Honour, Courage and Logistics

The logistics officer looked with interest at the crates that had arrived at Eriadu's military warehouses. They were manufactured on several different planets by a melee weapons company that had never had a contract with the Empire before. Thus he was checking if this contract was born of corruption by a higher officer or a new weapon.

He looked around, the warehouse was twenty meters high and incredibly wide. The floor was pure duracrete and it was quite cold in the warehouse. That was why everyone who worked in the logistics department always wore a thermal suit underneath their uniform. The Empire's military equipment had to be stored at 10˚C for a long time period without maintenance.

"Let's see what's in here" Said the officer, slowly opening the crate. He immediately saw 10 small knives, but they were not knives, they looked more like swords with a very elegant handle, next to each small sword there was a sheath for the sword itself. He also noticed how there were layers in the crate itself, so probably more small swords were stored in the crate.

The officer took the sheath, noticing how elegant and beautiful it was. There was also an inscription in gold:

-Incompetence is Treason-

The officer looked confused taking a double take at the short sword. Flipping the blade over he saw carved into the metal itself:

-Death with Honour-

Baffled, he returned the sheath and sword to the crate and closed it. With intentions to discover what these crates were for, he started to look on his tablet for the shipment and who ordered its production. As the head of the logistics for the planet, it was his job to denounce any act of corruption. The production of useless military equipment was usually a method of corruption in big parts of the Empire, usually done by generals, admirals or Moffs and even Grand Moffs. Using their power position to make fake contracts or not useful deals, the most common transaction was to be bribed by a company to give them the contract. Both the corrupt and the company would gain a lot of money. This was so common that it was sick.

He stopped to scroll the table, finding his objective, he read:

-

Shipment from Jaranti Swords Company

Content of the shipment: 1000 military crates style A with 50.000 Swords "Wakizashi"

Buyer: Galactic South General Staff

Price: 5.000.000 credits

Status of Payment: Already payed

Status of Shipment: In possession of the Imperial Military

-

The officer looked confused. Was this really useful for anything military related? It was clear to him that the shipment has passed through various checks. But yet he still felt he needed to find out more about this. Both to confirm if this was corruption and to find out how these strange swords were helpful to the military.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cassio Tagge looked at his tablet, examining the data analysis results he had received from Tatooine. For every Imperial killed, the enemy lost 5 soldiers, but that meant little because those casualties were mostly just slaves. The truly professional troops of the Hutts received very few casualties when fighting troops tired from hours of combat.

The tactics that used the Hutts seemed a waste of resources but maybe it was just their main battle strategy. If they had enough combat slaves this tactic would definitely work pretty well. Slave divisions would attack the whole frontline at the same time for around 24 hours, then after that, the sectors of the frontline where slaves reached the melee combat where identified and brigades of elite troops would attack that position in particular until they break the frontline. Moment where they high speed brigades enter, trying to encircle entire frontlines.

Although Field Marshall Lauri noticed this strategy and opted for an elastic defense which proved useful as he still did not lose the battle.

-

Imperial forces dead: 600.000 soldiers

Civilian dead: 200.000

Hutts forces estimated deaths: 3.000.000

-

Tagge sighed at the thought that 600,000 soldiers died in the desert on Tatooine. And most of those deaths were not even from the enemy. Rather they had been wounded or fallen ill and without medical supplies they could not be treated and died.

The mortality rate among the wounded and sick was 93%.

Tagge learned throughout his life to shut up and work unless someone asked him or his job demanded he talk. Yet he felt he must talk to Degurechaff, to tell her that it was madness to continue the battle of Tatooine. Instead of sending more soldiers to the battle she should retreat and engage in space battles until the Hutts retire back to their territory.

Tagge huffed in frustration but he recentered himself rapidly. At least he had the power to change things. He was Supreme General of all the Imperial Army forces, an invented rank that signified his rank as the leader of the army in the entire Supesector with Degurechaff as his only superior.

With this position, his immediate assignments have been reorganizing the Imperial Army, eliminating projects that were too expensive or useless, and finishing the standardization of the Imperial Army by acquiring all the military resources necessary to give the same weapons and training to all the soldiers in the supersector.

Yet he knew he had to do much more. He needed to create his own organization to fight corruption in his branch of the military. But was having trouble because he needed a reliable person he could trust.

The holocommunicator in his table started to sound. Tagge sipped a little bit of caf from his cup and then accepted the call.

"Hello, this is Supreme General Cassio Tagge"

In front of him the officer of logistics of Eriadu saluted military to him

"Oin Lare, Head of logistics in Eriadu" said the man with professionalism.

"What's the matter? Calling me directly instead of calling your own planet's general, this better be important."

"Yes it is, Supreme General. I have come upon what I think is a corruption case. Yesterday a shipment came to the military warehouse district of Eriadu. The crates are strange very small swords. They come from the Jaranti Swords Company. Due to this not being a useful military weapon I think this is a case of corruption."

