to personally welcome the General. "General." He greeted, extending his hand. "Admiral." She acknowledged, shaking his hand. "Please, follow me." He said.
Once inside his tent, she took a seat and asked "What is the emergency?" She asked. "I am afraid that there is mutiny among your ranks." He said, handing her the datapad. She was about to object but sat through the recordings first. She felt betrayal, anger, shock and sadness. "So." She sighed. "They are traitors." Tightening her grip on the datapad. "Not all." he said. "I recommend you call over loyalist elements under the guise of reinforcements." He suggested. "What of the rest? They will still attack us." She pointed out. "I have three cruisers trained on the camp." He said. She reached for her com link and called over the loyalist companies of her militia to the alliance camp.
Once clear, he was about to contact Leia but she contacted him first. "Admiral! Death squadron has arrived in the system!" She said in a panic. "Pull out of the system immediately." He ordered. "I won't leave you." She insisted. "That's an order! Pull the fleet out of the system now!" He ordered again, this time more loudly. "Bu-" "I'll be fine. Get out." He assured in a much calmer tone this time. "All the best." She replied. "To you as well." He said. "Death squadron?!" Yafuro yelled in shock. "Sound the alarm! All men to your battle stations! Repeat all men to your battle stations!" He yelled. Turning to Yafuro he said "I need you to hold back your men while we deal with the bunker.". "You got it Admiral. Those traitors will pay!" She said, with bitterness and spite.
Yafuro rushed out and readied her men to defend the camp. Sigil assumed a meditative stance, planning to enter battle meditation. Vader wanted him alive so he would risk orbital bombardment but rather an offensive against him. He felt another presence in orbit as well; Revan. It would explain how they were tracked down with the jammer on.
Shelling of the bunker began. All the men and women in the camp were going into overdrive as they were boosted by Sigils battle meditation. Their fortified guns, held out against counter battery fire as all his artillery pieces, fired away at the bunker's door. He could feel shuttles approaching their camp from the rear. Reinforcements would take a while to fully unload so they had time but needed to use it carefully. Now that death squadron had caught up, he needed infiltration. He guided a group of sabaators through the bunker complex using the force over the course of several hours to the control room. The squad managed air vents, hallways of troops and heavy blast doors until they reached the control room. They went about it for several hours that coincided with the time it took to unload the troops of death squadron. Using the confusion for their advantage, all alliance troops and partisans charged the now open gate. The troops in the trenches became more demoralized as Sigil and the gunners stayed behind to guide the battle and take out the enemy guns. Once the trenches were clear, he along with the gunners, abandoned the camp and fled into the complex. The saboteurs had held the gate control long enough and closed it once he, as the last guy entered. They were now stuck fighting against the empire as well as the traitors attempting to breach the bunker's door. The imperials inside were quickly overrun but now they had to deal with a siege by imperial forces.
Once the door closed, Sigil gathered all personnel to inform them of their next course of action. "As you all know, all of death squadron is here!" He began. "This will be a test of our mental and physical fortitude! I shall establish contact with the alliance and inform them of our situation! Until then, Fortify all entrances and secure the control room!" He addressed.
Following his addressing of the survivors, he along with Yafuro, headed to the conference room of the bunker to establish contact with the alliance.
"Chief of state. Comrades." They ackgnowleged. "Admial Trail." She greeted before noticing Yafuro of to the side. "An who may your guest be?" She questioned. "This is General Yafuro of the Mimban partisans. At least the loyalist ones." He said. "Explain." She said with skeptisim. "Most of her militia were bribed by the empire. We managed to over run the central fortress bunker on the world but Death squadron caught up to us and even captured our guns. We are under siege." He elaborated. "Death squadron?!" She said in shock. "Indeed. I had placed the fleet under the command of Princess Organa but had her abandon once they arrived." He replied. "Admiral Ackbar? General Dodana?" Mon asked of the two men. "What do you recomend yourself?" Dodana said. "Vader is on the ground and the effectiveness of his squadron is lowered. A strike wing of Y-wings could disable the Executor temprarly while corvettes and transports evacuate us." Suggested. "How can we get our bombers close enough to the fleet without them deploying fighters?" Dodana asked. "Once close enough, I can cordinate their efforts." "What about the rest of his fleet?" Ackbar asked. "A blockade run." He replied. "How many people need evacuation?" Dodana asked. "Around ninteen thousand with no heavy equipment." He replied. "We don't have that many ships." Ackbar said. "One Aclimator could evacuate them all but we don't have the fighters." Dodana said. "Oh but we do." He countered. "I meant as in free ones." Dodana elaborated in frustration. "You see I have stumbled upon a massive separatist fleet that is dormant due to a solar flare. We have all technicians and battle droids working on it. They should be done restarting the Providence dreadnought as it is priority. Although I can't know for certain, Princess Leia can affirm." He said. The entire room was slack jawed. "You what?! How many?!" Dodana and Ackbar yelled in unison. Mothma just stared at him with her mouth open. "Well, we discovered about one Providence class dreadnought, three providence class cruisers, one Lucrehulk class battleship, six Recusant class light destroyers, nine Munificent class frigates along with four DH-Omni supply ships." He said. "Since when?!" Mothma demanded in anger. "Two weeks ago. I placed the dreadnought as top priority. The entire fleet will take a month but the dreadnought, should only take two weeks." He replied. "Your failure to report will be discussed later but for now, we'll get in touch with the Princess. If the dreadnought is done, General Syndulla does have an Aclimator. We'll see if she's available." Mon said. He simply nodded.