Important links:

>Synopsis of Dark Empire (To quickly catch up)
https://pastebin.com/h7uFmbpt

>Archive
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=Dark+Empire

>Twitter feed I use to announce planned game times.
https://twitter.com/DarkEmpireQuest

>This is the map system I use for planning
http://www.swgalaxymap.com/

>Official political map
https://imgur.com/a/F3KmhF7


I allow between ten and fifteen minutes for voting depending on the importance of the issue and how divided the vote is. If the vote is tied up, I usually allow an extra five minutes for a tiebreaker, and if no one votes, I roll for the tiebreaker The will of the Dark Side.

I always try to incorporate (and encourage!) write-ins if they don't violate the spirit of voted decisions, though I may edit or tweak them to fit better.

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You are Imperial Admiral Alana Tyrna and you are in a strong position for holding out, forever if need be. Your fleet occupies the Deep Core, a vital Imperial bastion and navigation hazard that defies easy entry. On the main entrance, the Byss Hyperway, you have stationed the bulk of our fleet, sixteen Invicta-Class Star Destroyers, and associated escorts while smaller entry points are left guarded by Coruscant’s defense forces under the de facto command of Moff Volen.

You don’t expect them to do much more than hold the door closed for you. Really, you could likely hold this position forever against almost anything Thrawn might throw at it, except for one weak point.

The industrial world of Foerost. While not as expansive as Kuat or Fondor, it was a vital shipyard all the same. You managed to hold onto it during the evacuation from the core, but now it was picketed with a division of yours, Valorum’s, four-star destroyers and picket ships.

“Ma’am, an update.”

You view the readout that’s handed to you. Bad news. The hyperspace contacts hadn’t deviated course yet.

“Do we have exact numbers?” you ask.

Your XO shakes his head.

“No, ma’am. Thrawn’s forces are jamming our sensors so an exact count is impossible, rough numbers put it at eight capital ships.”

Double your current force then, more than enough to force your ships at Foerost to fight, and likely defeat them unless you reinforced.

Of course, reinforcing would mean leaving the bottleneck that leads to Byss even less well defended.

You drum your fingers on the console. Valorum was a good soldier and would do as he was told, but it seemed like Thrawn had you exactly where he wanted. You could withdraw from the world without a significant fight, you could stay and fight against the odds, or you could reinforce the world and hope he didn’t try something sneaky.


>Order Valorum to hold Foerost
>Order Valorum to withdraw to Ruan
>Send Sesstrix’s division to support Valorum
>Write in

>>3202415
>>Write in
Have a ship at the edge of Foerost to jump to us to report ship count of Thrawn's, and if the attack doesn't seem like a fake, we'll have a significant force come in to help.

Valorum will have to hold out until we get there, running Thrawn around in circles if needed

>>3202441
>Writing

“Have Valorum throw out a few scout craft to try to obtain visual confirmation of the attack. If it’s legitimate we’ll send Sesstrix to reinforce.”

“The chances of a scout craft surviving contact with the enemy force-”

You interrupt your XO, “That’s why I said ‘a few.’ See to it.”

The report isn’t long in coming back. The force is four Star Destroyers and eight dreadnaughts. Where Thrawn got such weapons you can’t say, but it was a close match for what Valorum has available.

Reinforcing him would guarantee a win, otherwise, you can take your changes.

>Send Sesstrix Division to reinforce
>Valorum will have to make do.
>Write in

>>3202466
Ehhh, it doesn't make sense that Thrawn would send such a small force, especially on such an important lane. It seems that he wants to gauge our reaction and see what we would do, so I suppose doing the opposite of what we would usually do would suffice.

>Valorum will have to make do.

>>3202481
>writing

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You sneer at the display. “It’s a scouting party.”

“Ma’am?”

You dismiss your XO with a wave. “Thrawn is baiting us. If he wanted Foerost he could reach out and take it. He’s poking the Howlrunner to see how it will react.” You consider the situation. You know Thrawn’s reputation as a master tactician, the man who knew his enemies’ moves before they did. Rumor had it he started opponents backgrounds, including their art, in order to understand them.

You didn’t make any art, so you weren’t sure what Thrawn might know about you, but you couldn’t go wrong by subverting his expectations.

“He wants us to reinforce Foerost?” you muse aloud, “So we don’t. Send Valorum my regards. ‘Happy hunting.’” you smirk. “Tell him to hold the planet.”


***

“Contacts exiting hyperspace!”

Valorum looked up from his digital charts to see Thrawn’s meager task force exit hyperspace. A handful of Destroyers and Dreadnaughts, a lone interdictor, and a few picket ships. The ships began disgorging ties immediately. Standard Imperial deployment.

“Orders sir?” Tactical asked.

Valorum smiled to himself. It was time to see if Thrawn’s forces were as unbeatable as rumor had it. “Deploy the fleet. Send out fighters, let’s see if they bleed.”

***

Roll time.

1D100, best of 3 rolls.

DC is 60

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Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>3202511
Heh, better luck next time Thrawn

>>3202519
Based girl Patton

>66
(Good enough)

>Writing

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>3202511

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A smashed Dreadnaught hulk drifts across the viewport, momentarily blocking Valorum’s view of the fight. Thrawn’s forces were thrashed thoroughly by his steadfast defense. They’d gotten to used to knocking over backwater worlds it seemed.

