2404. Death of Mal-Tuk (Part 2)
The appearance of Planetary Shield gave Mal-Tuke a blow!
When he made the decision to attack Arkania Planet, the first premise was that he must capture Arkania Planet within a short period of time, so that he could redeploy the fleet as soon as possible and use Arkania Planet as a new base.
With Arkania Planet's logistical support, he could fight Thrawn's fleet to the death.
Because even if he could only get partial supplies from Arkania Planet, the Commerce Guild Fleet he led was stronger than the dilapidated fleet of Thrawn.
Arkania Planet is a mining planet. Generally, it is impossible to install Planetary Shield on such a planet, which is just a resource planet. Even if there are some factories, they all perform local processing in order to save transportation costs. Moreover, there are also some weapons and material reserves and arsenals on the planet. The main purpose of these is to suppress the miners' uprising.
The reconnaissance and scanning results of the previously dispatched reconnaissance aircraft on Arkania Planet also confirmed this point. There is indeed no Planetary Shield on this planet, and there are no defense facilities such as armed space stations.
Therefore, to capture Arkania, Mal-Tuk believed that it would only take three days at most. As long as his elite Marines launches a landing, it will soon destroy the planet's highest administrative body. It can even launch a miners' uprising, allowing those oppressed miners to join the rule of the rebel against the Empire.
Among Mar-Tuk's Marines, there are more than 2,000 elite Caladanian warriors and 100 Indjori warriors. These are among the top elite forces in the galaxy! Those Imperial Guard troops organized to suppress the miners were simply vulnerable.
But now, everything is in vain!
There is no doubt that Galactic Empire did not hesitate to spend his money in order to defeat his Commerce Guild Fleet. Not only did they abandon Fortress Planet Bilbrin, which had been in business for hundreds of years, but they also built more than a dozen temporary military bases in a short period of time, using them once and then throwing them away. The extremely expensive Planetary Shield was even installed on a mining planet!
These actions were all accomplished within the nearly one month after giving up Bilbrin Planet.
Even though Galactic Empire this building is already leaking and crumbling, the once carved and splendid buildings are still shining brightly under the death knell of doomsday.
At the same time that Mal-Tuk ordered the deployment of Orbital Bombardment, Thrawn also gave the order to attack. Imperial Northern Territory Main Mobile Fleet, dispatch immediately!
There are 140 Imperial-class Star Destroyer, 220 Victory II-class Star Destroyer, and more than 900 small and medium-sized warships. Compared with Maltuk's strength of 50 Commerce Guild Fleet battleships, 380 Heavy Cruiser, and more than 3,000 small and medium-sized warships, both quantity and quality are very worrying.
But it was such a fleet that sealed Commerce Guild Fleet's final chance of victory!
At 10 a. m. on February 23, Galactic Standard Time, Imperial fleet arrived at the perimeter of Arkania System, and immediately began to deploy Interdictor.
The deployment of Interdictor requires Commerce Guild Fleet to break through the blockade of Imperial fleet in order to clear the blocker and turn on the hyperspace engine to return to Palanci Planet.
Admiral Mar-Tooke immediately ordered to abandon Arkania Planet, the fleet turned to face the direction of Imperial fleet, and sailed in the opposite direction along the orbit of Arkania Planet. At the same time, he deployed his fleet in an arrow-shaped formation.
The plan of this formation is very obvious, which is to forcefully break through the blockade of Imperial fleet, destroy Interdictor, and then return to Palanci Planet.
At the same time, he also sent a request for help to the rear, asking the rear to organize a fleet to respond to Palanci Planet as soon as possible.
When the news was sent out, Trade Federation's current governor Lot-Dude immediately connected to Kingdom of Dawn Chief of Staff Qi Jian's communication, and at the same time, he An urgent request for help was sent to the InterGalactic Banking Clan (M) co-chairman San Hill and Fourth Group top director Glosse-Shelbia.
Almost immediately, the fleet that had stayed behind Bilbrin Planet to continue clearing the armed asteroids immediately turned and headed towards Palanci Planet.
