Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 108-109 - Destruction and Enlightenment (9k)

(The crimson light in the previous chapter was from the First Fleet and the Fourth Fleet, which appeared behind Tann. The flagship of the Fourth Fleet was the Conqueror-class heavy cruiser with a giant pulse ion cannon. Of course, there would be some things buried inside.)
“Apprentice, the dark side is always close to you, just a thought away, a moment away.”

"The dark side and the light side coexist, separated by only a fine line."

"The dark side patiently lurks, waiting to trap those who are careless, and possesses endless disguises."

Of all the teachings that Master Luminara imparted to Paris Orpheus, these words were particularly clear to her.

Of course, Paris had heard similar words many times before.

She believed in her teacher's teachings, but she never truly felt the existence of the dark side, nor did she ever truly understand its nature.

As far as she knew, she had never been tempted by the dark side.

However, as the Flame Messenger trembled violently amidst the fierce barrage of gunfire from all sides, and as Paris clung tightly to the anchorage beside her to avoid being thrown off, she began to seriously consider what Master Luminara meant by "all disguises."

Through the observation window, she saw Confederate and Republican fighter squadrons, like moths drawn to a flame, fearlessly weaving and fighting among the gaps in the massive warships.

Whether they were robotic pilots or organic life form pilots, they all selflessly used their own bodies to block the deadly turbo laser beams and missiles fired from the gun deck of the "Founder's Legacy".

All the sacrifices were made to protect those mysterious "gravity interception mines".

These devices seemed to represent the last hope for turning the tide of the war.

“We’re two kilometers from the safe zone,” Taylor’s voice came through, tinged with barely perceptible tension. “We’ve lost three frigates.”

The Unicorn Squadron accelerated along the lower part of the Founder Legacy's massive, gradually narrowing bow.

Just then, Paris's senses were inexplicably drawn upwards to the bridge tower of the dreadnought that stood high above them.

Strangely, her chaotic thoughts suddenly became clear, and the endless pain and destruction echoing in the Force receded like a tide, enveloping her in an unprecedented, cold calm.

……

"So... this is the dark side of the Force."

“Every conscious action you take, no matter how small, involves a choice. The road always forks, and you must decide the direction. Do you remember the training you did to sense and block remote-controlled balls while blindfolded?”

This is one of the most basic training programs for Jedi Apprentices.

The remote-controlled ball is a small, hovering robot, similar in size to a gold bob.

It can be programmed to speed across the training field at extremely high speeds and fire weak electric shock beams at trainees.

Once trainees put on a special explosion-proof helmet and lower completely opaque goggles, the only way to sense the position of the remote-controlled ball is by using the Force.

As trainees improve their lightsaber skills, parrying these high-speed electric shock beams becomes a routine training exercise.

Since you cannot rely on sight or hearing to track your target, the only way to avoid being shocked is to completely empty your mind and let the Force itself guide your hands to block.

"In those training sessions."

The voice of Master Luminara seemed to travel through time and space, echoing in Paris's ears.

"Have you ever thought of destroying the remote-controlled ball? Using the Force to form an invisible hand, crushing it completely like a piece of scrap paper?"

"Did you know that statistics show that one in eight Jedi Practitioners will eventually choose to reach out and destroy the remote-controlled ball?"

"They usually justify themselves by saying that instead of endlessly and passively blocking those annoying electric shock beams, it would be more efficient to solve the problem at its source and destroy the source of the attack."

Compassion and empathy are the cornerstones of Jedi.

Paris wouldn't choose this seemingly easy shortcut.

She struggled fiercely, summoning all her willpower, trying to break free from the insidious mental net that had quietly enveloped her, and to immerse herself once again in the boiling torrent of emotions on the battlefield, filled with pain and slaughter.

The consciousness controlling her seemed to sense something amiss, as if it realized that an important piece was slipping out of its grasp.

Paris suddenly looked up, her gaze piercing through the void, fixed on the towering bridge of the "Founders' Legacy".

She clearly "saw" countless invisible spiritual threads radiating out from there, weaving into a giant net covering the entire battlefield.

She instantly realized that this was the core node of this mental network.

A Jedi Master, like a god overlooking the chessboard, controls this bloody battle through the Force, precisely directing every massacre.

Any Republic captain within the sphere of influence of its mental network, regardless of whether he is a Jedi or not, will have his will to resist forcibly erased.

