Hours had gone by. How many, Trench did not know. He had spent the time thinking through every possible tactic the enemy might soon employ. Now, he was getting restless waiting for the Republic commander to make his move. Time was running out as Christophsis was being overwhelmed by the Confederate droid army but Trench was still hopeful for another encounter with the Republic fleet.
They had to make a move soon.
And yet, nary a sight of the Republic task force had been seen since they had retreated behind Leesis. Trench was becoming quite curious as to what they were doing and although he was somewhat concerned that they still hadn't engaged him, com-scan hadn't detected the fleet making a hyperspace jump. This likely meant that they were trying to frazzle him, push his patience to the breaking point so that they could catch him unawares.
"I cannot calculate why the Republic fleet has not launched another attack."
Obviously, TI-99 shared his sentiments.
This was taking too long. They need a little prodding.
"What is the status of the assault on Christophsis?", Trench demanded.
The droid was quick to answer:
"Resistance is crumbling, sir. I would estimate a half-rotation before it is over."
The Harch considered his options briefly, then made a decision.
"Send the Hyena bombers to hit Senator Organa on the surface. That should draw those cowards out from behind the moon."
An airstrike would certainly grab their attention, especially if it resulted in a desperate plea from one of the esteemed members of the Galactic Senate.
A human, no less. Trench rolled his eyes.
The response would be predictable and would fare no better than their previous attack. The Admiral peered out the viewport at the droid bombers already close to the planet's atmosphere.
Minutes later, favorable reports of the attack were being presented to him. TI-99 looked at the scanners, then turned around to face the Harch.
"The Republic fleet is still holding position."
Trench was taken aback. Surely this painful prick would've aroused some sort of retaliation from the enemy fleet.
How unusual.
The Harch's curiosity and anticipation had certainly been heightened. More than likely, the Republic had no intention of responding. But why?
Alternatively, they had some last-ditch attack in the works. The Admiral was intrigued.
What can they be planning?
Time continued to tick away, each second seeming longer than the last. Trench felt as if his tightly held breath was going to explode. He shook his head uneasily.
Something odd is going on out there.
The Admiral glanced out the viewport again towards the moon, then stood up to look out the port side. He slowly exhaled, blinked and looked again.
A tiny shimmer could be seen, approximately ten kilometers out, well within the Separatist naval formation. Seconds later, he saw a small vessel, long and lean, heading towards the Invincible. Somewhat exultant, the Harch called out in satisfaction:
"There!!! A cloaked ship."
YOU ARE READING
The Life and Legend of Admiral Trench
Science FictionA biography of the brilliant Harch tactician and his exploits, before and during the Clone Wars.
