Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 121-122 - Annihilator

Renn keenly sensed a possible rivalry between the supervisor, Unbrage, and the head of research and development, Mur Danto.

However, this was not important to him. As long as it did not affect the interests of the Confederacy and the plans of the General's Office, internal strife was not within his jurisdiction.

“The idea of ​​a hunting squad has its strategic value,” Ryan acknowledged to Unbrak. “I suggest you let me take a battalion-sized unit (about 300 of these new robots) with me to the front lines for combat testing and evaluation. If they perform as expected on the battlefield, I will personally submit a recommendation report to the General’s office… So, what is the second idea you just mentioned?”

For once, Ambrugg hesitated for a moment, and the respirator emitted a few irregular hissing sounds.

This unusual pause made Ryan realize that the second idea was probably even bolder than the concept of the "Jedi Killer" robot.

It's not that it's as far-fetched as the "gravitational particle accelerator" project in terms of technology; the consortium for technology has always been known for pushing the limits of science.

Rather, it carries extremely high political risks.

This is probably not an area that an ordinary branch supervisor should easily touch.

"Ok?"

Ryan urged calmly, secretly thinking that whatever the other party proposed might become interesting material for him to observe the dynamics within the technology alliance.

As if he had made up his mind, the heavy mechanical breathing sounded again, carrying a do-or-die determination: "I request the General's office to authorize us to officially produce the 'Annihilator' war robot."

“This…” Raine paused for a rare moment, needing time to gather his thoughts. “Supervisor, I’m afraid I can’t give you a definite answer on this matter immediately.”

The origins of the "Destroyer" are quite complex.

It was originally an experimental heavy air support platform secretly developed by the Republic. During the Battle of Ereden Prime, its prototype, related technical data, and some usable models were completely captured by the Confederate Second Fleet.

Subsequently, in a precise raid on the Kashyyk system, the Confederacy successfully seized its core control code.

Since then, this powerful war machine has participated in many key battles, such as the Battle of Sarapin Energy Planet, the Second Decisive Battle of Krant, and the recent Battle of the Kolumex System.

Undoubtedly, the "Destroyer" is the most formidable and renowned weapon in the Confederate robot army's air power.

The core issue is that there is only one place in the entire Milky Way that has the production line for the "Destroyer".

That was General Severn Tann's private military base on the planet Krant.

In its early days, the "Destroyer" was virtually invincible on the battlefield thanks to its powerful firepower and protection, so there was ample reason to keep its core technologies and production facilities under the highest level of secrecy.

Ironically, however, this secrecy measure later became a bottleneck.

The brutal demands of war forced research and development to proceed at a rapid pace, with technology iterating at an unprecedented speed.

It is foreseeable that if the production of the "Destroyer" cannot be rapidly scaled up and its costs reduced, it will soon be downgraded from an "ace weapon" to a conventional piece of equipment with acceptable performance but no longer rare.

However, the "Destroyer" has essentially become the signature equipment of General Tann's forces.

Now that she holds the supreme command, if she were to suddenly authorize a non-core unit like the Boz-Pitty Plant of the Tech Alliance to mass-produce "Destroyers," it would inevitably draw severe accusations of nepotism and "bribery." The general seems to have only two choices.

First, the "Destroyer" technology was made completely public, allowing all qualified Confederate military industrial enterprises to bid for its production.

Second, maintain the status quo and continue to have the Krant base manufacture the products exclusively.

This is exactly the result that Supervisor Angbrak had been hoping for.

He wanted the entire separatist space to know that his Boz Pitti plant had received special favor and strong support from the Supreme Commander.

Once the news gets out, customer orders and investor funds will surely flood in.

However, the entire Confederation's attention was now focused on this newly established general's office, especially at this sensitive time when the dawn of "peace negotiations" seemed to be breaking.

As the first Supreme Commander in Confederate history to be elected through legal procedures without being "appointed" by Count Dooku, Severn Tann's every move was scrutinized like never before.

The reorganization of military command, the adjustment of relations with major defense companies, and the delicate balance of political influence...

All of these things are intertwined and strictly monitored by countless eyes.

Any action that could be seen as biased, even with the slightest risk, is enough to trigger a storm of accusations of favoritism and corruption.

"Regarding the future plans for Project Annihilator, I am not currently aware of the Supreme Commander's specific thoughts," Rein frankly admitted, his tone cautious. "I will report your proposal to her at the appropriate time and discuss it in more detail. But this is beyond my authority as a negotiator."

“…I understand.” The supervisor’s voice sounded somewhat muffled. He awkwardly turned his heavy body, his metal feet scraping against the floor with a harsh screech, facing Rein directly. “In any case, we have reached a mutually beneficial agreement on the exclusive supply of combat robots, and the Technology Alliance Board of Directors will be satisfied with this outcome.”

Renn's sharp gaze scrutinized Onbrak's face, hidden behind the transparent mask. "Indeed... I hope our partnership will remain as mutually beneficial as it is today for a long time to come."

The Skako's eyes, covered by reinforced glass, seemed to look over Renn's shoulder and focus on a point behind him.

He then bowed stiffly, his movements appearing very strained, despite the constraints of the bulky pressure suit.

“Of course, sir. We look forward to good news regarding the Beska mine and the ‘Destroyer’ project, but this new agreement has already laid a solid foundation, so I won’t take up any more of your valuable time.”

Supervisor Onbrak quickly turned around, waved, and a team of silent IG series security robots immediately emerged from the shadows, surrounding his massive metal body, and soon disappeared into the depths of the crisscrossing prefabricated buildings in the industrial park.

"I have to say, I don't like this person."

A deep voice sounded behind Renn.

“Vinock!” Ryan turned around and gave him a slightly reproachful look. “He’s just ambitious, though perhaps a little too ambitious. But as long as it’s directed in the right direction, it’s beneficial to the overall strength of the Confederation… Now, tell me the results of your and Barris’ tests on those new robots.”

(Four updates today, more tomorrow)

(End of this chapter)