This fight was all but wrapped up.
“Send Admiral Tyrna a com detailing our success here,” he instructed communications. “They’re beginning to withdraw.”

“Commander, fresh contacts!” Communications called breathlessly as a fresh quartet of Victory-Class Star Destroyers arrived on site.

“Kriff.”

***

Word comes to you of Valorum’s ongoing success at Foerost, though it’s tempered by the revelation that Thrawn’s reserve has evidently been thrown into the battle. Only moments later inbound hyperspace contacts are detected.

“How many?” you demand.

“It’s unclear, ma’am! We’re-”

“Being jammed? You hazard.

Sensors nods gravely.

“Splendid,” you say. It seemed Thrawn’s plan had indeed been to draw you off and crush you at Ruan.

This would be the main event. Thrawn was coming for Ruan and the key to the Byss run.

Exact numbers weren’t certain, but you estimated at least a Fleet sized element in a pincer maneuver. You were outnumbered, slightly, and couldn’t rely on Valorum to disengage from Thrawn’s forces at Foerost.


Retreat was possible, you could drop orbital mines around the planet to buy time and jump away, but it would mean abandoning Valorum’s division. Your best option was realistically to stand and fight. You knew Thrawn was a fan of tricky, short-range hyperspace jumps, you might negate that advantage by holding your fleet in close orbit of Ruan, though it would mean an escape to hyperspace would be near impossible under fire. Otherwise, you could attempt to intercept one force at one edge of the system before doubling back to take on the other one. An aggressive strategy, but one that maximizes your small numbers. It would eave Thrawn free to conduct short-range hyperspace jumps at will though,


>Fight from low orbit
>Attack one ‘wing’ at a time
>Retreat and abandon Ruan.
>Write in

>>3202519
Excellent taste anon
Lets grease our turbolaser batteries with their guts!

>Fight from low orbit

If our new class of Star Destroyers are as strong as they should be, then we should be able to weather Thrawn's pincer movement and attempt to smash through his lines!

>>3202550
>Fight from low orbit
Deploy ground garrisons if they have heavier guns or AT-ATs and use our tractor beams to pull the enemy down with us to the planet

>>3202560
Can AT-AT's fire from the surface into orbit? That sounds insane, but also neat.

If this is feasible then I support it, I'm always a fan of giving stormtroopers something to do

>>3202564
I didnt mean we fight in orbit, I meant more drag em screaming into atmosphere

>>3202550
>>Fight from low orbit
Fuck him, we're not retreating, and he hasn't had a taste of Alana's fury.

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>>3202566
I don't think Star Destroyers are capable of Atmospheric Re-Entry. Pulling them into a planet's gravitational field would likely destroy them without needing a garrison to shoot at them.

Like how Grevious' ship nearly burnt up re-entering Coruscant in Revenge of the Sith

>>3202571
Well ISDs show up regularly in atmosphere, i think providence was just out of control

>>3202571
>>3202573
ISD's are capable of surviving controlled atmospheric descent. Dropping out of orbit unprepared would likely cripple them.

>>3202573
>>3202576
Oh, well I stand corrected then.

>>3202564
Can we put AT-AT's on our ships hauls and fire on them?

>>3202585
You could, but AT-AT weapons are just blasters, not Turbolasers so the effect would be negligible.

>>3202585
that would be pretty slick

>>3202590
The AT-ATs mostly can pick off fighters or draw attention off our capital ships.

>>3202590
>negligible
>When we're stuck in low atmosphere

WE NEED MORE GUNS ON THE HULLS.

>Fight from low orbit

>writing

“Bring the fleet into low orbit,” you say. “We’ll fight them on our terms.” As much as you liked the idea of outmaneuvering Thrawn, you were going to avoid playing to his strengths. If he wanted a fight you’d show him why you were the Bloody Baroness.

“Deploy all fighters and let’s make the most of our fields of fire,” You add.

It takes minutes to redeploy the fleet, its “belly” to the planet below, Thrawn can only come straight at you.

Minutes later, his fleet arrives and begins to assemble in high orbit. You’re encouraged to see that you’re only slightly outnumbered. Twenty Star Destroyers and their escorts face off against your twelve. Further on your side, you have Advanced Tie Avengers and Invicta-Class destroyers.

“We’re going to focus on bringing them down,” you explain to tactical. “Literally. I want the fleet to ‘ride high’ in the atmosphere so they might try to dip under us. Fighters and turbolaser fire will force them down and our tractor beams will finish them off.” You know that dropping a Star Destroyer, moving at speed, into the atmosphere of a planet would be like holding it against a cosmic belt-sander.

Satisfied with your briefing, you approach Lieutenant Zepal, your tactical officer. “Is Chimera among them?” You ask about Thrawn’s famous flagship.

“Negative,” Zepal says, “It appears the flagship is Death’s Head under Harbid.”

You nod. Harbid was no slouch, but he was no Thrawn either.

“Let’s hope he plays ball.” You say, taking your station in the middle of the bridge, watching Undying’s escort of Raiders and Carrack and Strike Refits fanning out, their Tie Squadrons launching.

Before long, Thrawn’s forces begin their inexorable descent toward your fleet and the opening salvos of the battle are fired.

***

Roll 1D100, best of 3 rolls.

DC is 75

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>3202633
See you at the party Richter!

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>3202633
Bring it

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>3202633

>>3202640
>>3202648
>>3202649

oh dear.

>>3202640
>>3202648
>>3202649

>46

>writing

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>3202633

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>>3202668
Guys. Just stop.