Their emotions, tamed by the powerful Force, were reduced to absolute obedience, leaving them numb to the horrific scene of death before them.

This……

This is exactly the kind of "loyalty" that the Jedi want to see!
At this moment, they were like pre-programmed combat robots, executing tactical orders with astonishing coordination and ruthless efficiency, completely unaffected by moral constraints or feelings of guilt.

At this moment, the Jedi Master who was in control of the battle was watching Barris through the vast Force.

Lock her in with the Force, this rebel who refuses to integrate into its artificial collective consciousness.

Barry glared back without flinching, issuing a silent yet resolute challenge on the Force level.

This is not the path the Jedi should take!
Amidst the surge of the Force, she angrily questioned him, "Who do you think you are?!"

"We've entered the safe zone!"

At that moment, Taylor jumped up from his seat, his voice filled with obvious relief.

"Immediately notify the 'Crumplinz'! Gravity-blocking minefield deployment complete!" The small tower's voice suddenly rose, clearly turned up to maximum volume, creating a loud echo in the bridge. "Admiral Trench's location?! Is 'Victoria Louise' in position?!"

"Signal in progress... The Fourth Fleet is on standby at coordinates one short-range micro-jump away! The 'Crumplinz' is coordinating their precise jump parameters!"

At that moment, numerous friendly signal markers representing the Nadolin Task Force on the tactical star map began to go out one after another.

They ultimately could not withstand the fierce attack of the "White Breastplate Fleet" and were completely defeated and annihilated.

Only the USS Krumprinz and its flagship squadron managed to withdraw from the battle in an orderly manner.

Images transmitted from the sensors show that the proud warship's hull armor is now riddled with cracks, and the barrels of many turrets have ruptured due to prolonged overload firing, turning a dangerous dark red.

But their sacrifices were not in vain.

Now, a newly deployed gravity-blocking minefield has appeared between the dreadnought "Founder's Legacy" and the main force of the Republic Fleet, effectively isolating this steel behemoth.

However, as Barris scanned the star map, searching for the Confederate fleet that had survived the dreadnought attack...

She was disappointed to find that there was almost no organized force.

The Nadolin Task Force has been severely damaged, the organization of the separatist right wing has collapsed, and the remaining warships are in chaos, scattering like a flock of frightened birds.

The nearest reinforcements are also thousands of kilometers away.

Just then, a calm and authoritative voice resounded across the battlefield through the encrypted channel:

"This is General Severn Tann, commander of the Confederate Second Fleet. Reinforcements have arrived on the battlefield."

Almost simultaneously with the sound, the area on the star map where the Nadolin forces' markings had just disappeared was covered by a flood of hundreds of signal markers representing the separatist fleet!

They appeared conspicuously behind the Republic's right-wing "White Breastplate Fleet"!

Immediately afterwards, the power signal of the "Core Glory," a "Consignor-class" interstellar dreadnought besieged by the "White Hand Fleet," flickered violently a few times before disappearing completely from the star map, leaving only a blurry silhouette marking its last detected location.

Paris felt a chill run down her spine, realizing clearly that the Republic was about to lose.

The "Steel Blade Fleet" is under attack from all sides, and the "Long Spear Fleet" has suffered heavy losses and is no longer able to maintain its offensive.

The Republic now places all its hopes for victory on the "Founder's Legacy" and the "White Breastplate Fleet".

Paris's thoughts were interrupted by a scene that suddenly appeared at the edge of the star map.

Six enormous cargo ships, each at least twice the length of the Flame Messenger, are slowly orbiting an equally massive asteroid.

From her vantage point, the asteroid appeared to be the size of a small satellite!
Barris instantly understood why the separatists had been able to hold out here for so long, and she also realized what their ultimate weapon was that they planned to use to destroy the "Founders' Legacy".

Thinking of this, Master Luminara's teachings resurfaced in her mind.

"Destroying the remote-controlled ball itself may not be a wrong choice. If you have mastered the skill of blocking the electric shock beam, and after calm thinking and logical judgment, you believe that eliminating the attack at its source is the better solution, then using the Force to stop it is also reasonable."

“That’s exactly what some exceptionally talented apprentices did.”

"But if you do this out of anger, pain, fear, or any negative emotion that has completely dominated you, then you have already slid into the dark side."

"If you believe, without careful consideration, that any means are justified as long as the goal is right, then you have already succumbed to the temptation of that insidious force."

Just as Paris was lost in thought.

