Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 110-111 - Next Step

“That’s right.” Raine stared intently at the monitor screen as General Tann walked down the corridor toward the bridge. “Listen, I’ll get all the combat data, video recordings, and briefings you need safely to your embassy in Laxus through the Kolmox press club. Can you figure out how to push for an emergency vote now?”

“Now?” Mina subconsciously bit her lower lip, looking hesitant. “No, time is too short… but I can try to propose a motion and try to schedule a vote within a week.”

“A week is too long.” Renn shook his head decisively, his tone urgent. “We must be faster. Tomorrow, or at the latest within two days, release the key information I told you… Say that the front line in Peremian is facing a serious threat from a new offensive by the Republic, and the situation is urgent and cannot be delayed!”

Mina was silent for a few seconds, her gaze seemingly rising to look at someone or a certain direction outside the communicator, before she finally made up her mind to reply: "...Understood. I will send you the specific details of the motion as soon as possible. Remember, on the day of the vote, make sure General Tann himself is present in the council."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she's there," Ryan promised solemnly.

It is not uncommon for some non-public messages to be passed on within separatist parliaments.

If Mina were a member of another faction, Ryan could have simply encrypted the information and sent it to her directly.

But he had to consider Mina's position and reputation.

As a prominent representative of the pacifist movement, she is seen by the public as a symbol of idealism, adherence to rules, and high moral character.

Even if other senators later speculated that she was the first to receive the battle report, as long as there is no conclusive evidence that she had a large amount of inside information in advance, the general public and the media will not over-interpret it, and the impact on her image will be minimized.

Raine saw Mina in the holographic image take a deep breath, seemingly preparing for the upcoming parliamentary debate, before the communication signal was cut off.

“Hal,” Ryan turned to his robot, “contact Admiral Greshard immediately—”

The way he addressed him still sounded somewhat unfamiliar and awkward.

It's not that I have a problem with Greshad himself.

At the local fleet level, Greshad was indeed an admiral.

However, Ryan himself was not quite used to this formal title, so he "had him send all the key combat records of this campaign, including sensor data, ship logs and battlefield images, to the Confederate Foreign Correspondents Association in Kolmogoks as a priority."

Hal was an extremely efficient adjutant.

Ryan only needs to explain the core tasks, and he can accurately understand all the intentions and execute them perfectly.

Watching Hal quickly get to work, Ryan stood up from his chair and stretched his body, which had become stiff from sitting for so long.

His gaze fell on the main observation window, where a small tugboat fleet was towing the captured behemoth, the "Core Glory," slowly away from the heart of the battlefield.

The sheer brutality of this battle and the final casualty figures, once released, will undoubtedly cause a massive shock throughout the entire galaxy, a fact that Renn has no doubt about.

But at this moment, he was more focused on another victory.

Prisoners of war.

The Confederacy captured hundreds of Republic warships and hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers from various branches of the military and different races. Leaving aside all the complex political maneuvering and behind-the-scenes deals, these hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war were the most powerful card the Confederacy held in its hands to fight against the Republic.

“Commodore Bontri,” General Severn Tann’s voice came as she stepped onto the bridge. Her tone sounded relaxed and casual, but the sharpness in her words was clear. “Have you considered changing to a flagship that is more in line with your current rank? At your level, you are fully entitled to choose a more powerful ship.”

Renn was not surprised by this.

Given that Vinok had hinted that Tann possessed some kind of precognitive ability, it seems reasonable that she survived that devastating bombardment.

With the added benefit of that mysterious "Force blessing," her survival was almost inevitable.

However, Raine did not expect that she would be aboard the "Rotten Spikes".

He turned to face General Pantola: "I am still very satisfied with the 'Repulsion'. Speaking of flagships, General, what about your famous stealth warship?"

General Tann did not answer immediately; her eyes, glowing with a distinctive red light, sharply scanned the relatively cramped bridge space of the "Repulsion".

She walked slowly toward the observation window, her gaze sweeping over the control panel and the robotic crew on duty.

“I have no doubt,” she suddenly said, as if she were checking equipment one second, but the next she dropped a bombshell, “Count Dooku intends to use that newly commissioned ‘Conqueror-class’ heavy cruiser to eliminate me as well.”

She paused, her gaze finally settling on Ryan. "I admit I haven't fully grasped his motives yet. Perhaps... you could share your insights?"

“General, how could I possibly know what Count Dooku is thinking?” Renn tried to make his voice sound calm and natural, concealing his inner tension.

“If anyone can see through this,” General Tann said with a knowing smile, “I think that person is very likely you.”

Renn felt offended, but more than that, he felt helpless.

Because Tann is right in a way.

Dooku and Palpatine behind him have exhausted all means in this grand scheme, and Ryan can indeed roughly guess what they want to get out of this mess, including their backup plans.

“I cannot give a definitive answer, General.” Ryan looked away, glancing at the screen displaying the shuttle docking progress, avoiding Tann’s probing gaze. “In any case, your election as the Supreme Commander of the Confederation is almost a certainty. You appeared at the most critical moment of the war, turning the tide. All our combat records clearly prove that it was you who led the reinforcements into battle and reversed the situation. I have forwarded this crucial information to a reliable contact in the Senate. I believe he is currently pushing for a motion in the Senate.”

"That's indeed... very fast," Tann commented, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny, but he had to admit it was true. "Before vying for the highest position, wouldn't it be more prudent to solidify my standing among the admirals and generals?"

“No,” Raine answered decisively. “To ensure this crucial vote passes, we need the support of two key groups: members of the Alliance faction and members of the pacifist faction. We have essentially secured the support of the Alliance faction, but the attitude of the pacifists is crucial. And to get them to vote in favor, we must convince them that the war in the Peremian region has not yet ended, that the Republic could launch a devastating counterattack at any moment, and that the situation remains extremely critical!”

“I must commend you for your strategy of forming the ‘Alliance’ political faction,” General Tann said with a hint of admiration. “It wasn’t the path I initially envisioned, but I can see that it is indeed a clever solution to our current political impasse.”

“But this is only a temporary measure, General.” Ryan noticed that Godell gave him a gesture indicating that “communication is ready,” but he did not immediately end the conversation. “Please allow me to explain… After the bloody battle of Kolumex, both our Confederation and the Republic have been severely weakened and exhausted. Both sides have temporarily lost the ability to launch a large-scale strategic offensive. It can be said that the large-scale war on the main route of Peremian has actually come to an end.”

"That may be true for the members of the 'Confederation'," General Tann said noncommittally, "but let us not forget that the Confederation's main fleet still exists and remains quite fully combat-ready."

(End of this chapter)