>>3202668
Thank fuck that was late

Harbid doesn’t fall for your clumsy effort to draw him into a close-quarters fight that would enable you to force his ships into the atmosphere. He knows full well what sort of fight he can win with you and executes that strategy without remorse.

He parks his superior numbers ‘above’ your fleet and partakes in a long-range turbolaser duel. It’s a long process, a terribly slow way for a ship to die, but it will ultimately result in the death of your ships. A few unlucky escorts had already strayed out of the overlapping shield umbrella of your fleet and been picked off.

Now a steady hail of green turbolaser fire crashes down on your shields from above. Once a few of your capital ships fall the process will accelerate as there will be fewer targets for his gunners.

With the inevitability of math against you, you have a limited selection of options. A fighting retreat might be possible if they choose to let you go, but it would mean abandoning Valorum.

A less dramatic option would be to send Vells and your fighter/bomber wings on an attack run on Harbid’s ships. Your Avengers were outnumbered but they were experienced and in superior machines. With a bit of luck, you might be able to get inside his shields and conduct Rebel-like torpedo attacks to thin his numbers and even the score.

You might also break orbit to conduct a general attack with your fleet. This would prevent your fighters from attacking without support, but it would also mean abandoning your attempt to draw his ships into an atmosphere slug match, it was also Imperial standard procedure and likely the move that Harbid is expecting.

>Order Vells to attack
>Order the fleet on a general attack
>Conduct a fighting retreat
>Write in

>>3202684
>Order Vells to attack
Only good option. Can we see about ramming speed?

>>3202684
>>Order Vells to attack

>Write in
Advance forward angling upwards at the enemy ships. It'll give Harbid two targets, us and Vells, and we should be available only to the belly turrets

>>3202684
I forgot Dice hate this quest.

>Order Vells to attack

>>3202697
Seconding

>Order Vells to attack

>Writing


>>3202700
>Dice
>Forgetting that you guys also captured a Super Star Destroyer intact

You’d faced the rebels enough times to know that fighter tactics worked, especially on Imperial capital ships. “Coms, get me Captain Vells,” you say.

Beside you, Zepal tenses almost imperceptibly. Was that a flash of fear on her face?

“Captain Vells, Ma’am,” Coms says.

You bring yourself near the pickup for the microphone, bracing your hands on the console as the ship rocked from another flurry of hits. “Vells, it’s time to show me what the flight arm of the navy is capable of.”

You only see Vells featureless skull mask in the display. “Any time, ma’am. What’s the order?”

“I want you to get point blank on the enemy fleet and make them hurt. Put them on the fire and make them choose between coming straight after us or running away.”

“I can do that ma’am,” Vells says.

You hesitate, wanting to say more, something more personal. “See to it.”

“Aye, ma’am.”

***

Vells flipped off his com and breathed deeply before switching to a general frequency.

“All wings, this is Captain Vells. We’ve just received orders from the Admiral. Ride or die. We’re going to chew up those great big clunkers up there and send them down in flames.” He banked his fighter back and up, pointing the wing foils at the lead enemy Star Destroyer. “We’re going as a spearhead, Shadow Droids first, let them take all the kriffing flak, scimitars behind and Avengers running interference.” Vells tightened his grip on the control yolk and- not for the first time in his career, hoped the Admiral knew what she was doing. “On my mark.”

“Mark.”

***

Roll 1D100, best of 3 rolls.

DC is 60

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Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>3202732
2EZ

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>3202732
GET THEM BLOODY, VELLS

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>3202732

>>3202742
>based

>Writing

>>3202742
something something my bastogne

>>3202740
um. ha...

>>3202740
I'm going to stop rolling now.

“Fire fire fire!” Vells jammed his artificial leg against the rudder pedal and rolled his Avenger to the side while the Scimitar bombers behind him disgorged their deadly payloads straight into the bridge tower of the Star Destroyer ahead of them, missiles and torpedoes detonating across the hull and wrenching great holes in the ship’s superstructure.

Someone was cheering on the radio as Vells rattled through the growing cloud of debris.

“Great kriffing shot!” Vells shouted, craning his head around to watch the star destroyer list and roll over as all control was lost.

“That’s two!” his wingman said.

“Two more than the kriffing gunheads in the navy!” Vells replied, taking note of the trio of Shadow Droids falling in to cover him. They rounded the shattered bow of a Carrack cruiser and two of the cybernetic droid fighters peeled off to engaged an approaching squad of Tie/LNs.

***

“Admiral, the enemy fleet is closing on us!” Zepal says, her ordinary cool facade cracking to show some of the interior stress and fear she must be feeling.

“Let them come.” You smile. “Concentrate fire on the lead ship and let’s crack their front.”

***

Roll 1D100, best of 3 rolls.

DC is 50

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Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>3202762
lets go

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>3202762

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>3202762

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>>3202769

>>3202773
>74
>writing

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>>3202773
That's more like it!

With discipline and coordination, your gun batteries lay down a withering field of fire that cracks the shields of a number of approaching ships, stripping their armor away and leaving them as slag to rain down on Ruan.

It doesn’t take much of this punishment before Harbid’s fleet breaks and starts burning for the safety of hyperspace.

“They’re angling to jump to Stassia,” Sensors reports, “One of their staging points.”

“They’re staying as one unit?” you ask, “Not splitting back up?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

It made sense, it’s what you would do in their place. Now the pursuit.

