The orbit around Coruscant is literally littered with objects that could not have been born in the galaxy on their own.
However, the space around Coruscant has never been empty.
Hanging in orbit were orbital mirrors that brought the light of the local star to even the most remote corner of the planet's surface.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of the most varied satellites ensured the uninterrupted operation of numerous institutions.
But even without them, the planet has always been a gathering place for sentients and a bustling transportation hub.
Daily, thousands of ships arrived at the Republic's capital planet with diplomats and senators, tourists and refugees, produce and goods from distant exotic star systems.
However, now the sky was clogged with Star Destroyers, cruisers, fighters, and other warships, not cargo and transport vessels.
Despite the fact that the wreckage of civilian and military starships is so disfigured that it's hard to recognize anything in them even remotely resembling the product of sentient activity, experienced pilots and spacemen can always identify the type of starship that perished in an unequal battle from the debris.
Garm Bel Iblis, formerly the Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Force, watched as laser and turbolaser beams sliced through the darkness of space.
He stood, hands clasped behind his back, on the bridge of a private Corellian corvette that was breaking through the Imperial blockade of the New Republic's capital.
Breaking through, while the First Fleet heroically stood to the death in hopes of holding control over the state's capital against hordes of Imperial mad rancors that spared no one.
Several dozen units from the point in space where the corvette was located, a blinding glow testified to the destruction of yet another New Republic starship.
"The Reaper has claimed another victim," the ship's commander gritted through his teeth.
The Corellian remained silent, understanding that words were superfluous here.
The armada that Grand Moff Kaine had brought to the Core Worlds was ruthless and unstoppable.
This was exactly what he had told the head of state, Borsk Fey'lya, hoping that the Bothan, elated by his victory, would heed his opinion.
But he merely ignored the human, advising him, as well as the other supporters of Mon Mothma and the newly formed Alliance, to leave the planet.
Talks here were useless.
That's why they were fleeing, taking the opportunity to do so while the orbit was not yet fully controlled by Kaine's butchers.
And there wasn't much time left until then.
For two weeks, Kaine had been breaking through Coruscant's defenses, time and again losing warships—heavy Galactic Dragon-class cruisers—but only falling back and continuing his campaign.
The defense system built by Bel Iblis after Thrawn's attack allowed them to hold out…
But not against such an armada.
Kaine blockaded the orbit and proceeded to destroy reinforcements heading to the aid of the capital.
His forces were capturing planets of the Coruscant system, as well as the entire sector, one after another.
Other formations of his were establishing a direct corridor from the Pentastar Alignment to Coruscant, while the forces of Imperial Space were carrying out their belated assault from the other direction.
Very soon, Coruscant would fall, or the entire sector would be blockaded, and Kaine would grind the First Fleet with the millstones of his war machine that went into battle without regard for losses.
The nineteen-kilometer blade of the Reaper, the Grand Moff's flagship, showered fire on yet another task force of the First Fleet that had arrived from the Empress Teta system.
Two dozen MC80b-type star cruisers fought not for life but to the death, giving the Coruscant defense forces the opportunity to evacuate the civilian population.
And Garm had no doubt that Fey'lya had already left the planet to organize a government in exile.
The military of the First Fleet were dying to save the remnants of the planet's civilian population.
Which had been the first to fall under the blow of the invasion.
Thousands of starships with sentients returning to the planet perished during the first strike, and now the hulks of these ships formed a vast graveyard carpeting the orbit of the capital world.
"In fifteen minutes, we'll reach the jump point out of the system," the ship's commander reported.
"Have you informed Mon Mothma about this?" Bel Iblis inquired, continuing to watch as the Imperials battered the Republic fleet.
Which should have been withdrawn to preserve it for future battles.
"Yes, General," the officer replied. "She received the information but is negotiating with the Mon Calamari."
"I hope she doesn't do something stupid and ask them to send their fleet to hold Coruscant," the Corellian muttered.
"Stupidity?" the corvette commander flared up immediately. "Sir, this is the capital of the New Republic! He who rules Coruscant rules the galaxy!"
"Don't confuse political and military necessity," Bel Iblis shook his head. "Coruscant is just a planet that the Imperials need to show their greatness to the rest of the galaxy. That's a political motive. In military terms, I'd rather give up Coruscant but preserve Empress Teta and Foerost. But the New Republic's Military Command has set priorities differently. Let the rest be on their conscience."
"Of course," the ship's commander said irritably. "Better to preserve the shipyards and rich regions than to hold the symbol of power."
"And what will you do with the symbol of power in your hands when the entire army capable of holding it is slaughtered by the enemy?" Bel Iblis asked.
His interlocutor fell silent.
"I thought so," the Corellian replied. "We've already sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives fighting the Empire's symbol. While they destroyed us based on simple military necessity. Even though Thrawn was our enemy, he opened many eyes to what's happening."
"It sounds like you're admiring them," the man snorted.
"No," Bel Iblis stated. "I just respect his military genius. Who knows what times would have come if he had survived. Without wasting time on symbols, in half a year he deprived us of starships that would have been enough to equip an entire fleet. He captured hundreds of thousands of our fighters, and we couldn't do anything to him."
"But he's in the grave, and we're not," the corvette commander reasonably replied.
Garm looked at another star cruiser exploding under the Reaper's fire.
"Honestly, I don't know which of us has it easier," the Corellian replied quietly. "But I really hope that he is truly dead."
"Why?" the interlocutor wondered.
"Because if Luke Skywalker didn't kill Thrawn at Sluis Van, then the last Grand Admiral will surely make himself known in this current campaign," Bel Iblis explained.
"And so what?"
"And then we're truly finished."
***
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