Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 122-123 - The Hidden Sign (First Update)
Vinok gave a noncommittal snort and gestured with his chin toward the apprentice beside him: "Barris, show him the thing."

Paris looked somewhat reluctant, but she still reached to her waist and drew a weapon.

That wasn't a lightsaber, but a short, slightly curved, all-black blade.

It is thinner and lighter than a standard vibrating sword!

It's not a vibration weapon at all, but a military knife made of pure Bescar alloy.

Renn instantly understood the reason.

The crystal structure of pure Besca cannot withstand high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations.

He took the military knife, his fingers carefully tracing the cold blade, feeling its texture and weight.

“Those assault robots, just like the weapons they’re equipped with,” Barris said with obvious disdain, as if she were commenting on a defective product, “any apprentice who has passed the Jedi Order’s basic training test could easily handle them.”

Renn paused for a moment before fully understanding the deeper meaning in her words, "This blade can't stay sharp for long, right?"

He flicked the blade lightly with his finger.

“That’s right,” Vinok affirmed, stepping forward and pointing to a few minor chips and nicks along the edge of the blade. “Ancient Besca vibrating swords used Besca woven fabric as the core layer, with other high-toughness alloys forged on the outside, rather than pure Besca. There’s a reason for that. Blades made of pure Besca are extremely prone to chipping and chipping after violent impacts… If it weren’t for the extremely high hardness of Besca itself, it might even break completely. It would be more like a… disposable weapon.”

“If you’re reduced to having to draw this thing in a fight…” Raine held the knife up to his eyes, carefully examining the blade under the bright lights of the industrial area, “that likely means you’ve made a series of serious tactical mistakes. I understand the design logic behind it. Against Jedi, you might only have one chance for a surprise attack. If the first strike fails, whether this knife is good or bad, you won’t get a second chance.”

“Jedi warriors aren’t so easily fooled,” Barris scoffed, crossing her arms. “Lightsabers are just one tool; we also have Force perception and anticipation.”

Admittedly, there have been instances in history where Jedi died from simpler, more direct traps.

The thought of those highly skilled warriors struggling in meticulously designed deadly traps, only to find themselves with nowhere to escape, filled Raine with an indescribable bitterness.

Jedi are the type of enemy they least want to face.
Until an effective way to exclude them from the war is found, the Confederation has no choice but to treat them as high-value targets that must be eliminated, rather than distinguishing them simply because of their status.

The core of war is finding the most efficient means of killing.

Fortunately, no one has yet delved into why certain Jedi always manage to miraculously escape the tightest ambush zones, but this excuse of "luck" will eventually run out.

Sooner or later, Ryan may be forced to reveal his hidden trump card.

The bitter taste still lingers in their hearts, but at least now they finally have the ability to take some proactive measures.

"...How effective it is in actual combat still needs to be tested on the battlefield," Rein decided, flicking his wrist to subtly slide the Besca knife into the tactical compartment on his back. "Also, Paris, how are you feeling? Has your physical condition recovered?"

“Much easier,” the former Jedi apprentice said, stretching his wrists and shoulders as if checking his flexibility. “What exactly did you inject me with before?”

“A potent combination of neuromuscular relaxants and sedatives. To be honest, I’ve never captured a Jedi before,” Raine said with a hint of apology. “I wouldn’t dare take any risks… Here, this is for you.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a small black data card, the size of which was compatible with standard data chip slots.

As Paris reached for it, Ryan's fingers firmly gripped the corner of the card, refusing to let go. "...What is this?" Paris's face was filled with wariness and impatience.

"Have you made up your mind?" Ryan's voice was low, his gaze fixed on her eyes.

The annoyance on Paris's face first turned into surprise, and then froze into a stubborn expression.

“Your task is to ensure that these swords… and yourself, are stained with as little unnecessary blood as possible.” Raine glanced meaningfully at her empty waist.

At least, they've put a restless hound back into its natural habitat.

In the current situation, any chaos within the Republic camp would be advantageous to the Confederation.

“I know. I won’t run away again,” Paris replied firmly, forcefully pulling the data card that Rein had released. “What is this thing?”

“General Tann insists on leaving you an emergency communication channel, and as your direct supervisor, it is my responsibility to provide it.” Raine crossed his arms, his expression serious. “If you are truly in dire straits… I mean, a real, unavoidable dead end, insert this card into any public terminal or communicator with remote signal transmission capabilities.”

“What?” Paris raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re coming to rescue me yourself? I don’t need to.”

Raine noticed that her words seemed to have regained some of the Jedi's sharpness and edge.

“It wasn’t me,” he shook his head, a subtle, enigmatic smile playing at the corners of his lips. “It was ‘those sisters.’ I was originally considering giving you two cards… but they’re always inseparable, one card is enough to contact both of them.”

Vinok, standing to the side, first showed a hint of surprise on his face, then burst into a deep and hearty laugh. He patted Renn's shoulder forcefully: "Girl, don't waste this card!"

"What kind of 'help' is this?"

“They are a heavyweight ‘reinforcement’ capable of taking over a city.”

Barris frowned in confusion, her gaze darting back and forth between Ryan and Vinok, slowly realizing that the former Jedi Master was serious and not joking at all.

"What……"

"Have the negotiations ended?"

A calm yet penetrating voice interrupted their conversation.

"General!"

The three of them straightened their backs almost reflexively, even Paris.

General Severn Tann had quietly arrived at the entrance to the observation deck at some unknown time.

She stood tall and straight, wearing the new uniform of the Supreme Commander, naturally exuding an invisible aura of authority.

Raine keenly sensed that Tann's mood didn't seem relaxed at the moment, with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)