Your fleet was in fairly good condition, shields were weak and you’d taken some losses among escorts and fighters, but you also had a prime opportunity to run this enemy fleet down. It would mean leaving Ruan undefended, but it would also mean smashing an enemy fleet so they wouldn’t threaten any more worlds.


>Pursue them to Stassia through Hyperspace
>We won’t leave the Ruan system
>write in

>>3202801
>>We won’t leave the Ruan system
We're not chasing these guys through Hyperspace, even though we SHOULD.

We won and should celebrate

>>3202801
>We won’t leave the Ruan system

>>3202801
>We won’t leave the Ruan system

>>3202801
>We won’t leave the Ruan system
>write in

Have several scouts attempt to follow and report back on fleet numbers and defenses in Stassia.

I'd say go for a counterattack there after any necessary repairs, if we can handle it.

>We won’t leave the Ruan system
+
>Write in

>Writing

You order the fleet to hold here, fanning out to secure holding stations above Ruan. You also take care to dispatch a trio of scout ships to follow Harbid’s fleet back to Stassia.

None of the scouts report back.

Before too long Commander Valorum reports victory at Foerost, though with heavy losses, two of his four Star Destroyers lost, the other two heavily damaged.

Overall your fleet is perhaps at 75% combat efficiency, though you dealt Thrawn a much worst defeat. If he wants to get through to Byss he’s going to have to do better than that.

***

Thanks for playing guys! I’m calling it quits here for the night but we continue next Thursday at 7 EST (11 UTC)

Thanks for playing and I hope to see everyone then!

https://twitter.com/DarkEmpireQuest
https://discord.gg/WMEDDgX

>>3202842
Yeah, I had figured those scout ships were good as dead. We can assume that a much bigger fleet was waiting there, as we are known to pursue after a victory.

thanks for running

>>3202842
Thanks for running TK

>>3202846
You may just survive this then.

At least you can rest easy knowing that you've caught Thrawn's attention.

>>3202846
>>3202848
>Thanks
Thanks for playing guys!

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>>3202852
>Blue Senpai noticed us

thanks for running TK! Session was fun, I always love it when we get a naval battle going.

The mood onboard your flagship, Undying was tense, but there was an element of hope belying that nervousness. Thrawn’s mighty armada, at least a fraction of it, had been stopped cold in a sanguinary confrontation above the tropical world of Ruan. Likewise, Valorum’s division at Foerost had held the line, protected the shipyards, and bloodied the enemy.

In the days that followed, you rotated Valorum’s division out with Tierce’s, he was a stalwart commander, one you could trust. Lisson was too independently minded to be trusted with an assignment like that. Sesstrix could have handled it, but you preferred to keep her close, like a vibroblade in your pocket, waiting for the right moment.

A moment that may have come at last.

“Gone?” you ask.

“Mostly,” the officer says. You don’t typically might with Stormtrooper officers, usually their business was delegated to other members of your staff, typically General Duelis, but in this case, he carried vital intel. This particular Stormtrooper came to you from Imperial Center, the world of Coruscant, under the deadly watch of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s guns, held in a stranglehold of a blockade, one that- if left unchecked- would plunge the world into anarchy.

You stare at the officer, waiting for him to elaborate, and lightly drumming your nails on the ebony surface of the conference room table.

The man takes a slow breath. “General Duelis had, of course, tasked most of us with collecting supplies from the local population, necessary to last out this siege.”

A vital necessity, and one that- you knew- would likely ultimately drive the population to revolt against the garrison you’d left behind.

“We’re aware of the risks involved,” the officer says, seeming to have read your mind, “Which is why we’ve also been monitoring the status of the blockade with ground-based comscan. A large portion of the fleet is definitely gone.”

(1/2)

“Define large.”

“At least sixteen Star Destroyers have left.”

“Leaving . . . ?”

“Eight, ma’am.”

A sizeable force. One not to be trifled with without serious commitment.


“Where do you suppose they’ve gone?” you ask.

“I couldn’t say, ma’am. I suspect they’re reacting to Grand Admiral Oxtroe’s counteroffensive.”

A good possibility.

“The reason the general had me run the blockade was to bring you a request. If you can punch a hole in their defenses, you might be able to run a few barges of food and supplies to Imperial Center and greatly prolong the siege, at least limit how much we have to requisition from the civilian population.”

Happier civilians meant a lower likelihood of general revolt.

Now, you look to your assembled division commanders, Sesstrix, Lisson, and Valorum.

“A general attack is risky,” Lisson says. “It leaves us vulnerable here should Thrawn have another fleet lurking.”

“Yes, but if we don’t act, we may lose Imperial Center to mob rule before the food supply runs out,” Sesstrix counters. “A single division, acting swiftly, should be able to penetrate that blockade and allow supplies through before withdrawing.”
>Send Sesstrix on a raid to resupply Imperial Center to extend the siege
>We will conduct a general attack with the entire fleet and liberate the planet
> There are too many risks, the General will have to make do
>Write in

>>3220981
>>Send Sesstrix on a raid to resupply Imperial Center to extend the siege
We obviously can't hold it, but we can make sure it doesn't fall. No Coruscant is bad for morale

>>3220981
>send probes to all nearby hyper lane connections tied to our fears so we won't be suddenly caught off guard
>Run goods to the planet under a faux attack.

