"I'm bored...let's attack Coruscant!"

[Texas_Fett]

Okay, this one's gonna take some 'splaining.

 

I started a new game to test out my Rebed/ResHack changes. As noted elsewhere, I've made a few ship and character changes, as well as rearranged a few of the systems, but otherwise I've avoided anything too drastic.

 

Two changes that have made a rather big impact have been the removal of the Bulk Cruiser and Alliance Escort Carrier. They were replaced with the MC40a Destroyer and the Nebulon-B Frigate (the KDY {Imperial} Escort Carrier was made available to both sides, as was the Nebulon-B). These changes gave the Alliance two ships that, with their current attributes, change the early dynamic of the game. Suddenly the Rebels aren't forced to flee from every enocunter, and if the ships are deployed correctly in support of each other, can stand up to even an Imperial Star Destroyer. Needless to say, some changes are in order.

 

Anyway, to the story. It's right around day 300, and I have reduced the Empire to a mere 4 systems, including Coruscant, via plentiful application of sabotage on loosly held Imperial systems. The resulting uprisings snowballed from there, giving me control of virtually the entire Core; even reducing the Imperial support on Coruscant to nearly half. The defensive strengths of Rebel starfighters and the now competent capital ships enabled the Alliance to construct two large shipyard complexes, one on Annaj (Rebel HQ) and the other on the captured system of Fondor (formerly Ghorman). Thanks to the resources of the Empire, Fondor came stocked with three shipyards, quickly enabling the Alliance to begin construction on more MC40's (Research Level 1) and Nebulon-B's (Level 2).

 

So now a large fleet resides at Fondor, repelling the occasional probe from Coruscant, consisting of the ISD Judicator and an occasional support ship. However, the Alliance's first MC80 Cruiser (research level 5), the Liberty, is completed at Fondor, joining the five Corellian Corvettes, two Nebulon-B's, two MC40's, three Corellian Gunships, and two KDY Escort Carriers already in orbit.

 

Once stocked with fighters (21 total squadrons consisting of 4 Y-Wing, 4 A-Wing, and 13 X-Wing squadrons) and assigned a Command Crew (Admiral Solo, General Page, and Commander (Mara) Jade), the order is given to move on Coruscant. Intel had shown that it was guarded only by the Judicator and a large TIE Fighter garisson, and establishing a blockade would sound the final bell for the existence of the Empire.

 

The fleet, called "Deep Core Defense", jumped in-system to discover two capital ships in addition to the Judicator...the Medusa, a Carrack-class cruiser, and the Raze, another ISD. Both ISD's were completely stocked with TIE Fighters, bringing the total Imperial fighter complement to 32.

 

Admiral Solo, commanding from the bridge of the Masanya, a Corellian Corvette, split the fleet into seven task forces, based on craft type, seeking to make the best use of speed and individual ship strengths. The two Gunships, the Chandi and the Catspaw were tasked along with three of the five Corvettes to engage the fighters, with support from the two Escort Carriers. The two MC40's, the Defiant and the Valiant moved to confront the Medusa while the Nebulon-B's, the Enamo and the Evanrue engaged the Judicator. Liberty was tasked with the Raze. The Masanya and the last Corvette, the Pushti, would support action against the Judicator, hoping to disable it quickly before turning their attention to the Raze.

 

Commander Jade gave an excellent accounting of herself, as her leadership enabled the Rebel starfighters (with support from the Corvettes, Gunships, and Escort Carriers) to eliminate the TIEs while suffering the loss of only the four Y-Wing squadrons and three A-Wing squadrons. They careened past the ISD's, engaging the TIEs as they were forming up after leaving the hangars of the ISD's, eliminating the opposition at a ratio nearing 5-to-1. The remaining starfighters immediately turned their attention to the Medusa, which was attempting to make a run for hyperspace in the face of the assault from the Defiant and Valiant. It managed to escape, but not before losing its shields, most of it's weapons, and a portion of its hyperspace capability.

 

Realizing that with their fighter screen destroyed, the battle for Coruscant was lost, the Raze and Judicator began to turn about and follow the Medusa's exit vector. The Liberty, badly damaged by the barrage from both ISDs, was given a reprieve as the Chandi slipped between it and the Raze, temporarily drawing fire away from the embattled flagship, although it suffered a severe beating in the process. Together with the Inamo, Evanrue, Masanya, and Pushti, they drive the pair of ISD's into the waiting net of the MC40's, Corvettes, Gunships, and Starfighters.

 

Judicator was caught in the Rebel's tractor beams, and its already damaged hull took a severe beating from the capital ship assault as it was quickly surrounded. The Rebel starfighters sought to quickly bring the Rage's shields down as all five Corvettes lent support form their meager turbolaser batteries. The ISD's reached the edge of Coruscant's gravity well, and were about to escape when they both erupted into flaming debris.

 

The Battle for Coruscant was won.

 

In all, the Empire lost two Imperial Star Destroyers, 32 TIE fighter squadrons (5+ WINGS), control of the space over Coruscant, and were left with a heavily damaged Carrack.

 

The Rebels lost seven fighter squadrons, and the Liberty and Chandi were severely damaged. However, they would be quickly repaired at Fondor, and return to the blockade of Coruscant by day 350.

Edited March 24, 2004 by Texas_Fett

[ADarkJedi44]

Yay for the Rebellion!