After some maneuvering, Cassio Tagge, commander of the Galactic Republic Expeditionary Force, once again assembled a strike fleet of sixty capital ships and launched a fierce assault on Annaj Planet!
This attack also proved what Volgograd Kanidi had said before: even though the Galactic Republic had diverted a considerable portion of its attention to the landing operations, its strength still far surpassed anything the Duchy of Dawn's defense fleet could match.
Sixty capital ships forcibly broke through the Duchy of Dawn's fleet defenses, closed in on Low Earth Orbit, and began an Orbital Bombardment of the ground battlefield!
The bombardment did not last long, nor was it carried out at maximum power, but it still dealt a devastating blow to the Kati City region. The entire city was almost completely swallowed by flames! All throughout the burning city, Lickers could be seen fleeing in every direction with their bodies on fire, only to be blasted into dust by another round of bombardment.
The supply convoy that had previously passed through Kati City was also completely destroyed in the bombardment.
Immediately afterward, under the cover of large numbers of fighter craft, the Galactic Republic once again dispatched a massive number of transport ships to land troops on the planet's surface.
At the same time, an Acclamator-class assault ship moved through the atmosphere toward the Kati City region, preparing to hover above that airspace and provide fire support.
One CSS-1 Republic-class transport ship after another landed and opened their hatches. Large numbers of Spaarti clone troopers poured out, regrouped into formations, then scattered in all directions to expand their controlled territory.
In truth, these Spaarti clone troopers were nowhere near the Kaminoan clone troopers at their peak, whether in terms of the number of troops landed or the quality of their equipment.