>>3220981
>Send Sesstrix on a raid to resupply Imperial Center to extend the siege
Don't fully commit. I'm like 70% Thrawn is trying to bait us in some way, so is there a way to send a sneaky scout forward to check for interdictors before we commit a division?

Have we considered that he might be pulling ships off the line for a flanking attack against us?

>>3221034
It's possible, but it's more likely that he's responding to the offensive. We can't lose the capitol anyway

>>3221034
He could just be doing this to force us to split our forces and have another force come and attack us. Point is leaving Coruscant in dnager of a open revolt will male it harder to take back. Thrawn also knows that if he attacks Imperial center with his star destroyers instead of making it surrender it will bloody his speach about being different from the other war lord.

Politicaly this would be a good move for Palpatine and a good way for thrawn to attract us. What we can do is only be ready for his eventual trap.

>>3220981
>Send Sesstrix on a raid to resupply Imperial Center to extend the siege

>Write in: "Have Sesstrix use the Home fleet we have backed away as a first attack wave then she will need to wait for a respinse from Thrawn since this could be a likely trap."

We also might need to consider that Thrawn is attacking Byss as a way to get his hands on clone tech which he knows are already working.

>Send Sesstrix on a raid
>>3221000
>>3221010
>>3221011
>>3221063

>Writing
with Write ins

You don’t like it, it doesn’t smell right but . . . you can’t let the capital fall to anarchy.

“We’ll send your relief column,” you tell the officer. “Sesstrix, I want you in command.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

After a moment of consideration, you add, “And send word to Moff Volen, I want you to take some of his forces in the stead of our regulars.”

Here, Sesstrix hesitates, clearly reluctant to take untried forces into battle. All the same, you were reluctant to throw your best troops into a potential trap.

“Yes, ma’am.”

***

A hail of probe droids is launched ahead of Sesstrix’s division, most reaching various points near Imperial Center without issue, a handful are lost as is typical with such haphazard hyperspace navigation. Besides which, probing the route too thoroughly will alert Thrawn’s forces to your counter-attack.

“Sesstrix, I don’t want you getting bogged down with Thrawn’s ships. Get in, punch a hole, and get those barges to the planet before getting out. There is no sense in heroics.”

Sesstrix gives you a crisp salute before her fleet tears into Hyperspace, screaming for Imperial Center.

***

Hours later, the Imperial division reaches the capital world and begins its attack, deploying into a rough cone, screening the advancing food supplies as they close on the world. The blockade puts up a flimsy resistance, withdrawing under fire and clearing a path for the barges to the planet.

It isn’t much longer before the first of Thrawn’s attack force arrives in high orbit, interdictor cruisers deploying gravity wells and jammer equipment activating as they close on the grossly outnumbered four Star Destroyers.

***

“Admiral Tyrna, Commander Sesstrix reports she has engaged an overwhelming force in upper orbit,” Zepal reports, reading the data readout that had come in moments ago. Her eyes go wide.

“She’s trapped.”

“Sithspawn,” you blurt before getting yourself under control. “How many?”

“Eight Star Destroyers from the blockade, an additional eight have arrived,” Zepal says, voice shaking almost imperceptibly.

Sixteen against four. You could bring an additional eight from your defense of Foerost and Ruan. You’d be able to bring an additional eight if you scrounge up the rest of Volen’s Imperial Defense Force and attacked at once. That would make it an even fight, discounting Sesstrix’s battered division, assuming Thrawn hadn’t laid more traps along the way for you.


>Jump the fleet to relieve Sesstrix, leave Volen to defend the Byss Run
>Assemble *ALL* our forces and jump to engage
>Sesstrix is a lost cause, we can’t risk the fleet. Or Byss
>Write in

>Assemble *ALL* our forces and jupm to engage

>>3221223
>>Assemble *ALL* our forces and jump to engage
Plant space mines all across the jump point into our system. He'll get it, but he'll be battered getting it

>>3221301
Yeah but Byss has clone tech. Which is what Thrawn actually wants.

>>3221311
Clone tanks that are destroyed and can be hidden. We won't be gone long, anyway.

>>3221223
>Jump the fleet to relieve Sesstrix, leave Volen to defend the Byss Run

changing my vote because at least Thrawn will be limited to send to many ships this way.

>>3221318
True but leaving the place completely undefended seems unwise. Even so i bet Thrawn must have some TIE defender waiting to do a hyperspace attack.

Also we might consider that if we leave Volen here he could at least delay Thrawn for a while.

>>3221323
I agree, but the only way we're standing up to him is with a complete force that we can hammer his weak spots. Kinda like what the Germans did in WW2.

>Assemble *ALL* our forces and jump to engage
>>3221261
>>3221301


>Jump the fleet to relieve Sesstrix, leave Volen to defend the Byss Run
>>3221320


>A L L

>Writing

>>3221344
>>3221351
Well guess it's time to make this bloody!

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This was no time for half measures.

“Get Volen on coms,” you order you com officer. You were through playing Thrawn’s guessing game. It was time to hash this out in a straight on fight. You might not have a better chance. “Tell him to bring his forces to Ruan at top speed.”

“Yes, Admiral!”

***

A precious hour elapses before Volen’s forces are joined with yours and a course plotted back to Imperial Center. You didn’t have time to spare for complex calculations either, you had to jump post haste.

The stars stretched into lines before reality exploded away, replaced by the chaos of hyperspace.