An extremely dazzling light, too bright to look at directly, suddenly burst forth!

Along with this light, an enormous shadow appeared in the void, and at the same time, the violent energy shockwaves it released spread silently in the vacuum of space.

Even the light of distant stars rippled violently, like the surface of water after a stone has been thrown in.

A giant ship used the pseudo-movement method unique to hyperspace jump to instantly pass the side of the "Flame Messenger" and then crashed into the gravity interception field that had just been set up!

The powerful blocking force field forced it to suddenly break free from the hyperspace state.

In the blink of an eye, a massive warship, over five kilometers long, appeared with incredible spatial precision next to the dreadnought "Founder's Legacy"!
The giant ship was covered in an undulating gray steel hull, adorned with navy blue identification markings.

These markings pulsate and undulate on the surface of the ship as if they were alive.

The contrast is even more striking near the damaged areas that were charred, cracked, and steaming from the gravity interceptor mines.

Its sixteen super-large ion engines spewed out a torrent of energy. Although sound cannot be transmitted in a vacuum, the violent release of energy seemed to be screaming silently, causing the battlefield in the midst of fierce fighting to freeze for a moment.

Separatists actually possess interstellar dreadnoughts?
Paris was deeply shocked.

A warship of this caliber cannot be built overnight.

Even with her limited knowledge of military affairs, she understood this principle.

How long have Count Dooku and his separatist alliance been secretly preparing for this war?

Was this a meticulously planned rebellion from the very beginning?

The energy readings on the bridge sensors spiked instantly into the dangerous red zone!
Conqueror-class heavy cruisers.

It is the largest warship in the Confederate Navy of the Independent Star System. Designed by the interstellar spacecraft designer "Ruger Schmon", it was originally built by the Sorosub Corporation, but was later transferred to the planet Parmant for construction with the assistance of the Freedark Volunteer Engineering Corps of the Quarun Separatist Alliance. Subsequently, this warship, known as the behemoth of the Confederate Navy, served in the Confederate Navy.

The warship is equipped with a giant pulse wave ion cannon on each of its left and right sides.

A huge, disc-shaped structure on the side of the heavy cruiser began to shine with a blinding light, its brightness increasing rapidly, as if a miniature star had been ignited in the void!
Intense light accompanied by crackling sounds and a visible stream of ion radiation bursting forth!
The bridge of the "Flame Messenger" automatically activated its high-light protection program, and all the viewing windows instantly darkened to almost complete darkness.

Even so, Paris was still thrown backward by the sudden burst of intense light.

She instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes.

A massive, perfectly condensed spherical lightning bolt, like a thunderbolt hurled by a god, struck the port flank of the "Founder's Legacy" with unparalleled precision!

This devastating blow instantly and completely shattered the deflector shield defense system of the "Consignor-class" interstellar dreadnought.

The violent ionized energy, like a destructive torrent with life and a greedy will, frantically tore and melted through the thick port side armor of the "Founder's Legacy".

The turret array was directly vaporized, the shield generator nodes were completely burned, and the destructive energy even penetrated the hull, charring and carbonizing the entire area of ​​the ship's structure from the inside!
When the blinding light finally dissipated, the massive hull of the Founders Legacy was clearly listing to port.

The entire left side of the hull was charred black, with hot steam constantly billowing from the damaged area.

Having lost all its shields and defensive weapons on this side, the semi-paralyzed Republic flagship was utterly helpless against the separatist dreadnought.

Without hesitation, the Confederate Conqueror-class heavy cruisers unleashed all their firepower at the defenseless behemoth.

"Admiral Trench's fleet has arrived on the battlefield!" Little Tower's voice boomed with a cheerful electronic hum. "We have won."

Four hundred new friendly force markers appeared instantly on the tactical star map.

This time, they carefully maintained a safe distance.

It was led by the second Confederate "Conqueror-class" heavy cruiser.

Its length, if not exceeding that of the first ship, is at least comparable.

What is most chilling is its bow, which is not a traditional ship's bow shape, but a huge, deep, ominous-looking hole structure.

A colossal cannon, of terrifying size, emerged from the depths of the hole, its muzzle locked directly onto the battered "Founder's Legacy".

Then, the muzzle suddenly burst out with a blinding light, and a thick column of energy fire shot out!

The devastating pillar of fire easily passed over the towering bridge tower of the "Founder's Legacy" and shot into the distant void.

