Cain entered the Strategic War Room to find Anakin and Seris already waiting, surrounded by active holoprojections, star charts, and tactical summaries. A deep breath filling his lungs as he entered the room fully recovered for the first time in weeks.
The door closed behind him with a hiss.
Seris looked up from a glowing display of starship schematics. "You look… alive again."
Cain chuckled. "Medical release this morning. All green lights."
Anakin leaned back in his chair, one boot propped up on the console. "Yeah, we heard. Word travels fast when the healer dragging you around starts smiling again."
Cain arched a brow. "Anakin."
Anakin smirked. "I'm just saying. Barriss has been extra sunshiney lately. Not that I blame her. Shirtless tai chi? In her quarters? Cain, you dog—"
Cain gave him a look. Calm. Stern. Slow.
Anakin cleared his throat and looked back at the console. "Right. Mission briefing."
Seris shook her head, biting back a grin. "Anyway."
Cain moved toward the center display, activating the main holotable. A projection of the Katana Fleet shimmered into view—hundreds of sleek, ghost-like silhouettes drifting across space.
"Here's what we're prioritizing," Cain began. "The Katana Fleet. Still mostly intact. Still untouched by Republic hands. We've verified the coordinates twice. Deep space, far Outer Rim."
Anakin folded his arms, growing serious. "Still spooky to think about. The entire fleet for what, a couple years? And no one's touched it?"
"They tried," Seris replied. "But the few that got close either vanished or limped back with systems fried. The nav AI was linked. The whole fleet moved like a single organism. And it didn't want to be found."
Cain turned toward the wall, activating a separate display. The symbol of Clan Kryze appeared alongside Mandalorian fleet data.
"That's why we're assigning Bo-Katan and a task force to recover it. Her team has the tech and experience to breach automated defenses and pilot old capital ships. And Mandalorian retrofit teams are already coordinating with our engineers."
Seris nodded. "What about training crews?"
Cain tapped a control pad, bringing up another diagram—a network of clone academies and simulators.
"We're assigning clones from the new hybrid batch to train with existing alliance officers and Order flight instructors. The first generation of fleet-trained soldiers and officers will be ours—not copied from old war models."
Anakin's eyes brightened with enthusiasm. "You mean we're not stuck with just gunships and V-wings?"
Cain smirked. "Not even close."
He activated another projection—this one more refined, more revolutionary.
One by one, three starfighter schematics appeared, rotating slowly in the air, each tagged with design notes and projected performance stats.
Cain stepped forward, gesturing toward the first:
1. Incom T-65 Starfighter – "X-Wing" Balanced starfighter design Speed, agility, and durability Armed with proton torpedoes, quad laser cannons, and advanced shielding. Designed for independent pilot autonomy with minimal droid support
"Built for versatility," Cain said. "Mandalorian engineers loved it. Jedi instructors approved the control scheme. It's the core of our fighter corps."
Seris raised an eyebrow. "That design's sharp. I like it."
Cain nodded, then gestured to the next:
2. Slayn & Korpil B-Wing – "Blade Starfighter" Heavy assault platform Rotational cockpit for flight stability Massive firepower: ion cannons, laser arrays, proton torpedo bays Optimized for capital ship suppression
Anakin let out a low whistle. "That's a tank with wings."
Cain smiled. "Exactly. When the Katana fleet is up and running, these will be our fangs."
Finally, Cain turned to the last projection:
3. Twin Ion Engine Interceptor – "TIE Valiant" Inspired by old Sith Empire and Sienar schematics Twin engines with magnetic stabilizers Closed cockpit, dual cannons, anti-Force tech variant Built for speed, not survivability
Anakin grimaced. "No shields?"
"Just enough," Cain replied. "These are for flanking and pursuit—advanced pilots only."
Seris tapped the interface, highlighting all three designs. "You're planning to divide squadrons by specialization?"
"Exactly," Cain said. "We create wings and divisions. Blend clone pilots, Alliance elites, and Force-sensitives into strike teams."
Anakin scratched his chin. "And we use these to guard the Katana Fleet?"
Cain shook his head.
"These are the backbone of our new navy. The Katana Fleet will form our capital core. These will give us strike capacity. Surgical reach."
Seris folded her arms. "And what happens when the Republic notices we're arming like this?"
"They already noticed," Cain said. "But so far, they're still debating about how to spin it politically."
Anakin grinned. "Let them. By the time they decide what we are, we'll be too big to stop."
Cain nodded slowly.
"That's the idea."
He turned off the holotable.
"Assign Bo-Katan and her team for recovery. Use our allies in the Mytaranor sector to scout the route. And prep the first Paladin pilots class for flight simulations when we begin the trials."
Seris looked at him carefully. "What about you?"
Cain exhaled, folding his hands behind his back.
Cain nodded slowly. "Then the sky is ours."
Codex Entry 049
A blade means little without a hand to wield it.
A ship means nothing without someone skilled to fly it.