Before too long, reality rips back into place right where you expected it to be, the glittering black ball of Coruscant is dead ahead, and between you and it, the dozens of sky blue sublight engines of Thrawn’s force, currently pinning Sesstrix’s outnumbered ships against the shields of the planet. It seems that she was successful in her mission of escorting the food barges, you see no signs of debris and the barges aren’t on scope anywhere.

“All ships present and accounted for!” Sensors calls.

“I don’t think they were expecting us,” your XO muses.

“Let’s hope not.” You look to Zepal, “Deploy the fleet.”

You might true your ‘rebel rush’ from before. With the enemy so focused on destroying Sesstrix, it’s unlikely they have any significant fighter reserve defending their ships, if you’re quick you can perhaps catch them by surprise.

A more standard approach would be to keep your fighters in reserve and close to gun range to pound the shields of the enemy fleet.

You might also try a hybrid approach, sending your faster escort ships forward protecting the fighters. It’s slower, giving the enemy more time to respond, but would protect them from any anti-fighter frigates that may be lurking.


>Advance steadily into gun range, don’t get spread out
>Rush Vells and the fighter wings forward before they have a chance to react
>Send the fighters forward under the cover of our escort ships

***

secret vote: Do you guys hate my new simplistic map? It’s easier to do big ass battles in this style than with the much larger/more detailed designs I made earlier.

>>3221413
>Send the fighters forward under the cover of our escort ships
Contact Sesstrix. Ask if they're up to anything tricky.

>>3221413
>Send the fighters forward under the cover of our escort ships.

Thrawn fucking loves Lancers, let's not get Vells killed.

I don't mind it, personally.

>>3221413
>>Send the fighters forward under the cover of our escort ships

and this>>3221425

>>3221425
>>3221438
>>3221447

>Send fighters

>writing

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“Admiral?” Commander Sesstrix’s image is broken with static wrought by the intense fire her command ship is weathering.

You nod to your communications officer before returning your attention to Sesstrix, “Commander, it looked as if you could use some help.”


Sesstrix cracks a tight smile. “Something like that ma’am.” Returning to a more serious expression, “We’re holding for now, but our shields can’t take much more.”

You glance up at the fading sublights of your escort force. “Help is on the way.”

***

Vells hated being babysat, or more accurately, babysitting a sluggish escort cruiser like this. Fighters- in his opinion- were to operate from cruisers, not alongside them. But it wasn’t his call.

Ahead, the enemy fleet was coming about to face this new threat, the white dagger shapes rotating to bring their firepower to bear. It was going to be a long distance across the voice to engage them.

“Captain,” his wingman spoke up, “Enemy fighters incoming.”

Ties, old models, as well as interceptors were streaming toward them, backed by a healthy dose of Lancer frigates and Carrack cruisers. It looked like it would be a skirmish between the fleets.

“Let’s bleed the kriffers.”

***

Roll 1D100

Best of three

DC is 70

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Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>3221501

>>3221501
GO VELLS GO

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>3221501

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3221501
Ded

>>3221508
>>3221512
>>3221516
>>3221520

>67

so close

>writing

>>3221522
Dang

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Thrawn’s pilots are better than Vells expected. Much better. Better than they had any right to be given their relative lack of experience.

“Kriff!” Vells narrowly pulled out of the way of a blast of laser fire, bringing his own fighter around to try to come in behind the passing Tie before it rolled away in a sharp maneuver, one he would have been hard-pressed to follow.

Nearby, a trio of interceptors picked apart a pair of Shadow Droids that strayed from their escort, punching them full of holes and sending geysers of flash-boiled and refrozen nutrient fluid across space.

The bulbous Lancer Frigates didn’t help anything, paving their way through Vells fighter formations and breaking up spearheads of Scimitar Bombers before they could form.

“Admiral, it’s Vells, we can’t break through ma’am. We’re going to need heavy firepower support.”

“Acknowledge, Captain, fall back into escort of the main battle group.”

“Vells killed the com. “Kriff!”

***

So it was up to the heavy guns of your main fleet? So be it, this was the type of engagement you’d studied in the academy.

“All guns, commence forward bombardment,” you instruct, voice calm and steady even as you watched one of Sesstrix’s destroyers erupt in a brilliant flash as its reactor cooked off.

“Aye, ma’am,” Zepal says, the hint of a glimmer in her eyes. Your tactical officer- you knew- had a special relationship with the guns. She tapped on her com system. “All batteries, commence firing.”

***

Roll 1D100

Best of three

DC is 60

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3221541
Big boi gun times

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>3221541
Save the vells

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Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>3221541
BOMB EM AGAIN

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>3221541
EZ

>>3221553
>71

>Writing

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You turn away from the sterile, digital readouts in time to see the first brilliant green salvo streak toward the enemy. A quintet of enemy escort ships rupture and detonate under the onslaught as your gunners- at Zepal’s direction- focus first on clearing back the larger cruisers threatening them before directing fire further back to start whittling down the enemy shields.

Sesstrix was holding for now, but with only two destroyers left, her prospects weren’t good. Once she was crushed, the enemy could turn back on you.

She was giving as good as she got as concentrated fire caused the main power to fail on one of Thrawn’s destroyers.

“What’s the latest readout on Sesstrix’s shields?” you ask sensors.

“The outlook isn’t good, ma’am.”

She wasn’t going to hold indefinitely. If you sent Vells and his men on a wild ride through the hole in the enemy screen and across their fleet you could likely buy her the time she needed for you to get close enough to support her. It put Vells at risk without capital support, but it would be fast.