At the same time, a new fleet also began to assemble at Makito. Geth, InterGalactic Banking Clan (M), Trade Federation, Fourth Group, these Kingdom of Dawn's main forces in Northern Territory have taken out their own fleets at the bottom of the box.
It is expected that it will take at least a week for the new fleet to be assembled and deployed to Bilbrin Planet. Fleet Commander is determined to be the new generation general of Caladanian, "Slaughterer" Major General Bentilas-Sang-Si Carl (in the plot that began in Chapter 1223, he killed Master Sass-Ting who invaded Caladan Planet and obtained Caladanian's highest military Honor - Izvoshra).
And this week is Admiral Mar-Tuk's lifeline!
On February 23, Galactic Standard Time at 19:00, Battle of Arkania officially started.
This is an extremely brutal battle, Commerce Guild Fleet This is a fight for survival. Since their march into Palanci Planet, they have gone through more than ten battles, but have not received much replenishment. The fleet's supplies have long been bottomed out. Now they only have the last bit of supplies left, which can support them in fighting a small-scale battle.
But if the battle continues, what awaits them will be that they will run out of ammunition and food! All advanced battleships will become useless iron coffins!
By that time, they will all become lambs to be slaughtered!
As for Imperial fleet led by Thrawn, they had experienced two previous defeats, and many battleships were indeed dilapidated. Moreover, in the process of accompanying Mar-Tuk's fleet in circles during the previous period, his warships suffered more consumption and damage. Although those temporary military bases had sufficient supplies, those damaged warships could only perform the most basic maintenance work.
So this Imperial fleet is also a remnant.
Did the remnants of Thrawn finally block Mal-Tuk's offensive and finally trapped them completely; or did Mal-Tuk break through Thrawn's blockade and return to Palanci Planet to escape?
And once Thrawn fails to win, his guilt for giving up Bilbrin Planet will immediately be suppressed. By then, I'm afraid even Dunn-Vesex won't be able to save him! All that was waiting for him was the cold interrogation room of Imperial Inquisitorius!
This is a battle that neither side can afford to lose!
Mal-Took launched an attack using his flagship Neimoidia as an arrow! Although Neimoidia is a castrated version of Endless-class Super Carrier, that is, there is no triple-mounted Particle Beam Lance installed on the bow, and there is no hyperspace engine of Forerunner technology, but other parts have not been reduced at all, and it is still a super battleship with extremely powerful firepower!
Neimoidia The original five-door super-large mass accelerator installed on the bow of the ship opened fire immediately, launching huge metal projectiles with extremely terrifying power!
This shot also kicked off the battle.
Commerce Guild Fleet fought tooth and nail to attack, while Imperial fleet fought tooth and nail to intercept, risking everything he had!
With the assistance of the tactical robot, Admiral Mar-Tuk put everything he had learned in his life into play, constantly adjusting the offensive formation, and launching attacks from all directions according to the formation changes of Imperial fleet.
Thrawn, on the other hand, stood in front of the holographic battle star map, calm and composed, but his hands and mouth kept giving instructions.
Under his command, Imperial fleet's thousands of battleships seemed to be alive, taking turns covering, weaving and weaving, and cooperating with each other, as if a huge net completely enveloped Commerce Guild Fleet.
Not only the Imperial fleet from the front, but also from the Arkania Planet, and from the directions of several other hyperspace channels, more Galactic Empire battleships are coming one after another. Most of these warships are Light Cruiser, which was the warship left by Thrawn to harass the fleet. Now they have completed the harassment mission and joined the final decisive battle.
At this moment, in the Commerce Guild Fleet flagship and Neimoidia bridge.
"This stupid Neimoidian finally put us in a desperate situation!!" Jedi Knight Ferus Olin scolded angrily.
"That guy who didn't listen to advice went his own way. We shouldn't have attacked Arkania Planet forcefully in the first place." Jax-Pavan also shook his head and complained.
Luminara-Unduli raised his hand and pressed it gently, saying, "What we need now is not to complain. During this period, I watched the entire battle command of General Mar-Turk. Although the decision he made was radical, it cannot be said to be wrong."