However, it unexpectedly struck an unfortunate Republic warship further below the battle line, instantly vaporizing it completely, leaving no wreckage behind.

It was only then that Paris realized she had been holding her breath, and she finally let out a long, trembling breath.

"They...missed?" Even Xiaota's synthesized voice revealed a hint of disbelief and confusion.

But this confusion lasted for less than a second within its purely robotic logic.

“This is 90 ‘Cylinder’,” a voice immediately connected. “We have verified your authorization command code, ‘Flame Messenger’. Please issue the specific command.”

Paris's heart sank; she understood instantly.

The "cylinder" number 90 refers to the giant planetary ion cannon deployed in nearby orbit!
The Force throbbed violently and warned her from the depths of her consciousness.

just now!

A thought screamed in her mind.

Stop him!
You are a Jedi!
Even if you're just an apprentice, you're still a Jedi!

Even if all the robots on the bridge rushed at you with the Force, they couldn't stop you!

but……

Should I stop it? Should I stop the Jedi Master who is controlling the killing machine?

Paris resisted the influence of the Force.

Whoever he is, the only spiritual pillar that keeps the Republic Fleet in its desperate resistance is the "Founder's Legacy" and the master on board.

Destroying it might finally end this endless killing.

Just then, Paris seemed to hear Master Luminara's teachings resounding in her chaotic thoughts.

“If you can only remember one thing from this conversation, Paris, then remember this.”

"Power yearns to be used."

"You must always be vigilant, otherwise it will tempt you and corrupt you."

“One moment you might be slapping an annoying training toy, the next moment you might impulsively use the Force to paralyze an offender’s lungs and strangle him to death.”

"You do this simply because you possess this power."

"Power itself becomes the end."

"As a Jedi, you are always walking on the edge of a cliff. One wrong step and you may fall into the dark side."

"This kind of thing has happened to far too many people. Every time it happens, it's a tragedy. It's like a deadly poison. People always tell themselves, 'Just this once, and never again.'"

"But that's not the case. The only barrier between you and the dark side is your own will and self-discipline."

"Once you succumb to anger, fear, jealousy, or hatred, the dark side will completely devour you."

"If that day comes, you will stand against all Jedi creed and become the enemy of all those who uphold the path of light."

These fragments of memory, now pieced together with unparalleled clarity, transformed into a sharp ice spike, piercing deeply into Paris's heart.

As these words took shape in her mind, a question that sent shivers down her spine arose.

What if the entire Jedi Order had slipped into the dark side, and no one, including themselves, was aware of it?
Count Dooku did not create the separatist alliance out of thin air; he merely lit the tinder that had already piled up.

There are no legendary Sith Lords manipulating things behind the scenes here, only ordinary people.

People are fighting for freedom as they understand it, while the Republic is trying to crush them with force.

What is the purpose of all this?
Why did the Jedi Order get so deeply involved in this bloody vortex?

Just because of Dooku?
Paris couldn't convince herself with this reason.

"What would you do?" the Force asked from the depths of her soul. "As a true Jedi, what should you do right now?"

……

"This is 'Cylinder' No. 90," the voice on the communicator sounded again, with a cold urgency, "awaiting your firing command, 'Flame Messenger'."

A strong, almost burning hatred surged and burned within Paris's chest.

That was hatred directed at this unjust war.

Hatred for the Jedi Council's self-deceiving lies.

Hatred directed at the Republic's false propaganda.

It was also a form of hatred directed at his own long-standing cowardice and incompetence!
She had always been a passive bystander, witnessing one massacre after another unfold, but never actually taking any action.

Each time, she found a seemingly reasonable excuse for herself.

"I had no choice in the matter."

"I'm just an apprentice, there's nothing I can do."

"Someone will always come to stop all of this."

"I can't change anything!"

"...So you're always waiting for someone else to do things for you?"

Paris blinked sharply, as if startled awake by the silent question.

"who do you think You Are?"

Her gaze shot like lightning to the tactical robot, Little Tower, on the captain's command platform.

In that instant, the Force surged into her body like a long-lost friend, bringing with it an incredibly familiar feeling.

A surge of energy coursed through her body, like scorching steam rapidly expanding in a sealed container.

The navigation robot beside her had clearly detected this unusual energy fluctuation.

The robot suddenly turned around, and a cold metal arm swung fiercely at Paris with a whooshing sound!

Paris reacted as quickly as instinct.