Otherwise, it was probable you could eventually chew through the enemy formation, but it wasn’t clear if Sesstrix would survive long enough.

>Send Vells in
>Slow and Steady
>Write in

>>3221594
>good luck fly bois. Get the fuck in the gap

>>3221594
>>Send Vells in
The flyboys are here for a reason

>>3221594
>Send Vells in

>>3221594
>Send Vells in

>>3221594
>>Send Vells in
ematch! Without any pesky frigates to stop em

>>3221594
>Send Vells in

Let's see how discipline Thrawn forces actually are.

>>3221598
>>3221600
>>3221602
>>3221615
>>3221619
>>3221643
>Vells Deathride
>Writing

>>3221660
>no roll
UH OH

No sense wasting the initiative now.

“Lieutenant,” you address Zepal. “Send Captain Vells and a few wings of fighters through that gap-”you press your finger against the display of the tactical readout. “I want him to take some pressure off Sesstrix.”

Zepal nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

***

“Captain Vells?”

Vells perked up in his cockpit. A new voice, not the emotionless monotone of one of the flight controllers on Undying this was-

“Jessary? Uh- Lieutenant Zepal?”

“Admiral Tyrna wants you to take a few fighter wings and take pressure off Sesstrix. Time is of the essence, her outlook is not optimal.”

She was on the verge of annihilation it sounded like.

“You got it. Tell the Admiral I’ve got it in hand.”

“Vells,” Zepal sounded unsure. She lowered her voice, barely audible in his headset, probably quiet enough that those nearest her couldn’t hear. “Please be careful.”

Vells almost told her that he’d never been careful in his life, or that just getting in the cockpit of a Tie fighter was rolling the dice. He could have, but he didn't. “Don’t worry,” he said, flipping the channel before Zepal could say anything else that might call her career into question. Instead, he flipped to the ‘all wings’ frequency.

“We’ve got our riding orders, boys. We’re going to be howlrunners in the hen house. All fighters on me.”

***

Roll 1D100

Best of three

DC is 60

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>3221690
It's been a pleasure Vells

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>3221690

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>3221690

>>3221699
YEAAHH TAKE THAT YOU NERF HEARDER!

>>3221699
>73
>Writing

Vells and his fighters boil through the enemy screen and into the capital ships beyond, spreading across their surface, dropping bombs and torpedoes in between strafing runs. The enemy fighter pilots are clearly getting run ragged and struggle to keep up.

Two more enemy Star Destroyers fall to fighter attacks even before your weight of fire comes onto their fleet, taking out another one.

Overwhelmed and outnumbered, the fleet scatters, fleeing away from Imperial Center and jumping to hyperspace after a determined pursuit.

“Track them,” you order at once.

“They’ve split up,” sensors says, “They’ll likely make another jump and regroup somewhere else, we won’t be able to track them all down.”

You grimace. So much for annihilating them. It’s at that moment that it occurs to you what’s happened.

“Have we just liberated Imperial Center?” you ask Zepal.

Your tactical officer, whose eyes had previously been fixed to her readout, looks to you, grinning. “Yes, ma’am.”

***

You are Galactic Emperor Palpatine, and the news is good. Thrawn’s forces, despite initial success, have suffered a series of stinging setbacks including, most recently, the lifting of the blockade on Imperial Center.

Admiral Tyrna’s doing you’ve been told. Not only did she hold the planet with no fleet, but she also liberated it and drove back Thrawn’s forces in a series of smart maneuvers. You have no doubt that Thrawn will redouble his efforts in an attempt to stop her progress, but for now, she remains victorious, albeit with heavy losses.

Losses that will soon be inconsequential as the latest warships from Byss and Foerost sail to meet her.

Even so, the rest of the war is a bloody affair. Oxtroe has placed Daala and Yazz on the front lines of her effort, their forces being beaten bloody in headlong attacks on Thrawn’s lines. Progress is being made but at a cost.

The slow march to victory might be about to speed up considerably.

You smile at the hologram before you. The person, a woman, though she is clearly advanced in years, is stunningly beautiful. A trait you know is common among the people of the Hapes Cluster. This particular specimen, was perhaps among the best they had to offer.

“Queen Mother Ta’a Chume, your Highness,” Mas Amedda intones by way of introduction.

“Greetings your Highness,” she gives you a slow nod of her head in place of a full bow. “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me in such a troubling period in your Empire.”

“I was told-” you say with little patience for courtly shenanigans, “That you have a proposal for me regarding Thrawn.”

The Queen Mother’s face hardens slightly as business is brought up. “Yes. You are aware of the military might of the Hapes Consortium?”

(1/2)

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It was common knowledge, so common that she doesn’t wait for your reply.

“I’d like to offer my navies for your service. A massive, and unexpected, strike from Thrawn’s rear areas. From the Cluster, we can lash out and annihilate his fleets on a whim.”

You doubted the relatively inexperienced Hapans would be able to pull off such a feat so easily, but you also had no doubts they would be wildly useful in battle. Still, it was a strange offer, the Hapans were a seclusive bunch, so much so that you never made a serious effort to bring them under your reign even during the height of your power.

“And what is it you seek in return?”

“Two things,” she says, “The first, is a renewal of the Non-Interference Pact between our two empires. We have no interest in business outside of our cluster and would like to make it clear that you have none inside our sphere.”