Tagge raised his eyebrows, he knew that there were some military men that used their position of power to give contracts to companies for money or because that company is owned by a friend. Looking worried he started to navigate through his computer, looking for the shipment information. Once he found it he looked at which Card of Permission asked for this shipment.

Card of Permission: Grand Moff.

"It's a Grand Moff shipment. Thank you, soldier. I will go and ask her what this sword is. Can you please tell me your name again?"

"Oin Lare"

Tagge opened an application in his tablet to write notes and wrote there the name of the officer.

"Perfect. Remember that in a few hours you'll be swamped with work, Operation Desert will need a lot of resources"

"Yes, sir."

Tagge cut the call and stood up from his chair, he walked a little bit and then looked at himself in the mirror. He looked presentable. A little bit of obesity but it wasn't dangerous for his health.

"Looks presentable enough"

Tagge left his office and walked through the corridors of the mega-building. It was once the Tarkin's mansion before their execution. It was so big that the Degurechaff's entire government was here. This was for two reasons. First, the Tarkins were corrupt and evil, but they were military men and women. They built a building that was more of a bunker than a mansion. The second reason was that Degurechaff was worried that her -precious Bellator- as she said, would be the object of terrorist attacks to try to destroy it.

He remembered weeks ago, seeing the old government building that was the Bellator called Perseverance flying to space, never to return since Tanya's occupation of the mansion.

Tagge stood in front of Tanyas office, he knocked with his hand and waited for her answer.

"You may enter."

The doors opened and Tagge walked up to her desk until he was 2 meters away from Tanya. At that moment he did the military salute.

"At ease, what has happened? Did we lose Tatooine?"

Tagge gaze swept over the table, he saw four cups of caf, of which three were empty. There were a ton of tablets with various information, giving constant feedback to Tanya about the situation. Behind her was a marvelous view of the forest that surrounded the city. In the distance Tagge could see the mountains and even a lake. Every time he visited this office he was amazed by its view.

"No Lady Tanya, we are still holding onto Tatooine and in 12 hours both the logistics and soldiers will be in the space ships."

"Then what is it? Have the rich that are moving to the Galactic Province Gallia finally made their move? Have the sith cultists in the core decided to move here? What crisis is happening for you to come personally to me when I'm so busy?"

Tagge noted how Tanya Degurechaff was for some reason angry. Very angry if he had to remark.

"Is something troubling you Lady?"

"Yes, the incompetence. That's troubling me Tagge. Can you imagine that we have lost 3 ISD's, not one, not two, but THREE! in a skirmish with pirates? How can a Line Captain lose 3 ISD's to pirates that don't even have a kilometer long ship! And the worst part? He survived. That idiot survived and is coming back to Eriadu like he even deserves to be alive. This, this is the reason I have ordered the Wakizashi, if they are going to be so egregiously incompetent they can clean their honor themselves instead of being executed."

Tagge didn't like the navy, as a respectable member of the Imperial Army hating the navy was developed over his career. They not only came from the aristocracy and the rich families -which alone is spite worthy- but they also saw themselves superior and compromised the Imperial Army activities with their own arrogance.

"I am sorry to hear that, calling that man incompetent is definitely appropriate. But I have to ask what is this… Wakiashi, sorry if I didn't pronounce it right, it sounds weird. And what do you mean by cleaning their honor?"

"Ah yes, I forgot to mention it. In the last few months I have seen that incompetence is not an exception but the rule. Now incompetence will be nothing less but a death sentence. Someone charged with incompetence, if they are rich, will have their family's goods and money expropriated. And for the cleaning honor part: If they execute themselves with the Wakiashi I ordered, there will be no penalty to their family nor will their possessions be seized."

Tagge didn't like what he heard. It definitely sounded like a bad idea. By forcing officers to execute themselves for failure, she would not only generate bad popularity in the navy but also force the navy officers to act so prudent that it might be even counterproductive for the Imperial military.

"I think it's a bad idea. The officers will be too hesitant to do anything."

"Well, maybe it's what the Empire needs. Less glory hounds and more prudence. If your analysis of what will happen becomes true then more reason to force this new regulation. Or would you prefer something else Tagge? Do you want me to make the ISB be in charge of being political commissars in the army and navy? Maybe I should get them to again watch over the whole army and navy with the permission to kill anyone they see as incompetent. Because this is no longer tolerable. Discipline and competence will be established throughout the force or the Imperial Armed forces will not survive this civil war."

"This will also be forced in the army?" Tagge asked Tanya.

"In all the armed forces. Incompetence will be sentenced with death." Tanya said with finality.

Tagge nodded.

"Anyway. Why did you come here?" she asked, more or less angry with the incompetence inside the armed forces of the Empire.

"I wanted to ask about the shipment of swords. But it seems it is not corruption nor a mistake. I will leave to work again."

Tagge saluted and Degurechaff answered his salute with her own.

He then turned and left the office.

Analyzing his conversation with her while walking he started to think about what she was doing and why.

