Broken Dreams (New Beginings)

Reshmar sat at his desk, the air in the room was moist and yet Reshmar felt uncomfortable in his own skin. He had to live with every choice and decision he made. Sometimes, such as after Sullust, He felt great pride in his ability and choices, but now he felt only anger and frustration. He had sent fifty thousand alliance soldiers into a trap. A trap which could have easily been avoided. Bad Intel was killing the alliance these days. Kashyyyk was just the beginning. Three other fleet operations had been trapped or ambushed in one way or the other in the three week. The loss of material and men was inconceivable. More then tenth of the alliance fleet was now either dead or captured leaving battered and damaged vessels to contend the Imperial Navy. Reshmar was convinced he had someone in his command who was feeding Intel to the Imperials.

Reshmar had promptly ordered the entire fleet end all operations and return to operations stations. Only defensive fleets remained at active status. This prompted the other arms of the military to brace or a long period of no fleet support. The Planetary defense arm had begun digging in and bracing for any attack the Empire may throw at it. Special Operations had many operatives in deep cover and were running four full operations but fleet support was not needed. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fleets were now on stand down and awaiting orders.

Above Mon Calamari the bulk of 3rd, 4th and 5th fleets sat. 2nd Fleet had returned to Sullust and sent Admiral Jast as its representative. Jast was among the last to arrive at Daka Fleet command and was ordered to proceed immediately to meeting hall alpha one one two. Other great leaders of the Rebel Alliance were already there awaiting Admiral Reshmar to arrive and begin the meeting. General Forlon had been captured at Kashyyk and sentenced to death. Only by the heroic actions of Rouge and Valkyre Squadrons and the Valiant Task Group was he now in attendance at this meeting. He was badly injured but he had demanded to be a part of this meting and Reshmar had allowed it only with a medical assistant present to aid him. Reshmar now sat quietly awaiting the news of Admiral Jast’s arrival and the alliance command staff to finish diner. After they had visited and spoken amoung each other he would call them all to the meeting chamber and begin the meeting.

Farr off among the fleets collected above Mon Calamari fleet personnel and crew were preparing for any order to come. Drilling and repairing any damage as the flag commanders went about there meeting. Repairs had been made priority, many ships were damaged beyond repair. Those would be decommissioned and transported to the reclamations yard on the far side of second moon. Their crews would be distributed to other vessels to replace the losses and bring as many ships to full fighting strength as possible.

Reshmar walked into the meeting chamber and looked out over the last of the Alliance fleet command. eighty men and women sat in the stair step rows. He paused to gather his thoughts then began the meeting.

General Forlon felt like a rancor had chewed him and then left him for scavengers. He had been beaten and interagated by Imperial Intel before he was scheduled for execution. The woman beside him was even more of an irritation then the Imperial Interragators had been. She insisted on him sitting at all times and during diner she had not allowed him to drink any synthahol or eat as he wished. He had thought about ordering her arrested but he knew the order would not stick.

He had been confined his a Repulsor chair since his return and he was growing tired of it. He had no problem walking. The damage to his body was far less then the damage to his pride. But the alliance doctors wanted him fully healed and read for command as soon as possible, which he already was. He could not wait for a chance at some payback. He had read the reports coming from the front and the allaince was being slaughtered by Grand Admiral Desaria and his forces.

The room quieted as Admiral Reshmar entered. The admiral looked older then General Forlon had remembered. The pain and frustration of the last four months must be taking a toll on him. He walked to the podium and looked around the room. His eye seemed to burn with pride as he looked at the men and women under his command. He paused for what seemed like a lifetime in the hushed meeting chamber then began his meeting.

Admiral Reshmar finished up his program and took questions from the members of the group. He ended by asking a number of the members to meet with him later. His aid began setting up appointments with the chosen individuals. Each on had been scheduled for a twenty minute meeting over the next six hours. Reshmar watched the occupants leave the chamber after being dismissed and returned to his Office for some rest before his first meeting.

The first of the meeting was with the venerable old Forlon. He had been captured in the last battle over Kashyyyk and injured badly. This had not stopped the man from patitioning for immediate reactivation and command. He had been more them blunt about his intent. He wanted some payback. Wanted to take the fight to the Empire and gain some much needed confadince in his command. Reshmar knew the man needed this and He had been the first name on the sort list for officers avalible for this special mission.

The door slid open and A female attendant pushed Forlon into the Office. He looked out of place in civilian dress and bandages. The chair was an eye sore and Reshmar could tell Forlon wanted out badly. As the two neared Reshmars Desk he smiled at the General and then to the Attendant.

“You may leave us Maam.”

Reshmar nodded to the attendant who almost began to disagree then realized she had no choice and turned to walk out of the room. As she neared the door Forlon turned in his chair and added his thoughts.

“We will not be needing your assistance any longer so please report to Med command and tell Doctor Hugget I have reassignd you as his assistant.”

The woman turned and looked agast. She took a step back towards the General and Reshmar then calmed herself and turned once again and left the room. Forlon was laughing aloud which was making his bandaged arm shake. HE studded abruptly when a shot of pain ran up his arm and threw his shoulder. Reshmar inturn let out a gruff laugh at the mans pain and his display with the Attendant.