It was a trivial matter, such agreements could be made and broken at will if need be. “And the second?”

“A more permanent union between our two peoples. An alliance of sorts. One bonded by blood.”

“Blood?” your interest is piqued.

“A union more permanent than one signed on a piece of paper. A royal marriage.”

You suppress the urge to laugh. Beautiful though she was you weren’t interested. “Queen Mother, I appreciate your suggestion-”

Ta’a Chume gestures and a man steps into view, young, handsome, with striking bold features. “Prince Isolder,” she introduces, “The heir to the Consortium. I propose that he be married to your heir apparent.”

You puzzle at her meaning for a moment. You have no heir and no need for an heir.

“The Imperial Duchess, Ederlathh Pallopides.”

This was unexpected. The Queen Mother was seeking a union of Hapan and Imperial through a ‘royal marriage’. On the one hand, it would likely extend your power over the Hapans, but on the other, it gave legitimacy to Ederlathh’s position in your monarchy, and might also give Isolder ambitions of a claim on your own throne, if ever someday posed a threat.


>I can agree to arrange such a marriage
>I appreciate the suggestion, but I must refuse
>Write in

>I can agree to arrange such a marriage

Creating a form of sith nobility in the Empire might be enough to keep it stable; a nobility that had legitimate power.

>>3221825
>>I can agree to arrange such a marriage
It's not like she actually has any claim on the throne. The Emperor lives forever

>>3221825
>I can agree to arrange such a marriage

Intriguing offer, but I wonder if the queen is fully aware of the fact we've beaten death once already?

>>3221859
That is implying that Ederlathh won't get greedy and use her recent alliance with the Hapans and the Moff pirate lady to try and take our throne.

Besides Isard told us to watch out for her and we already got fucked for not hearing her words.

>>3221825
>I appreciate the suggestion, but I must refuse

>>3221879
bitches dont know about the force storm though

if it makes you feel better, once Thrawn gets taken care of, we'll kill her, and invade the cluster

>>3221846
>>3221859
>>3221865
>I can agree to arrange such a marriage

>>3221882
I just find funny that Ederlathh is gathering a female Moff and now she will be the Queen of a entire cluster of people who judge women to be above males.

>>3221917
That's good though, she'll be Palpatines mommy gf.

You weigh the offer a moment. What does it matter if you let the Hapans believe they are your heirs? They’ll never inherit. Beyond which, you could use their military might.

“Yes, I can agree to arrange such a marriage.”

The Queen Mother relaxes. Slightly. “This is good news. We will make preparations.”

You aren’t sure if she means the wedding or the attack. You assume both.

The hologram fades away. You turn to Amedda, “Inform the Duchess of her new assignment,” you say with a smirk, “I think she’ll find it impossible to say ‘no.’”

“Yes, Highness.”

***

That’s all the time I have tonight guys. As always thanks for playing! Next session is the same time next week. 7 EST (11 UTC) on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/DarkEmpireQuest
https://discord.gg/WMEDDgX

>>3221935
Thanks for running TK.

>>3221935
Thanks for running!

I don't think that battle could have gone any better! We get to hold the distinction of being the admiral who relieved the siege of Coruscant!

>no backhanded blow by thrawn over coruscant
so you are telling me Imperial center wasn't one big trap to destroy our fleet in one fell swoop? TK, maybe Thrawn needs to study more art, he's losing it

>>3222499
Nah Thrawn just underestimated us. He won't make the same mistake next time.

>>3221979
>>3222253
>Thanks
My pleasure!

>>3222253
Your legend grows!

>>3222499
>Thrawn sucks
There are two ways to play Thrawn.

1: Cheat like a mofo and make every decision the wrong one. This would make Thrawn more in line with how he is in the EU/Canon. But I think it would not make for a fun game.

2: Try to actually figure out how you (the players) will react and counter act that ahead of time.

I don’t like being the “cheating AI” so I am trying to actually pre-empt what yall do. For example:

I anticipated you would want to be aggressive, but would fee fear about Thrawn’s plan, so I prepared an ambush to annihilate Sesstrix’s division. I decided to give you a chance to save it with an all-out attack, but I figure that you would be too wary of a trap to take it.

That said, doing “Bizzaro plans” won’t work every time because sometimes I’ll anticipate that, other times the plan just is plain not a good idea or not optimal or whatever.

Tl;dr Writing Thrawn without blatantly cheating is hard.

>>3222530
Also this.

>>3222589
It's not that, it just seemed like in straight up battle he or his minions gets defeated too easily.
Plus it seemed really obvious that his ships that were missing from Coruscant were there to jump in and crush any stronger attempt at breaking through the raids if needed. Especially given that you made a point of before that Thrawn uses swift movement back and forth through the hyperlanes to compensate for his lack of numbers. It's all too easy and takes away from the glory of defeating Thrawn in my opinion. Doesn't mean the only way to play out thrawn is for him to have an insta win button.
It's already a done deal at this point anyway.

>>3222602
We haven't won yet. Besides you are counting just for yourself there are people here who play the quest that won't always catch on the subtles strategies from Thrawn.

Besides Alana is a nobody even if she is starting to get reconized inside the empire and she isn't undefeated. So Thrawn obviously didn'y though much of her.

Which for Thrawn makes sense since anti-xeno in the academy always tried to make him fail but were just a bunch of arrogant assholes with no brains to back it up