She opened her palm, precisely grasped the robot's wrist, and with a burst of strength, twisted it sharply!
With a piercing metallic snap, the robot's elbow shattered!

Immediately afterwards, an invisible shockwave of primal force erupted from her body, shoving the crippled robot away violently.

The robot's remains crashed into the control panel, its parts flying everywhere, before finally slamming into the thick, transparent steel viewing window like a pile of scrap metal.

The more than twenty robots on the bridge were instantly startled and turned to face Baris in unison.

Paris ignored them, her entire focus, like a raptor locking onto its prey, was fixed on the tactical robot, Little Tower.

Or rather, the communicator in Xiaota's hand.

"We can't let him complete the order!"

Power surged and roared within Baris's body. She rushed to the command platform in three strides, focused her mind, and unleashed the Force!

The sturdy control console was torn and ripped off the deck by an invisible force, crashing down towards the other end of the bridge and knocking down three robots that were trying to pounce on it.

As she approached the small tower, the surrounding air seemed to tremble and distort from the powerful Force she unleashed!
With one hand, she gripped the metal "neck" of the robot that had caused countless troubles like an iron clamp, and with the other hand, she swiftly snatched the communicator it was clutching.

She gritted her teeth, and an astonishing force, seemingly from nowhere, erupted, lifting the 80-kilogram robot off the ground!
Paris's eyes were filled with chaos, and her voice was hoarse with anger: "Give it to me, robot!"

The little tower's emotionless electronic eyes looked down at her, and it calmly replied, "The commander is right, your reaction is within the predicted probability model."

"..."

Paris's hand suddenly and uncontrollably loosened its grip!
A sudden, bone-chilling cold instantly penetrated her muscles and nerves, as if all the vitality in her body had been drained away in an instant.

She fell heavily to the floor, her limbs feeling as heavy as lead, completely unable to move.

She tried to speak, but could only utter indistinct murmurs, and eventually had to give up the struggle.

With her last ounce of strength, she struggled to lift her head.

Through her blurry vision, she saw a familiar robot figure bend down and pick up the fallen communicator.

In that instant, her gaze briefly met Taylor's electronic eye, and then she saw the dark muzzle of the blaster he was holding tightly in his hand.

"..."

Paris's last line of defense collapsed completely, and she closed her eyes in despair.

"Young apprentice, have you fallen into the dark side?" An old, deep voice, as rough as the grinding of gravel, whispered beside her.

Paris used her trembling arms to support her body and barely managed to sit up straight.

What came into view was the hem of a rough, earth-brown Jedi robe.

A soft rustling sound, like sandpaper scraping the ground, came from beneath the robe, suggesting that a long reptilian tail might be hidden there.

She looked up along the long robe, her gaze sweeping over the messy, tangled white beard, finally settling on a head covered by long silver hair—a head covered in green scales.

Paris recognized the other person.

No other master in the Jedi Order has such a unique appearance.

"Master Lancisis...?"

Her voice was weak and hoarse.

The elderly Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis scrutinized her face, a glimmer of recognition seeming to flash in his small eyes.

This person is a master of softening, capable of using softening skills to make opponents dizzy, nauseous, or even incapacitated.

In addition, he is proficient in Jedi combat meditation, which allows him to subtly alter the will of his troops to secure victory for his side.

“You resisted my battle meditation; Luminara has taught you very well.” His voice carried a condescending admiration.

"It was you!" Paris understood that her will had been forcibly altered, and a surge of intense anger instantly overcame her weakness: "You turned thousands upon thousands of men and women in the fleet into mind-controlled slaves! Is this the Jedi Way!?"

Deep within her, a faint voice warned her that this was a question directed at a Jedi Master, and even more so at the members of the Jedi Council!
But at that moment, another, more powerful voice told her...

Does this matter?!
Not important anymore!

Oppo Lancisis looked down at her, his gaze as if he were sizing up an ignorant, unreasonable child.

This undisguised contempt only fueled Barris's anger.

“Everyone contributed their will voluntarily, otherwise my meditation would not have been effective,” Master Lancisis’s voice was flat as he slid his body toward the viewing window, his back to Baris. “This is a necessary sacrifice, apprentice. The Republic cannot lose Kolumex.”

“The Republic?! What about the Jedi creed?!” Barris’s voice shrill with emotion, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. “Look around you! Look at the millions who have died under this starry sky! Is this the Jedi way you believe in?!”