General Forlon smiled at the Calamari Admiral then laughed again. This time he made sure not to laugh hard enough to cause himself pain. The two stopped laughing and Reshmar passes a data pad across the table to Forlon. General Forlon looked over the data then sat the Pad on the table.

“Well you sure have outdone yourself on this one Admiral, a whole sector, and You want us to take it I less then a month?”

Reshmar Smiled and passed Forlon a second Data pad. Forlon looked it over and began nodding. He started laughing then sat the pad on the table beside the first one. His laughter caused his arm to shoot pain into his torso again she he stopped with a grimace.

“So this is how we do war now? I have to say it is far better in my opinion but the higher ups may not like or approach. So when does this all kick off”

Reshmar turned and stood. He walked to a wall safe and pulled out a folder. As he closed the safe his com receiver chirped.

“Admiral Sir, Admiral Jast has returned to his ship and awaits your transmission.”

“Very well Lieutenant I will be with him after I finish with General Forlon.”

“Very Well Sir, Also your next meeting has just arrived.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.”

Reshmar turned off the Receiver and handed General Forlon the folder. He sat once again then took a drink from the glass to his right. He watched as Forlon read over the Information in the hard copy document. The Generals smile had disappeared and the look of concentration had replaced it.

“You realize general that document does not exist and will be destroyed once you leave this office. We have our backs to the fire out there General. We need a safe haven to rally our forces. The security of Sullust, and Mon Calamari are paramount. We will be massing fleets in protection of our main operations areas. The Jedi are doing there part, but they need protection from the Imperial Fleets which have begun hunting them by order of the Inquisition. Grand Admiral Desaria has been given command of the Empires forces assigned the mission of combating our fleets. And our deep Intel tells us something big is going on in the political hierarchy of the Empire. We can no longer move on targets the Empire expects us too.”

Forlon stopped reading the report and looked up at Admiral Reshmar. The look of shock could not be hidden on his face.

“So we are bypassing Alliance Intel, Spec Ops and High Command all together? You will be arrested and charges will be brought up. I like it, count me in.”

Forlon looked back at the report as Reshmar began to speak again. He knew as well as Reshmar there were imperial Spy’s in the high command and Intel divisions. Spec ops generally filtered and background checked to no ends their members but it seemed Reshmar was taking no chances.

“So once we leave we are cut off, no communications with anyone. What if something happens or we need support?”

Reshmar Smiled at Forlon then took another drink.

“General the force I have assembled will be on its own. If it is unable to achieve the mission then with the forces available then we may as well lay down our arms and give in to the Imperials. I can not provide more forces. They will be all tied up in defensive and Interdiction patrol operations. The 12^th Tactical Operations Force is all I can assign to this operation. This operation must be successful or we have lost this war for the alliance. He have the power but I want to do this with minimal loss. That means no open fleet wide engagements. We draw them out and work on them little by little.”

Forlon tossed the folder on the table He paused for a moment to look into the large bulbous eyes of the Admiral. The intent in them was unquestionable. He was serious and was bent on this operation with or without Forlon’s participation.

“Ok then we will get it done. Is there anything else?”

Reshmar smiled and gave a small gruff laugh.

“Yes there is. Get out of that chair and into uniform your Vacation is over as of now.”

Both men laughed and Forlon stood slowly getting his balance. The chair was not needed but he had grown accustom to not standing and his head spun around for a few moments until he got his balance and bearings. He saluted and walked to the door. It slide open and before he left Forlon let out another laugh and was done. Reshmar took another drink then engaged the Transceiver.

“Ok lieutenant I send in the Captain Now.”

The aid spoke to someone in the waiting area away from the com then answered.

“He is on his way in now sir.”

Tyree tugged at the front of his uniform as the Lieutenant gestured that he had permission to enter. Part of the Captain was a little disappointed: he had been enjoying shooting one-eyed glares towards Reshmar's adjutant while he was waiting, and was relishing the slight nervous and furtive glances the Lieutenant had been shooting in his direction as a result. Still, orders were orders, and when the Admiral told you he was ready to see you, it usually wasn't a wise career move to ignore him.

He allowed himself to consider what the Admiral might want to speak to him about. His ship was about to be reassigned, probably. Following the Valiant's last encounter with the Empire, she'd been forced to spend quite some time getting patched up at the shipyards over Mon Calamari. Prior to that she had been assigned to disrupt Imperial shipping in various strategic locations, in an effort to unbalance their forces and give Alliance fleets whatever advantage they could sink their claws into.

With Fleet Command suspending most of its operations however, Vansen had resigned himself to a long period of sitting on his backside defending one of the Alliance's key systems. No doubt the Admiral was merely going to confirm his suspicions.

Stepping through the pair of doors that formed a makeshift airlock to contain Reshmar's preferred environmental settings, Vansen hesitated at the inner threshold for a moment, knocking belatedly on the nearest patch of wall. "You asked to see me, Admiral?"