As she spoke, she sighed, "The reason why we are in such a desperate situation is because Commander on the Empire's side is one step ahead in every decision-making step and predicts all our actions. There should also be strong the Force in the opponent's army, making it impossible for me to pass Force precognition's movements."
"Isn't this just a gap in ability? This guy Mal Took is simply a fool!" Ferrus Olin was still complaining.
In fact, according to the standards of Jedi Order, his character is no longer suitable for Jedi Knight. He did quit Jedi Order at one point, wanting revenge. But he was so talented that even though he was almost blinded by revenge, he still didn't have fallen to the Dark Side, so he later returned to New Jedi Order.
(In the setting, this guy's talent is second only to Anakin-Skywalker, and he is the most talented among the new generation of Jedi Order.)
Jax-Pavan shook his head and stopped talking. Complaints are complaints. Compared to Ferus Olin who quit Jedi Order midway, he participated in Clone Wars throughout the whole process, so he understands that the Neimoidian now commanding the fleet is definitely not a mediocre person!
On the contrary, he is a very good general!
He was able to treat Mal Touk, the general who defeated Galactic Republic/Galactic Empire many times, like a child. The opposite the Empire Commander, the lieutenant general named Thrawn, was simply terrifyingly powerful!
Luminara-Unduli took the two of them to the command center, where Mar-Tuke was giving various instructions quickly.
"Formulate a high-speed assault fleet immediately, numbered Fourth High-Speed Fleet! Complete the formation within 5 minutes and outflank UO-44 District 9!"
"The anti-aircraft warship strengthens the right wing and monitors the the Empire fighter formation at all times! We cannot let them cover the bombers approaching us!"
"No! No! No! The G-77 area must be blocked! It must be blocked! I don't care what method you use... I know there are 10 Imperial-class on the opposite side! But you must block it! There is no reason!"
"First Fleet, give me one more attack on the T-42 area!... That's right! No matter the loss!... That's enough! I don't care if you can still launch Yamato Cannon, in short, the gap in the T-42 area must be opened! I will send you 10 more Minotaur-class Heavy Cruiser!"
Throughout the command center, there are hundreds of staff officers who are also constantly discussing and working, and submitting their summarized opinions and plans. The electronic eyes of the two T-series tactical robots were flashing continuously, apparently constantly giving instructions to each warship in the fleet.
Luminara-Unduli did not directly interrupt Mal-Tuk, but said to the tactical robot on the side, "Please tell General Mal-Tuk that we are always on standby."
When Mar-Turk heard this voice, he immediately turned around. He had no more words and just said seriously, "Now I have two areas that are very important! The attack in the T-42 area is blocked. If we can't break through, our formation will not be able to expand! We are also under great pressure in the G-77 area. If we cannot resist the attack of Imperial fleet, part of our formation may be cut off!"
He punched the console hard, "You go ahead and attack. As for where to go, you decide for yourself."
After that, he continued his combat command.
Luminara-Unduli nodded, turned to the other two people and said, "Olin, Pavan, you will lead a fighter formation to the G-77 area and T-42 area to assist General Mar-Tuk in completing his combat intentions. I will stay here..."
She frowned, "I have a very bad feeling... it will happen on this battleship."
"I understand, Master Unduli. Then, I'll go to Area G-77." Jax-Pavan nodded.
"Hmph! We have to wipe our butts in the end. Leave the T-42 area to me." Ferus Olin waved his hand and walked towards Hangar Platform.
The fighter formation led by Jedi Knight appeared on the battlefield again. Just as it had happened countless times before, they relied on their Force precognition to be like no one on the battlefield. Less than ten minutes after entering the battlefield, Ferus Olin seized the opportunity to cut into the rear of a damaged Imperial-class Star Destroyer and launched Proton Torpedo, successfully paralyzing the Imperial-class Star Destroyer.
At the same time, a black formation of improved TIE fighter was flying towards the flagship of Commerce Guild Fleet, Neimoidia at high speed!
This black improved TIE fighter formation is also extremely fast and flexible. Even Garda Flak Frigate cannot stop their progress!