The Hisspians Jedi Master did not answer, but silently crossed his hands behind his back, his deep gaze fixed on the ion cannon of Planet 90, which was adjusting its angle in the distance, and the deadly asteroid "Victoria Louise".

Paris was still too weak to stand up. She gritted her teeth and used all her strength to drag her body forward. Her fingernails scratched the floor and soon bled.

The piercing damage control alarm echoed sharply in the bridge; the crew of the Founder Legacy ran around in a frantic frenzy, futilely trying to organize a last-ditch defense.

No one noticed the girl struggling to crawl across the cold deck, even as their heavy military boots pounded over her head just centimeters away.

"Isn't the Jedi's duty to prevent the Republic from sliding into the abyss of tyranny?" Paris's voice was filled with desperate pleading, tears mixed with blood streaming down her cheeks. "Answer me! Why did you condone the Republic committing such crimes!?"

“It seems you have indeed been corrupted by the dark side,” Master Lancisis sighed heavily, slowly turning around to face her again. “Perhaps I should retract my previous assessment. You actually believed Dooku’s instigation? If Luminara knew, she would be very disappointed in you.”

This...this is blatant arrogance!

Was Master Lancisis always this arrogant?

Is the entire Jedi Order the same?

Is it because Paris has been in this situation for too long and has become accustomed to this arrogance?

Something that had been holding her together for so long finally broke down completely at this moment.

“Are you choosing to turn a blind eye, or are you truly so blind?!” Barris screamed with all her might, “It is we Jedi who have fallen to the dark side! We are fighting a war that runs counter to our creed! Instead of upholding peace as the Guardians should, we have become the Senate’s weapon in starting this war! No wonder Count Dooku left us; he must have seen through this hypocritical truth!”

Master Lancisis merely shook his scaly head from side to side in a somber mood, choosing to ignore her once again.

Paris could clearly sense that the Force around her was undergoing a dramatic change.

The scene before my eyes began to distort and blur, as if an invisible hand were tearing a painting apart from its edges.

The Jedi Master had clearly lost patience with her and was trying to use the Force to expel her from his senses.

“I witnessed the whole war firsthand,” Barris shouted to his disappearing silhouette. “I saw the root of the problem… it was the Republic! It was the Republic that corrupted the Jedi Order, twisting us into war machines we were never meant to be!”

No response.

At the same time.

The bridge structure of the HMS Founders Legacy is groaning painfully, with huge cracks spreading along the bulkheads.

The viewing window began to crack and burst open under external pressure!

The crew's cabin twisted and shrank like tin foil being kneaded by a giant hand, and the people inside were instantly crushed into a pulp!
The entire hull shell peeled off and scattered like rotten tree bark, exposing the entire bridge area to the deadly vacuum of space!

"I will save the Jedi!" Barris vowed to the cold void and to her own soul. "I will stop the Republic's atrocities, I will stop the Separatist war, I will uncover all the truths hidden behind this war, and I will restore the Jedi to the right path!"

"You're just an apprentice, what can you do?"

Was that Master Lancisis's final whisper?

Or is it that familiar, doubtful voice deep within her own heart?

Paris couldn't tell anymore.

But I don't care anymore.

“I’ve always been looking for excuses to escape,” Paris answered firmly, even as her body began to stiffen and suffocate in the vacuum. “But this time, I won’t back down. If in the end I still can’t change anything, at least… I can say with a clear conscience that I tried my best.”

Xiaota's cold, emotionless voice seemed to pierce through the vacuum of space, echoing directly in her fading consciousness:

"Aim at the bridge coordinates of the dreadnought... Fire!"

The collapsing bridge of the interstellar dreadnought was instantly bombarded with firepower.

The flames in deep space resembled a blooming, destructive lotus; this moment was frozen in time.

An unprecedented, unbreakable determination solidified in Barris's heart.

With this heavy realization, she closed her eyes for the last time.

However, before her consciousness sank into darkness, she made a promise to herself.

When those eyes open again, she will no longer run away, no longer wait—

She will take action.

(P.S.: It wasn't easy to write this so that Paris would come to her senses and not fall into the dark side. I don't know if everyone will be satisfied with this realization. If you think it's okay, please give me some monthly votes to support me!)
In this battle, two dreadnoughts were destroyed—one was completely annihilated, and the other was captured. This battle has brought the war to a close. There will be some new developments from this conflict. See you all tomorrow!
(End of this chapter)