It seemed to him, like she was desperately attempting to establish discipline and competence in the army by the force. Using her totalitarian power to force the armed forces to correctly behave. But she explained that already. There was something more…

Expropriation… This was mostly a thing that would matter for rich and aristocratic officers. Is she doing this on purpose to hunt down the ones that have more money? Was this a maneuver to purge the armed forces of rich people or was this a maneuver to really try to stop corruption?

It was too specific. If they are rich. It almost seemed as…

If she did not trust the rich that are in the armed forces.

Tagge worried. For he was aristocratic and rich, not rich as many of the navy officers but also rich.

"Well, I am not incompetent. I shouldn't worry"

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oin Lare looked at how acclamators slowly landed in the forest in front of the warehouse district. Everyone in the district waited in silence while the doors of the Acclamators slowly descended to the floor.

"Come on! Come on! We have soldiers to save in Tatooine!" Shouted Oin Lare into his holocommunicator to all the logistics staff. Dozens of vehicles started to move cargos to the acclamators. More than 50.000 soldiers and officers that worked for logistics moved tons of cargo into the acclamators in a matter of minutes. While this magnificent demonstration of coordination and logistic capacity of the Logistic branch of the Imperial Army happened Oin Lare was approached by a clone with Orange colors throughout his armor.

"Oin Lare?" Said the old sounding clone. Oin Lare nodded.

"Marshall Cody of the auxiliar forces?" Asked back Oin Lare.

"That's correct." Said Cody, taking off his helmet, showing his aged eyes and skin to the imperial officer. "Back in our days there were so few troops that logistics were done by droids. Now the Empire has so many troops they can expend thousands of men in a logistic operation." Said Cody, with nostalgia.

"Well, when you are retired, new days come and old days pass. I never understood why you retired only to create a mercenary company."

"We didn't retire. We were forced to retire. The Empire abandoned us." Said Cody with resentment in his voice. "But now the Empire wants us to work again and call us auxiliary forces. It's funny, the average brother can take down most of your so-called 'elite troops'. What are they called again?"

Oin went to answer but was stopped by Cody's laugh.

"Yes, Stormtroopers. What a stupid name and what a useless elite corp. Elite was the 41st Clone Legion, Elite was the 501st. Not this shit you call elite corp."

Lare felt uncomfortable with how much hate was inside Cody. What he thought was an old glory of the war that retired now looked more like someone that was fired and remembered it every day.

"I don't know what happened, but I am sorry to hear of your resentment. You helped build the Empire and yet now you hate it…"

"We were forced to build the Empire'' Answered Cody. "But that was the old days, it doesn't matter now. Tell me imperial, what are my Acclamators moving?"

"Food, water, medicine, weapons, ammunition and materials for construction"

"Materials for construction?"

"Tatooine is considered a very important planet for the state strategy of defense so there are plans to create a fortress world in it. There have been rumors of terraformation once the battle is finished"

Cody nodded slowly.

"Tell me, how old are you?"

Oin Lare looked surprised.

"I am 29 years old."

"29 and the leader of logistics for a planet?"

"In a galaxy with millions of planets the only thing holding you back from ascending within the logistics branch is your education. And I studied in Aldeeran's Academia of Logistics."

"You gotta be kidding me. Aldeeran? The one you blew up?"

"Contrary to what most people think. Most of the army despises the Death Star and Tarkin's stupid doctrine."

"I guess you learn something new everyday." said Cody, looking at how rapidly the cargos were stocked in the Acclamators.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tanya looked through the window watching the ascending Acclamators. The preparations for saving the men in Tatooine were done and there was one last thing to prepare.

"Draneir." She said, turning around and seeing her old friend standing there with a smile, just waiting.

"Yes?"

"I want you to be second in command of the operation."

Draneir looked surprised.

"Me?"

"Yes, you, I have seen people disrespecting you and saying that you don't deserve your rank. I say fuck off to them. You are more than prepared and I am more than willing to trust you."

"But I am inexperienced. And I don't want to fail you. If I go there and fail I would have to kill myself for the wrong I would do to you!"

"Please, don't exaggerate. You will be second in command and I trust you to do a good job. If as you say you are inexperienced, then you need to gain experience and acting as second in command will do such a thing. Also I will be sending Max with you"

Draneir felt honestly happy with Tanya's trust but at the same time he felt scared to fail Tanya.

"Why Max?"

"He claimed that this could be a great moment for propaganda and that if I let him work he would perform miracles for the government public relations."

Tanya also did it because Max and Draneir were very good friends. Always working together and with respect.

"Alright. I understand. But what about the reformist committee, and the list of specialists we gave to you?"

"I will take care of that while you are traveling to Tatooine. Even if I do rely on you two to help a lot with my governance, I am still more than capable of working on my own." Said Tanya with a smile.

Draneir nodded.

Tanya saw in Draneir how he was worried and thought about how to deal with the situation but she couldn't think of anything. When she was suffering in her second life, Visha would help her with a hug. So maybe…

She walked in front of Draneir and hugged him.

"Don't worry. I believe in you." Tanya said.